In this series on contentment I hope you found a few nuggets to help you go forward living a more content life. First, we established what our priorities revealed about ourselves and that we should place God at the center rather than ourselves to find true contentment. Then, we talked about world views and what it takes to have a consistant world view. We discussed stewardship and how to be a good steward of our time, talent and treasure. Finally, we finished with some practical ways to start applying your new content attitude!
As I look back over my life I realize that there were many times that I made a decision that was not God focused, but Natalie focused. I am not saying that God could not redeem those situations, but as I look back I see that my motivation for my decision was not guided by God.
I finished college with my Environmental Biology degree and a wonderful husband. I pondered, what is next for me, what am I supposed to do now. I did not want to stay in Indiana, but I was not ready to go to Wisconsin. I wanted to go off on another adventure. So, because I had gone to Alabama before on spring break, I thought that would be a cool place to go. I looked for graduate programs in that state and settled on forestry (after not researching forestry at all). I said no to other programs, even though my husband was excited about them. And off we went to Alabama for forestry...luckily my husband found a job he loved. However, beyond his job we were miserable.
Looking back at this decision I realize how self centered it was. I was only thinking of myself, I didn't look to anyone for guidance, I basically told my husband what was going to happen. We moved down there for good weather, and because I was not ready to give up being a student. I did not consider what was important to God, I was discontent and I was motivated by the fear of not having anything to do. So as you make decisions consider what God might want for you.
I Corinthians 3:11-15, "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Chirst. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it becuase it is to be revealved with first, and the fire itself will test the quality of eah man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
This verse is talking about God's judgement of the deeds of those who are His. My move to Alabama was built on a foundation of straw and it will not stand up through the fire. I built that decision on stuff that will not remain like good weather and fear. However, if I had made that same decision considering where God wanted me, what my husband wanted, then this deicsion would have been built on a foundation of gold. Make your decisions considering what is important to God and others in your life and this will remain and you will receive a reward.
My challenge is to move myself from the center of the wheel. With this information to remind me, I hope I will make my next big decision from a God-centered rather than a self-centered focus.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Contentment part 5
Investing your time, talent and treasure wisely involves applying a few skills to your life. Will you be perfect every time? Probably not, but the more you practice applying these principles, the better you will be. Remember, practice makes perminant!
First, in order to invest wisely, you must continue to rehearse what is important to God. The list I provided last week is not comprehensive, so feel you can add to it, as long as the things you add are supported by Scripture (preferably Paul’s writings). Ultimately God loves people and He wants people to be in a right relationship with Him. Remind yourself of what is important to God as much as possible. Put a verse up in your bathroom or your car. Before you make a big decision analyze how that decision fits into God’s priorities and if it will allow you to be a good steward.
Second, in order to invest wisely, you must be content with what you have. Here is the challenge verse for today, Philippians 4:11-12. “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” How do you get here? How can you be content in any circumstance? Often we think, if I would just get this thing, or position, or relationship then I will be content. However, God is suggesting that we can be content despite these external things.
I am going to share a story that helped me to understand what it will take for me to be content. This story happened when my oldest daughter, Lily, was about a year old and just learning how to stand. One of her favorite things to do was to help me unload the silverware from the dishwasher. Of course being a good mom I took out all the big knives and dangerous objects first. Every time I took these things out she would begin crying and pointing, she wanted those big knives and dangerous things, after all they looked like the most fun. Of course, being a good mom I didn’t cave and give her anything she could get hurt by. She would eventually settle down and find contentment in handing me spoons and butter knives.
One day as we went through this same routine for the hundredth time, I realized what I must put God through. He is my good father and trying to protect me from harm, as he takes things away from me to keep me safe, I keep crying and pointing and begging through prayer for that very thing. If I think I am a good mom, how much more is God a good father, trust me, he listens to our requests and knows what we want, but also wants to keep us from harm. He is a good father and continues to say no to keep us safe, but we keep asking for the big shiny knife. Contentment is trusting completely in God as a good father and to know He has our best interest at heart. Contentment is to know that the things I have are from God, and the things I don’t have are also His decision, resting in His plan for you is the key.
