Life Lesson #15 - Hungry

Life Hack #15:

Don’t for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the Fear-of-God—that’s where your future lies. Then you won’t be left with an armload of nothing. (Proverbs 23:17-18)

That ugly, green-eyed monster often known as jealousy or better known as discontent can grab onto us so quickly. Discontent breeds all manner of other issues, so it is best nipped in the bud before it festers and multiplies! Envy enters in anytime we think someone else has any advantage we don't have in life. We might not know how frequently we actually evaluate ourselves in light of what we see another "have" - whether it is knowledge, privilege, or possession. When we sense this "discontent" with what the other person seems to have or get, it can lead to a lot of ugliness in our lives we really don't want to deal with later on!

Discontent is really a sense of inequity. If you haven't already figured it out - all things are NOT equal in this life! We are all created different sizes, shapes, hair colors, skin tones, with different IQs, and born into different families. There is one place that makes the "playing field" level for all - the family of God. Regardless of station in life, aptitude, or attitude - all are equal in his eyes. All are sinners. All stand in need of a Savior. All have fallen short of the glory he intended for their lives. All need the sanctifying work of the cross. 

No one can make another grow any faster - even when well fed and in an environment which fosters growth. Growth is individualized and a response of one's inner man to the forces surrounding him/her. Growth, or maturity, may not be equal because we each embrace things we are taught in different times, perhaps even with different interpretations of what is taught, but learned from the same lesson. This makes us unique - equally human and in need, but not equal in the application of truth.

God knows discontent makes for a lot of messy stuff later on if allowed to take root. It damages relationships, causes us to struggle with issues of pride, and then leaves us just wanting more, but believing we will never have what it is we desire. Guard yourselves well against discontent because it will leave you destitute! Is it possible for discontent to drive us closer to God and his purposes in our lives? When it is recognized early and does not become a thing which drives us into the realms of envy and jealousy, that may be possible. Envy or jealousy carries the attitude of wishing "ill will" on another. It goes beyond motivating us to search for things which will drive us deeper into our relationship with Jesus - causing us to turn inward, feel deprived, and then complaining bitterly about our deprived state.

In the hands of God, it can be turned into an opportunity to open our arms and heart to receive something new from God - something we may not even have known we really needed in our life, but which he knows will bring us tremendous blessing. Discontent has a way of motivating us - but we need to make sure our motivations are God-driven. In the course of time, we will see that he takes this discontent with whatever our inability is, and he begins to drive us deeper into his hope, promises, and the privilege that comes with being a child of God. In this sense, discontent has an advantage in our life - it creates a hunger.

We need to be aware of our hunger, though - for not all hunger is to be fed. When discontent enters, the very best thing we can do is ask God if this is him creating the desire, or our "self" getting us into the region of envy. With this in mind, we will be sure to avoid the pitfalls of envy but allow godly discontent to be built into a driving force which propels us forward into the good things God desires for our lives. Just sayin!

More than worth it!

Do you ever have a problem with discontent - the desire for more, better, different? I think we all do at times because we are human. When the drive for 'more' or 'different' is the main focus of our lives, it may be a good thing when that desire is to see more of God's grace and love worked into our lives. When that drive is directed at what we can get for ourselves, how we can make ourselves stand out a little more, or what we can do to put others down so we stand out a little bit more, that drive may not be ideal.

Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity. 1 John 2:15-16 MSG

Wanting more is not uncommon - but wanting only what God wants for our lives is less prevalent. The desire to see God's good worked out in our lives is oftentimes opposed to what our flesh wants or desires. Our flesh wants ease, but seeing God's best in our lives may involve a little bit more effort on our part to pursue things that we don't always see as easy or pleasant. For example, God wants the best for our relationships. Whenever we are aware there is a riff in one of them, to take the effort to make things right again requires us to go beyond a place of ease sometimes - because conflict is hard!

While the flesh is still alive within us, there will be a drive to have or pursue things we really don't need, or that will do us some manner of harm if we attain them. Dissatisfaction is not always bad, but when it drives us to elevate the wants of our flesh above the needs of our spirit, it is wrong. If it drives us to find elevation of truth and the embrace of God's work within our lives, it is likely not a bad desire! Did you know we can become a slave to our wants? It is true - just try dieting! You want the carbs, but you know your need for them is far less than your desire!

The thing about discontent is there is both a good side and a bad side to that coin. The good side drives us to want only the things God wants for us. The opposite side of that coin is actually something that drives a wedge between us and God. We find discontent - the desire to get more and more for self - just makes us more discontent. The discontent just builds and builds until we begin to pursue more and more of what we believe will satisfy us, but we find no lasting contentment in whatever it is we attain.

To truly know contentment, we need to submit our needs to Christ and allow him to clarify when those needs are just a little more self-centered than they should be. When he exposes those needs as "self-directed" needs, perhaps we'd do well to allow him to replace those desires with a much more godly desire. The moment we acknowledge we have been a little too 'self-focused' is the very moment he is free to re-order our desires in such a way that our needs are really going to be toward the things that bring us deep and lasting satisfaction. When we pursue Christ above all else, we are assured of contentment. It may not be easy, but it is more than worth it! Just sayin!

