What's So Wrong With Wanting More In Life?

Can we ever have enough? Is there ever a point where we say "I am content with what I have?" It just seems we are always looking at that supposed greener grass on the other side of the fence. Instead of being thankful for what we have we long for what we feel we are missing. It is hard to be happy, to find contentment when we think life, or maybe God, is holding out on us.

Christianity isn't suppose to be like that. Jesus brought us to a different perspective, mentality, place of existence. He first told us to stop putting our priorities in the temporary things of this world. He taught us that the Kingdom's values are different. Then he transformed us into a new creation, filling us with his Spirit, and making us capable to live as he had lived. What he taught was not suppose to be an outside edict conforming our behaviour but a heart transformation that provoked the fruit of change. The problem is, this fact is not always explained to Christians as they struggle with the pull of this world and their changed heart.

Listen to this wisdom from Proverbs:

Give me neither poverty nor riches—
Feed me with the food allotted to me;
Lest I be full and deny You,
And say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or lest I be poor and steal,
And profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8-9)

There is much wisdom here. Just imagine if we could apply it. Imagine accepting to live with what we have. Imagine being able to resist the temptation of credit cards. Imagine being able to live with Yahweh as our provider, recognizing him as a good provider and not longing for things he has not provided.

It is not a matter of money being evil, although it is a root of evil. Jesus told us to use money as a tool, to control it, use it and not become enslaved to it. We get off track when we think we are suppose to provide for ourselves. Yahweh opens the doors of opportunity and closes them as well. He provides through the harvest but he also sometimes has to send manna. When we go searching outside of his provision we are disrespecting him, telling our Father he is not a good provider.

Maybe someday perhaps we will understand this but as long as the system of the world continues to dominate the Kingdom in us, we will continue to struggle to be content. Jesus should be sufficient and most of us claim that he is. It takes real honesty with self and the conviction of the Spirit to know the real condition of our hearts.

The Word As The Word Is Enough

I can't deny it as I look in the mirror: I have a lot of experience under my belt. I am not saying I am old but I am more old than I am young these days. I find myself now asking the Lord for a lot of grace when I hear people, just starting out in life, so strongly expressing their opinions on things they have barely experienced. But neither is experience all that it is cracked up to be.

Experience really depends on what you do with it. You can experience the same mistake a hundred times but if you are not willing to be honest about it you will never gain anything from the experience. Life is always about learning and growing. Often the learning comes through "breaking" and "melting" moments of our lives but there has to be a vulnerability, a willingness to be broken. But beyond broken, there must also be a willingness to be healed.

There are far too many broken people in the world. There seems to be even more in the Church. Brokenness can be a very good thing as long as we understand that the purpose is to move out of it with greater wisdom than we went into it with. The problem is that many people prefer to remain broken when Jesus wills us to be healed and made whole.

For those who do seek healing in their brokenness, it is my experience, the Word of God is essential for comfort, understanding, healing and growth. We don't need anything outside of the Word as it is sufficient in itself. Many stay in their brokenness because they seek comfort in the wisdom of this world or they try to add on to God's Word, but God's Word is fantastic as it is, all on it's own:

Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5-6)

Yes, it has been my experience that there have been days I have looked in the mirror and seen what a liar I was. All of us have tried to leverage God's Word to our advantage but Jesus will never allow us to remain in such a state. He will rebuke us, correct us and bring us to the truth of the matter. It is for our benefit. I hope we are able to be honest with ourselves and Jesus in those moments.

There is a lot of unhealed brokenness and a lot of liars-to-self walking around in the Body of Christ. The best way to ensure that we are not in this number is to allow the Word of God to be the authority of Yahweh in our lives. Allow it to not only break us but to bring healing as well. Allow it to reveal the hidden things, to convict, correct, encourage, comfort and grow us. The Word of God is the tool of the Holy Spirit as we are shaped and molded into the character of Jesus. So allow it to happen without adding to it. The Word as the Word is enough.