Contentment - Elsie style?

For years Bordens, the maker of dairy products, featured a smiling cow named Elsie as their marketing logo. She was alleged to be a 'contented cow.' Well fed, safely pastured, and living in the herd, she supposedly produced better milk for Bordens. As I was thinking about contentment today, that the image that popped into my mind. A happy cow laying in a sunny pasture, chewing her cud! If that's the definition, it is no wonder I have difficulty finding contentment in life. I confess to being discontent with my current situation. I am called and fulfilled in the work of ministry, but know that many things within the church which I serve as Pastor remain incomplete, unresolved, or in need of attention. And, then too, I am painfully aware that personally I am a work in progress; with skills yet to develop, discoveries yet to be made, sins to be conquered. In this, I am discontent.

Some people appear to live in a state of perpetual bliss; untroubled by the weeds in the yard, their incompletely 'hidden' sins, or the messes they leave in their wake. Is such happy 'contentment' a good thing? In a sense, yes, for those people are easy to be around, making few demands. Their 'live and let live' attitude invites more friendships! But, I don't want that kind of 'contentment' because it is actually complacency!

The high calling of Christ invites us to engage ourselves in the pursuit of excellence in all things, with a holy discontent compelling us to contend with self and Satan. Jesus spoke to a complacent, self-satisfied church with stern rebuke. He said, "Since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, 'I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing!' And you don't realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me-gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference." (Revelation 3:16-19, NLT) So, what is contentment?

The Word indicates that it is acceptance of what God provides!
We can be broken-hearted over our circumstance and still be contented in the grace of God that comforts us! We can be facing critics on every side and still be contented with His promises to walk with us. We can be confronted with financial straits and yet be contented with the little we have because of the assurance that He will provide what we need, if not what we want. We can be fighting the very demons of Hell and experience contentment because He said, "I am with always, even to the ends of the earth!"

Paul, though a Spirit-filled man, went through life's up's and down's. Some days he was hero (even thought to be a god by some pagans!) and some days he chased out of town like a criminal by the local authorities. Sometimes he enjoyed the esteem of the churches he taught and sometimes they ignored him and followed smooth talkers! He felt the joy and the pain equally. Yet, his life remained constantly committed to the Christ he loved because his true contentment was not circumstantial, but fixed on a Person greater than this world.

Here is his testimony. "Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. ... You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. " (Philippians 4:11-13, 19-20, The Message)

Is your contentment fixed on Christ Jesus or in your experience? How do you know? Do you think that God is good when life is good and that God is unworthy of your love when things go wrong? Do you do what is right when you are at peace, but ignore things like worship, prayer, or Scripture intake when you're life is full of problems? A Christ-centered person will experience the full range of emotions and yet keep his commitment intact, for he will be contented with the love of His Savior.

Sorry, Elsie, you're not a good model for contentment as you lay chewing your cud. You just don't know any better! I do! I know there is more than the herd, the food, the safety. There is God who calls me higher and walks with me.

Here's a word from the Word for this day.
"Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" (Lamentations 3:21-24, NLT)
"But godliness with contentment is great gain." (1 Timothy 6:6, KJV) ______________________

What do you want me to do?

I slept restlessly through the first half of last night. My mind kept digging up unfinished business, projects that are demanding attention, ministry demands, people's needs. Against the many needs I saw myself as powerless, unable to change a thing. I’d wrestle with the problems, then drop off to sleep... only to awaken and do it all again. Finally, in the early AM, I prayed a prayer of surrender, of a willingness to 'let go and let God.' It went something like this:
“Lord, my faith wavers right now because I only see myself in this situation and I know too well my inability to control or change the things that concern me. Please give me the courage I need to throw myself into the fight. Give me the wisdom to know to whom I should turn, the vision to know where to lead, and stamina to stand. Help me to conquer unbelief and to live with real joy today.” And, I fell into a deep, restful sleep!

When we get ourselves so focused on our responsibilities that we are weighed down by life we become vulnerable to all kinds of temptation. I am sure that the Devil loves when we mistakenly allow ourselves to think that it all rests on our shoulders, that we must meet the challenges alone. This I know: we are least effective when we are focused only on our own resources, intellectual capacity, or creativity abilities. You don’t have to be a Pastor or leader to feel the pressure. We all deal with seasons of life when challenges pile up, when questions form and for which we have no answer, when others demand more of us than we think we can produce.

