Discontentment

Sometimes we fall in to a trap of being discontent. “She has a nicer house than me.” 

“His ideas are always better than mine.” 

“They’re more gifted than me.” 

We can quickly begin to feel sorry for ourselves or like we can’t possibly be useful in furthering the kingdom of God. This is a lie from Satan that he uses to keep us from being successful in spreading the love of Christ. Maybe you feel like you can’t possibly be of any use to God, maybe you feel like you don’t have the right kind of spiritual gifts to properly show Christ’s love. 

“I’m not brave enough, I’m not strong enough, I’m not worthy, I don’t have the time, I can’t…” 

For whatever reason we have an excuse as to why we can’t do the things we know God wants us to do. We have to be willing to do what God calls us to and to be joyful in it, even when it is something hard. 

Psalms 4:6-8 tells us: 

There are many who say, 

“Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” 

You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. 

In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. 

For me, this verse reminds us that even when things are hard and we are searching for the good in every day life we need to remember the Lord. He puts joy in our hearts more than any possession or success ever could. Our fulfillment should be coming from the Lord and not from our own success, or other people. Even when we have very little to offer we should still offer what little we do have up to the Lord so that He can take what we give and multiply it to bless others. In our every day lives we have the opportunities to share Christ in huge ways if we would just be willing to take them; if we would follow God’s callings in our lives He could transform the world through us.

Sometimes it can seem hard, or scary but knowing that we serve the same God who was able to take five loaves and two fish and feed over 5,000 how can we truly say He won’t provide for us? How can we be worried about safety and provision knowing our God is the same God who brought the Jews out of Egypt and through the desert raining down manna and water? Sometimes when we follow God’s lead, things don’t go according to the plan we made in our heads, but they always go according to God’s plan.