Principle 14: Know Your Advantages

It is easy to get caught up in envy - that ugly, green-eyed monster often known as jealousy or better known as discontent.  Discontent breeds all manner of other issues, so it is best nipped in the bud than allowed to fester and multiply!  Really, in the simplest terms, envy enters in anytime we think someone else has any advantage we don't have in life.  Yep, ANY advantage! We often don't know how frequently we evaluate ourselves in the light of what we see another "have" - whether it is knowledge, privilege, or possession.  Some allow a little discontent to breed when they consider how easily someone can get into the scriptures, or launch in to a prayer for another in need.  Others allow it to fester when they see someone get cut slack where no slack would be rendered if it were them.  Regardless of how we sense this "discontent" with the what the other person seems to have or get, it can lead to a lot of ugliness in our lives we'd probably not like to deal with later on!

Don’t for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the Fear-of-God—

That’s where your future lies.  Then you won’t be left with an armload of nothing. (Proverbs 23:17-18 MSG)

Discontent multiplies whenever one senses an inequity.  Let me be the first to tell you this if you haven't already figured it out - all things are NOT equal in this life!  We are all created different sizes, shapes, hair colors, skin tones, with different IQs, and into different families.  Yet, there is one place we come into which makes the "playing field" level for all - the family of God. Regardless of station in life, aptitude, or attitude - all are equal in his eyes. All are sinners.  All stand in need of a Savior.  All have fallen short of the glory he intended for their lives.  All need the sanctifying work of the cross. In short, all are equal.  No one can make another grow any faster - even when well fed and in an environment which fosters growth.  Growth is individualized and a response of one's inner man to the forces surrounding him/her.  Growth, or maturity, may not be equal because we each embrace things we are taught in different times, perhaps even in different interpretations of what is taught, but exactly from the same lesson.  This makes us unique - equally human and in need, but not equal in the application of truth.

The various things which lead to discontent in our lives is what God is after here - because he knows it makes for a lot of messy stuff later on if allowed to take root.  Discontent damages relationships, causes us to struggle with issues of pride, and then leaves us just wanting more, but believing we will never have what it is we desire.  Guard yourselves well against discontent because it will leave you destitute!  Now, is it possible for discontent to drive us closer to God and his purposes in our lives?  Yes, when it is recognized early and does not become a thing which drives us into the realms of envy and jealousy.  Envy or jealousy carries the attitude of wishing "ill will" on another. It goes beyond motivating us to search for things which will drive us deeper into our relationship with Jesus - causing us to turn inward, feel deprived, and then bemoan our deprived state.

Discontent in the hands of God can be turned into an opportunity to open your arms and heart to receive something new from God - something you may not even have known you really needed in your life, but which he knows will bring you tremendous blessing.  Discontent has a way of motivating us - but we need to make sure our motivations are God-driven and not self-driven.  For example, when I see someone take a portion of scripture and easily describe how this scripture applies to everyday living, making it sound so simple and easy to apply, I could be envious of the individual's ability to do so.  Or...if I hear what our passage says today, it could drive me to turn to God and ask him to show me the ways to study so that I become aware of what the Word of God says, how it can apply to my life, and what he would want me to "get" from the Word each day.  In time, I will see that he takes this discontent with my inability to study the Word myself as a means to begin to drive me deeper into his Word, allowing his Holy Spirit to open it afresh to me.  In this sense, discontent has an advantage in my life - it created a hunger.

We need to be aware of our hunger, though - for not all hunger is to be fed. When discontent enters, the very best thing we can do is ask God if this is him creating the desire, or our "self" getting us into the region of envy.  With this in mind, we will be sure to avoid the pitfalls of envy, but allow godly discontent to be built into a driving force which propels us forward into the good things God desires for our lives.  Just sayin!

I Want That!

This recovery from knee surgery has involved a little more daytime TV than I am used to, but I came across a show on cable yesterday which made me stop to take in a few back-to-back shows.  It is called "I Want That" and is a show featuring all these handy devices, kits, etc., which will make decorating, gardening, woodworking, crafting, etc., a little easier and less messy.  What amazing stuff there is out there if you want to do gardening indoors with only a hydrophonics kit, or perhaps use your reciprocating saw without having to vacuum up all the sawdust everywhere when you were done.  Something which became quite apparent to me after about one hour of the series is the fact most of us viewing the show had no idea we actually "needed" or "wanted" this stuff until we saw it!  Hence the name:  "I Want That"!  It is just like us humans to be content with what has worked for so long until we see the next amazing device and then our appetite is whet!  We want it!  Wouldn't it just dazzle God to no end if we had such a desire for the things he reveals to us of his power, grace, truth, and the like?

