Am I Pleased?
What pleases me? I am gauging the condition of my heart. Yes..The condition of my heart. Scary! But we are called by scripture to examine ourselves;
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?
2 Corinthians 13:5
Should I be honest with myself? Yes! I’ll be honest with myself. Scary!
As it turns out, I am to easily pleased by comfort. I look forward to being comfortable, often to the point that I expect to be comfortable always. But, God does not promise me comfort in this life, at least not in the ways i I’d prefer to be comforted.
God does however promise that he will comfort me during times of uncomfortableness. Otherwise known as times of trial…
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me: your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4
This is good news!
So why am I so often un-pleased by so often being un-comfortable? Why does it take being comfortable for me to land in the realm of being pleased? Why do I require being comfortable in order to land in the state of pleased-ness?
If I’m being honest with myself, as I said I was going to be, it is because I’d most often prefer for things to go exactly the way I’d prefer. But things so often do not go the way that I’d so often prefer and this so often leaves me feeling so often unpleased. Why?
This is a contentment issue. I lack Contentment so often in my life.
But what does it mean to be content?
To be content is to be thankful, as we accept by faith that which God has lovingly ordained, by his wisdom, to occur in our lives.
Ugh! This is not always so often all that easy. Why? Easy answer: I am a sinner saved by Grace and by Grace alone! Also, very good news!
So, is it ok for me to remain in my usual state of discontent? By no means! We are called to repent of these types of sins and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds.
“…put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteous and holiness.”
Ephesians 4:23
What’s the answer?
“…godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.”
1 Timothy 6:6-7
Lord help me to resinate with Paul in Philippians 4:11-13. Help me please! To be content in any circumstance because…
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Colossians 3:1-3
Jesus did not die for us to continue discontent. He died to free us from our sin in order that we may be content in him! No matter what the circumstance. Praise God! A lack of contentment in this life is sin and it should be dealt with as such.
In Him, with love
mike…
P.s…. In case you missed it. The answer to contentment is to set your mind, not on the circumstances in your life, but on Christ. Set your mind on the wonderful promises of God! Only he has the power to bring lasting change. You are not that great! Smooches!
