"Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness."
2 Nephi 9:51
This is a good scripture to remind us about perspective and priority. I don't think that God is saying here that we can't buy an ice cream cone now and then, or that there can't be value in a toy or a game. Instead, I think he is asking us to think about where we are spending our money, our time, and our effort overall. What are we working toward? Where are we headed?
If we're headed towards a life where all we do is eat ice cream and play with toys, then we might need to re-think our priorities. :) If we buy one cone, good. if we go on a quest to try to sample every flavor of ice cream all over the world, and build an ice cream hotel, and dress as ice cream scoops for Halloween... I'm not trying to judge, but we might want to think about whether we're going too far. If we're focused on one thing to the exclusion of all else, God suggests that we can still feast... but instead of ice cream, let's try focusing on something that lasts longer. Something that people can't ruin by mixing in something we hate.
If we choose God as our obsession instead, finding joy in the gospel and in serving and loving others, then that's typically an area where we don't need to fear gluttony. We can feast and delight in serving God to our heart's content. :) (I say typically, because of course we can twist dedication to the Gospel into a justification to judge and condemn others, thinking that we are better than they are, rather than being humble, obedient, and loving to all. But true dedication to God, with no twisting, isn't something that we can overdo.)
Today, let's take a step back and consider where our money, our effort, our time, and our dedication are leading us. And if it is to an Ice Cream Palace with an Ice Cream Monarchy, or something even less wise, let's work on changing our ways, and our hearts. Let's dedicate more of everything to God's purposes. As we do, we'll find ourselves more and more satisfied with ourselves, with the world, and will be able to delight and joy in our feasts, rather than worrying about them taking over. :)
2 Nephi 9:51
This is a good scripture to remind us about perspective and priority. I don't think that God is saying here that we can't buy an ice cream cone now and then, or that there can't be value in a toy or a game. Instead, I think he is asking us to think about where we are spending our money, our time, and our effort overall. What are we working toward? Where are we headed?
If we're headed towards a life where all we do is eat ice cream and play with toys, then we might need to re-think our priorities. :) If we buy one cone, good. if we go on a quest to try to sample every flavor of ice cream all over the world, and build an ice cream hotel, and dress as ice cream scoops for Halloween... I'm not trying to judge, but we might want to think about whether we're going too far. If we're focused on one thing to the exclusion of all else, God suggests that we can still feast... but instead of ice cream, let's try focusing on something that lasts longer. Something that people can't ruin by mixing in something we hate.
If we choose God as our obsession instead, finding joy in the gospel and in serving and loving others, then that's typically an area where we don't need to fear gluttony. We can feast and delight in serving God to our heart's content. :) (I say typically, because of course we can twist dedication to the Gospel into a justification to judge and condemn others, thinking that we are better than they are, rather than being humble, obedient, and loving to all. But true dedication to God, with no twisting, isn't something that we can overdo.)
Today, let's take a step back and consider where our money, our effort, our time, and our dedication are leading us. And if it is to an Ice Cream Palace with an Ice Cream Monarchy, or something even less wise, let's work on changing our ways, and our hearts. Let's dedicate more of everything to God's purposes. As we do, we'll find ourselves more and more satisfied with ourselves, with the world, and will be able to delight and joy in our feasts, rather than worrying about them taking over. :)
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