Daily Encouragement: Day 236

From Handbook to Wisdom, Day 236

THE GOOD CAN BE THE ENEMY OF THE BEST

I do not want to be worried and troubled about many things;
only one thing is needed.
Like Mary, I want to choose the good part,
which will not be taken away from me.
(Luke 10:41–42)

I will not lay up for myself treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy and where
thieves break in and steal.
But I will lay up for myself treasures in heaven,
where moth and rust do not destroy
and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:19–21; Luke 12:34)

Developing an appetite for secondary goods can suppress our appetite for the things that are most important.

One night a mother fixed a special meal for her family: turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce, and apple pie for dessert. It was everyone’s favorite meal, especially when it came at a time other than Thanksgiving. The aroma filled the house, and as the children came in from playing, they could hardly wait for dinner to begin. The last child appeared only a few minutes before dinner time and sat through the meal without eating, even though he especially loved those foods. Why? Because he had filled up on peanut butter at a friend’s house. In settling for something good, he had lost his appetite for the best.

The same applies to our spiritual appetites. Some people do not have much of an appetite for spiritual truths because they have filled themselves with lesser things.