The final concept you need to understand in order to invest wisely the way God would desire you to, is to be motivated by love, not by fear. Are you afraid if you give to this organization or that friend that maybe you won’t have enough for yourself? Are you afraid if you begin this commitment you won’t have time for another project you have going on? Are you afraid if you try this new ministry in the church you won’t be talented enough to complete it? Let’s look at Matthew 25: 24-25, “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ ” If you know this story from the Bible at all, the Master was not happy with this servant. Using fear as an excuse shows that you are not focused on the love. Could you love that friend, organization, or church body more? If love is your motivation nothing should stop you, what do you love? What or Who do you need to develop love for? Satan is the author of fear check out Hebrews 2:14-15, but Christ conquered death and delivered us from fear. I John 4:18-19, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts our fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.” Pray that God would give you a love for those things you know you should be giving to, then nothing will stop you from investing wisely.
I hope you feel you have a few practical things you can do to feel more content in your life. I will finish this series next week when I share an example from my life when I didn’t apply these principles. Thanks for reading!
First, in order to invest wisely, you must continue to rehearse what is important to God. The list I provided last week is not comprehensive, so feel you can add to it, as long as the things you add are supported by Scripture (preferably Paul’s writings). Ultimately God loves people and He wants people to be in a right relationship with Him. Remind yourself of what is important to God as much as possible. Put a verse up in your bathroom or your car. Before you make a big decision analyze how that decision fits into God’s priorities and if it will allow you to be a good steward.
Second, in order to invest wisely, you must be content with what you have. Here is the challenge verse for today, Philippians 4:11-12. “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” How do you get here? How can you be content in any circumstance? Often we think, if I would just get this thing, or position, or relationship then I will be content. However, God is suggesting that we can be content despite these external things.
I am going to share a story that helped me to understand what it will take for me to be content. This story happened when my oldest daughter, Lily, was about a year old and just learning how to stand. One of her favorite things to do was to help me unload the silverware from the dishwasher. Of course being a good mom I took out all the big knives and dangerous objects first. Every time I took these things out she would begin crying and pointing, she wanted those big knives and dangerous things, after all they looked like the most fun. Of course, being a good mom I didn’t cave and give her anything she could get hurt by. She would eventually settle down and find contentment in handing me spoons and butter knives.
One day as we went through this same routine for the hundredth time, I realized what I must put God through. He is my good father and trying to protect me from harm, as he takes things away from me to keep me safe, I keep crying and pointing and begging through prayer for that very thing. If I think I am a good mom, how much more is God a good father, trust me, he listens to our requests and knows what we want, but also wants to keep us from harm. He is a good father and continues to say no to keep us safe, but we keep asking for the big shiny knife. Contentment is trusting completely in God as a good father and to know He has our best interest at heart. Contentment is to know that the things I have are from God, and the things I don’t have are also His decision, resting in His plan for you is the key.
The final concept you need to understand in order to invest wisely the way God would desire you to, is to be motivated by love, not by fear. Are you afraid if you give to this organization or that friend that maybe you won’t have enough for yourself? Are you afraid if you begin this commitment you won’t have time for another project you have going on? Are you afraid if you try this new ministry in the church you won’t be talented enough to complete it? Let’s look at Matthew 25: 24-25, “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ ” If you know this story from the Bible at all, the Master was not happy with this servant. Using fear as an excuse shows that you are not focused on the love. Could you love that friend, organization, or church body more? If love is your motivation nothing should stop you, what do you love? What or Who do you need to develop love for? Satan is the author of fear check out Hebrews 2:14-15, but Christ conquered death and delivered us from fear. I John 4:18-19, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts our fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.” Pray that God would give you a love for those things you know you should be giving to, then nothing will stop you from investing wisely.
I hope you feel you have a few practical things you can do to feel more content in your life. I will finish this series next week when I share an example from my life when I didn’t apply these principles. Thanks for reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)