Monday the 9th

Psalm 73: ¹Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.  But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.  ³ For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  ⁴ They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.

 

 

Someone always has it better. Someone always has more…..someone always has something that you want. Life is always easier for everyone but you……Sound familiar? I know if I am honest, I feel that way sometimes. It is easy to look from the outside in, and see how much everyone else has, it is easy to get carried away with the envy of the world. I know often I sit and wonder why I have to struggle so hard, when so many others seem to have it so easy. When I start down that road, I have to remind myself of a couple of things. First, their life is no easier than mine. As a matter of fact if I was to really look, I would see that many more have it a lot worse than I do. As a matter of fact not only do they have it worse then I do, but now the bigger question becomes why am I not helping them? It comes down to what you are focused on. Are we leading a Christ centered life? Or are we out to rule the world? We cannot do both. Those that want to rule the world can only see what they don’t have. If we think of Christ we know that He gave very little time or energy in to what others had, He spent His time looking for what they were lacking. Christ did not live to take, He lived to give. He lived His life in service to His Father, and to others, and somehow He always had what He needed. This is how a givers life works. When we spend our energy looking out for the needs of others, we find that our needs are met as well. The second thing that comes up is I have to remember the words of Paul to the Philippians “¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Having everything is not…..well everything! Wanting everything, is missing the point behind us being here. The key is contentment. When you have Christ in your life, you have all that you need. Yes, I know what you are saying, Brian you Jesus Freak, Christ is not paying my bills this month! But I would argue that point with you, He will pay your bills, if you are busy doing His work. The Lord will provide a way, and will fulfill your needs. He wants you to have the time to get His work done. What we have to learn is contentment. Even the richest man loses his fortune, the poorest man may rise to heights he did not think were possible. What we have to do is learn to enjoy the ride. In good times and in bad. In times of plenty and times of want. Life is full of seasons, our situations are constantly changing. We might be the one everyone wants to be today, and then tomorrow we might be right back at the bottom. Don’t worry about reaching for what everyone else has, reach for what everyone needs. Put the Lord at the center of your focus, you will then be the richest person on the planet. Let the Lord rule your life, and you will find the success of contentment. What you have in your hand does not matter when your heart is full of the Lord.

God Bless,

Brian