In Numbers 20, we read the tragic story of the failure that cost Moses the privilege of leading God's People into the Promised Land. The throngs he was leading through the desert needed water. In their desperation, they demanded the impossible: “Give us water now!” Their thirst and fear drove them to such despair that they attacked Moses and Aaron asking, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt to this terrible place?" They forgot the awful lives in slavery that cost them their sons and daughters! At first, Moses made the right choice. He went to prayer and God gave him the solution: "Go out and speak to the rock and it will pour out water!" However, Moses held onto the sting of the accusations that he was failing as a leader. It led him to resentment that boiled to the surface as he went back before the people who doubted him, accused him, ... and he sinned.

In Numbers 20:10-12 we read, “He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."

In implying that he, not God, was producing the water needed, Moses sinned. It’s so understandable, but God said it was unacceptable! Moses dishonored God by taking too much responsibility on himself! What a powerful lesson for me. Our true Source is Jesus. He is our Rock and from Him pours the waters of a fruitful life. Honor Him by declaring your dependence on Him. Defeat Devilish lies. Destroy the fear that produces restless and/or sleepless nights, by looking to Jesus in humble confession of your dependence. He knows how to make you wise so you can meet the demands of your boss. He knows what you need to meet the needs of your family. He knows what your needs are TODAY.
____________________

Make my life a prayer to You,
I want to do what you want me to,
No empty words, no white lies,
No token prayers, no compromise,

I want to shine the Light You gave,
through Your Son You sent to save us,
from ourselves and our despair,
it comforts me to know You're really there.

Well, I want to thank You now for being patient with me,
Oh, it's so hard to see, when my eyes on me!

I guess, I'll have trust and just believe what You say,
Lord, You're coming again, Coming to take me away.

Make My Life A Prayer
Melody Green © 1978 EMI Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music
Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing
CCLI License No. 810055

“Our Buddy in Heaven”

The black and white was tucked away off the road barely in sight, just past the sign marking a 15 MPH drop in the speed limit. As we drove past the classic speed trap, I sarcastically remarked about the police keeping us safe from those going 40 miles per hour. Bev challenged my attitude: “You have a problem with authority, don’t you?” Perhaps she is right. I know that I chafe under authority that is abused. I hate seeing power used to oppress others. I resist silly rules created to benefit a few at the expense of many. I do respect and admire those who use their authority in a way that brings great good for others.

There is an authority before Whom we all must yield! The Bible says, "Do not be stubborn, as (your fathers) were, but submit yourselves to the Lord. Come to his Temple, which he has set apart as holy forever. Worship the Lord your God so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. … If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you.” (2 Chronicles 30:8-9, NLT) These words were part of an invitation sent to ancient Israel and Judah by King Hezekiah who was attempting to lead a spiritual renewal. The king knew that the people ignored God’s law to their own peril, that their rebellion was inviting His discipline. The sin of that ancient people continues to this day. Contemporary Christian practice is long on grace and short on awe! We think of God primarily as our Friend and we read His Word like we would read a letter of advice from one of our ‘buds.’ He is not “our Buddy in Heaven!” He is “our Father in Heaven” whose Name is holy!

Our casual contempt for authority, which is an American as apple pie, directly effects how most of us relate to the Lord. The Ten Commandments are read as the Ten Suggestions. We are quite ready to hold our personal happiness in as high a regard as obedience to God’s directives. Somehow we think we can live as we choose and still enjoy the blessing of intimacy with our Father and the promises made to those who do what is right. And, we are foolish, even deceived. This principle of life is inviolable!
"Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." (Galatians 6:7-9, NLT)

Jesus spoke of two roads – one broad and inviting, one narrow and steep.
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." (Matthew 7:13-14, NLT) Doing what I want to do, when I want to, how and where I want to, is easy. Even a child finds willful self-expression natural! Yielding to the authority of Christ, the Lord, runs counter to Self. It requires a prior choice to obedience that cannot wait for the critical moment at the fork in the road. True submission begins anew each morning when we present ourselves before our King humbly to acknowledge that ‘He is God and I am not!’

