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Allison Sintons was rich. At least, she was richer than she had ever been. At the age of 22 she was better off than most her age. Her step grandfather had recently passed away and, to her surprise, had left her an inheritance of $66,000. The sum may not seem like much to some, but for her it was more than she could wrap her mind around. Allison’s father quickly took her to the bank where we helped her open a certificate of deposit and encouraged her to leave the money alone for as long as possible. She agreed and deposited $61,000 into the account and kept $5,000 in her checking where she would only use it if necessary. Allison had always wanted to be a photographer and fashion blogger, so she reasoned that a wise use of her initial deposit would be to invest in fancy camera. She was initially nervous about the first purchase as she was uncomfortable with tapping into those supplies. But the feeling passed and that first $5,000 was spent in the first month and she began a pattern of dangerous spending that continued until her resources were gone. Within two years, not only was she broke – she racked up $7,000 of credit card debt. When asked what she would do if given a second chance, she admits she probably wouldn’t change her spending habits and that her regret isn’t so much tied to her lavish spending, but that she ran out of money to spend.

But does Allison having a spending problem…or a heart problem? For some reason, her heart was not satisfied with the things she already had. But even buying everything she thought she wanted didn’t satisfy her. In some ways we are not unlike Allison. Deep within our hearts, we long to be satisfied. Although you may not go out and purchase wild things, you may find you’re always waiting to upgrade that phone. Or maybe you’re always dreaming of your next new vehicle or a bigger house or a better job or something else you believe you’re lacking.

In this Thanksgiving season we once again have the opportunity to examine the condition of our hearts. How thankful are you for the many blessings you enjoy every day? Or maybe, more importantly, how thankful are you for the difficult circumstances that you face? Because the reality is, God has allowed both the good and the bad into your life for one reason – to point you to Christ. This Thanksgiving season, remember to look to Him as you thankfully consider the life that He has given you.

If this topic interests you, or if you’d like to talk about the difficulties God may allowing you to go through, feel free to contact me at: tj@wellsborobible.com. Thanks for joining me today for Back to Basics.