You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.  (Matthew 5:5 MSG)

I think the show not only featured wonderful devices and kits to make life a little easier, safer, or jazzier, but it also cultivated a sense of "need" for somethings we had no previous desire for - it cultivated our discontent!  There is much in society aimed at doing exactly this - preying on the unsuspecting and unguarded to stir up the sense of discontent which drives us to get, get, get - even when we don't need, need, need.  I love those DIY shows where they show you how to remodel a room, redo a little decorating by reconditioning stuff you already have, etc.  They spark a little creativity in me which gets me going on projects periodically - things I have had a hankering to do because it would make life easier for us, or keep us a little more organized around the house.  One such project is about to begin in the next week or so, once I am up to organizing my new workshop I put up just prior to the surgery.  My son has blessed me with a very well made workbench which fits the space perfectly and will be the start of my movement of tools from the garage "spaces" where they are tucked out of reach right now.  In turn, I hope to reclaim my garage as just that - the garage.  

Recently, I had a neighbor pass away and was able to purchase a variety of power tools from his estate (he was a woodworker by trade).  Some I have no idea how to use, but plan to learn.  I have these stashed in every available open spot in the garage shelves until I could settle on what to do about having a little workshop of my own.  Well, the day has come.  It is a hot climate, so I am not sure how much use it will get this summer, but I plan to purchase a free-standing cooler to assist with reducing the temp in there, allowing for some creativity early in the mornings or later into the evenings. The dream of several years is finally beginning to become a reality - something I have wanted for a long time, but just haven't been up to putting together.  Why now?  Perhaps it is because I am sensing the next several years will begin another place of transition in my life as my mother continues to advance in her age and her decline in health becomes more and more apparent.  Perhaps it is the fact I am nearing my last decade of work and hope to retire into some venues of business outside of the healthcare field as I do.  Maybe it is just because I want to use my talents to create - something maybe my daughter and I could pursue together down the road.

Sensing the "next move" in your life is a little different from having a sense of discontent, though.  Discontent really is a restlessness coupled with a craving for something you don't have - even when you might not actually need it.  In some sense, discontent has a positive effect - it gets us up off our posterior end and gets us moving toward what it is we see as our need.  In this sense, we need to tap into our discontent - but only as far as it leads us into the things God has purposed for our lives.  For example, if I was married and I no longer found the "love of my life" to meet my physical needs, it would be totally wrong for me to allow this discontent to drive me to find a new mate or to have an affair.  That would be using my discontent to drive me in the direction of my flesh, not my spirit.  When we allow God to direct our contentment, he also influences the sense of discontent we might experience in life.  In turn, the discontent drives us toward the things of the Spirit he desires for us to engage with and incorporate into our lives.  In this sense, discontent is a good thing - it drives us closer to God. 

Learning to rely less upon what makes us content and focusing on what might actually be the object of our discontent may not seem like a big deal at first, but if we are to accurately respond to our discontent, we need to focus on it. The issue arises when we focus on our discontent apart from the advice and guidance of scripture, mature brothers or sisters in the Lord, and/or good biblical counsel.  We cannot figure out our discontent on our own - we need God's oversight in order to evaluate the source, the potential ways of dealing with it, and how it will impact our lives once we deal with it.  Just sayin!

Murmur Not!

 ¹⁸ “At that time I gave this command to the tribes that would live east of the Jordan: ‘Although the Lord your God has given you this land as your property, all your fighting men must cross the Jordan ahead of your Israelite relatives, armed and ready to assist them."

(Deuteronomy 3:18)

A huge battle has ensued as Israel prepares to enter the land promised to Abraham many years before.  Two Amorite kings of huge fame were killed - Og and Sihon.  King Og was known as the last survivor of the race of "giants" in the region.  Scripture records the size of his bed (made of iron rails) as 13 feet long and 6 feet wide.  Talk about "king size"!  The most interesting thing is that God was making the giants of their fears a thing of the past for them!

That is how God works - he takes the giants of our past, present and future, making much show in their destruction.  It is completely like God to put down what we elevate to such a position of control in our lives - simply because he wants nothing else to be in control of our lives!  The ordering and arranging of our lives is his business - and it goes so much better when he is allowed to do his part!

God gave Israel favor, wisdom, his presence and his sufficiency.  Four things that made every step that ensued purposeful.  God's favor indicates that we will enjoy his blessings.  His wisdom means that we will never be without the needed insight into our battles.  The presence of God with us brings us into unknown territory with assurance and boldness.  His sufficiency creates a wall of defense that we rely upon in the face of the enemy's attacks.

They had spent 40 years in the wilderness - yet in that barren place, they lacked nothing!  How much more now as they are about to enter into the promises of God!  All the murmurings of our wilderness experience do not dissuade God from providing for our needs in that place of barrenness.  We may not have prime rib and roasted potatoes, but our needs are met!

We need to recognize the richness of all that we have in God's favor, wisdom, presence and sufficiency.  They are treasures beyond what we could ever imagine.  We may murmur in our dissatisfaction at the provision, but the wilderness experience will never get shorter with more murmuring!