Disciple, are you inviting God’s corrective discipline by ignoring His will?
Or, are you planting the seeds that will bring a harvest of everlasting life by choosing obedience?

Prayerfully ponder this word from the Word, then submit yourself anew to Him.
“Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me.
What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. …
These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock." (Matthew 7:21, 24, The Message)
_______________

Let me be a man
With a perfect heart,
Let me be a son
Who will please You, Father;
Let me be a child
Who reveals Your will
In all I do and say.
Fill me with Your Spirit,
Lord, I pray, that Jesus
Will be seen in all of my life;
Let me be a son
Who will please You, Father,
Let me be a man
With a perfect heart.

Fill me with Your Spirit
Lord, I pray,
That Jesus will be seen
In all of my life.
Let me be a son
Who will please You, Father.
Let me be a man
With a perfect heart.

Let me be a son
Who will please You, Father.
Let me be a man
With a perfect heart.

A Man With A Perfect Heart

Hayford, Jack© 1995 Annamarie Music (Maranatha! Music [Admin. by The Copyright Company])
CCLI License No. 810055

Re-Orientation

Last week I took the first extended break from pastoral ministry since my Dad died in February. For much of the time I was short-tempered, depressed, and generally anxious. Even though I was with my lovely wife, traveling in a beautiful region, doing things I should have enjoyed; my emotions were unpleasant. Prayer felt like an exercise in futility. If I thought about anything sentimental tears were quick to blur my vision.

"Why am I like this?" I wondered. Then about the 5th day of vacation, I came to realize how much I had been depending on my daily work to keep my emotions at bay since his death. Preparing sermons, managing the church, and making calls were an effective way of putting a lid on my inner turmoil.

Our emotions are like young children! No matter how disciplined, they will occasionally ignore the fences and rules, turning rebellious. "See me! Deal with me! Pay attention!" Their demands will not be dismissed. Those are dangerous times! Like a child who no longer is within the safe boundaries of his yard needs extra monitoring so he does not run into the street, emotions that are outside the fence need to be tended as well. Why? Because, they can lead us into harm's way by bringing us to sin.

Once I was more consciously aware that it was my grief that was acting up, I was better able to cope with my emotions. It would be nice to tell you that I found a way to neatly wrap up the package and affix a pretty bow. I'd like to say, "I'm all better now," but I know I am not! Grief cannot be neatly managed. It is a messy experience. It intrudes at inconvenient times and places.

Yes, my head knows that there is no way to restore my life as it was before February 5, but my heart is not in in line, yet! The world is different for me forever. My mortality is more real now. My hope in Christ and His Resurrection is more important to me, too. The questions are acute, the longing for assurance more poignant! "What if, what next, where to..." are not just exercises in theorizing now. It is important to really 'know!'

The Bible tells me that my emotions can cause me to be be vulnerable in another way, too. Our doubts and fears born our psyche lower our defenses against the one that the Bible says is our "enemy the devil (who) prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8, NIV) That is why we are told to be "self-controlled and alert." On reflection, I can see that on several occasions through this week, the Enemy was actively attempting to steal blessings that God prepared for me. I was never alone in my struggle and pain. God was there, too! Using people and situations, He unmistakably brought me words of comfort, messages of hope. I can affirm this: "The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ-eternal and glorious plans they are!-will have you put together and on your feet for good." (1 Peter 5:10, The Message)

This word from the Word is one to hold onto tightly in those times when inner storms rage. May it comfort you as it did me and help us to reorient our lives around His love, and be led to healing for our hearts and hope that leads us Home.
"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

... Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

... By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me- a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." (Psalm 42, NIV)
____________

There's a peace in my heart
That the world never gave,
A peace it can not take away;
Tho' the trials of life
May surround like a cloud,
I've a peace that has come
There to stay!

This treasure I have
In a temple of clay,
While here on His footstool I roam;
But He's coming to take me
Some glorious day,
Over there to my heavenly home!

Constantly abiding, Jesus is mine;
Constantly abiding, rapture divine;
He never leaves me lonely,
Whispers, O, so kind:
"I will never leave Thee,"
Jesus is mine.

Constantly Abiding
Murphy, Mrs. Will L.
© Public Domain