iPods, for MUSIC or as a STATUS?

(BEWARE: the article below is long, but PLEASE, PLEASE take the time to read it. It will be worth your while!)

Music, music, music. Music has been around for a long time, even in Bible times people played music and listened to people sing songs. In the past 100 years, though music has become even more popular and available. Now music can be recorded and played back. There were records, and tapes, and cds, and now there are mp3s too. Mp3s can be transferred to an mp3 player and then listened to. Mp3 players can hold many different albums and songs, thousands and thousands of songs can be held in a device that fits in the palm of your hand.
Now, I am sure that all of you reading this article know what an iPod and an mp3 player are and what they are capable of doing, so the preceding paragraph was all something that you already know. I am also sure that you have been asked this question at some point in your life (don't worry though, if you haven't because it is possible that you haven't :P), “So, do you have an iPod or an mp3 player?”
There is nothing wrong about the question in its self, but it is the thoughts of the person being asked the question that are the problem. “So, do you have an iPod or an mp3 player?” I could make assumptions about how this question could affect the person being asked it, but I have been asked this question before so I will just tell you all how the question affected me.
Before I tell you my thoughts and feelings when I have been asked this question (remember the question has nothing wrong with it, but rather, the question can produce wrong feelings in the person, that is the part that we need to be concerned about.) we first need to uncover what is really in this question. The question is asking what type of player you have (perfectly fine), but it some times implies that iPods are better than mp3 players (we don't need to get into an argument about if this is true or not). I have been asked this question before, and I am sure I have also asked someone else this question. Remember, the question it's self has nothing wrong about it, just the thoughts of the person being asked is were the sin is sometimes committed.
So, now my feelings about this question, “So, do you have an iPod or an mp3 player?. First I must tell you that I DO NOT have an iPod. Rather I have a Sansa mp3 player.
I really need to get an new mp3 player. Mine is going on 4 years this Christmas, it is slow, takes 45 seconds to turn on, and only can hold 2G. When thinking about getting a new one I really had this desire to get an iPod instead of another plain, boring mp3 player (my thoughts then). See, I had been taught by the world that iPods are better than mp3 players. That question, “So, do you have an iPod or an mp3 player?” (and among other things) made me think that to have an iPod was better, even if it cost more. If it cost more it meant that I was richer and that I had THE BEST THERE WAS!
Whenever I was asked, “So, do you have an iPod or an mp3 player?” I was feeling discontent. I would reply, “I just have an mp3 player”. You see, I was beginning to feel insignificant and jealous of those people who had iPods. So when I was thinking about replacing my mp3 player all I wanted to get was an iPod nano, because then I could answer, “I have an iPod” to the question. I could FIT IN, MATCH OTHERS, be VIEWED DIFFERENTLY BY THEM, and I COULD HAVE A STATUS AMONGST OTHERS.
Now, I must stop to acknowledge my WONDERFUL DADDY! He helped me to see my sin and to correct it. When we were looking up different mp3 players to replace my old one, I kept saying, “I just want to get an iPod”. My Dad would ask my why, and I would say, “I don't know why, I just want to.” I had no idea then why I wanted one so badly instead of an mp3 player. My Dad said, “I could see purchasing an iPod because it would work better, but not for more than that. This Sansa FUZE that we have been looking at looks like it would work just fine for what you need it for, listening to music right?” I was so discontent with the Sansa FUZE. I wanted the iPod, but I didn't know why.
My wonderful Daddy (thank you Lord for him), pointed out that I had a serious problem and that I needed to pray about it. He showed me that I wanted an iPod merely so that I could be like everyone else and so that I could have it for a status. And iPod was a status to me. I saw people with an iPod as something better and I wanted to have something better. I was sinning, I was wanting what others had; I wanted to match those that had iPods.
So that question, “So, do you have an iPod or an mp3 player?” that was something that I had trouble answering. The question was making me sin, I was answering “No I just have an mp3 player” with a discontent heart.
I have repented of that sin! The Lord is teaching me to be content with an mp3 player (I still haven't bought a new one, I will soon though, with birthday money).
I must say that many of you reading this article probably have an iPod, so I hope that you read this far into the article with out turning your ears off. Actually, thank you for reading this far. I hope that I didn't let my ideas get into this article too much. I mean, there is nothing wrong with iPods, I hope that you all know that I realize that. I know that there is nothing wrong with iPods. Please note that! It is just that iPods cause me to sin, that is why I will not and do not own one. If I did own one, I would be proud and use it as a status. Because I don't have one I am learning to be content with second best (according to the world, iPods are the best, mp3 players are second best), and I am learning to not be jealous of what others have.
Maybe you are having a hard time being content with the mp3 player that you have, like I was. I hope that I was an encouragement to you. On the other hand, maybe you have an iPod and my article has encouraged you to look at how you view your iPod. Is it a status to you? Are you proud at owning it? Ask the Lord to help you if you are in either of these areas. The Lord showed me my sin, ask him to show you if you have sin.
So this is the end of my long article. You don't have to read anymore if you don't want to, but I have included some of my ideas concerning iPods vs. mp3 players below (which I tried to keep out of the actual article).

1. iPods are mp3 players, they play mp3s. Often people think that there are two types when there really is only one. Many think that you can get and iPod OR and mp3 player, when in reality you can only get an mp3 player. An iPod is just a brand name, but many classify it as it's own thing.
2. My sister, Ali, and I are calling the mp3 player that she has (and I will purchase soon) a 'FUZE', instead of an mp3 player. It is the same as calling and iPod and 'iPod' instead of an mp3 player. (Fuze is the brand of the mp3 player)
3. Here is a good reason to purchase an mp3 player (like a Sansa FUZE). All of the time there are newer and better things being made and invented. I mean, that is why we have laptop computers now when 20-30 years ago there were slow huge computers that took up a ton of space. Just think, 5 years from now, even 2 or 3 years from now there will a better iPod out there, a better mp3 player. Just the difference between my mp3 player and the FUZE I am going to buy is amazing (and that is 3 ½ years). If you are going to spend nearly $200 for an iPod nano which in a year or two will be old news, why not spend $50-$100 instead on a Sansa FUZE or another brand of mp3 player, that will be old news in a year or two?

So I hope that this was all helpful to you all reading this. I hope that what happened in my life will be able to help you in yours. Examine your own life, is there any area that you need to look at. Maybe it isn't an iPod or an mp3 player, but maybe there is something that you are not content with. Maybe your clothes, or your house, or whatever.
I am curious about what you have in your life that you might be discontent with. Comment and let me know!

~~~Lexi Lou~~~