Content part 2
Here's a verse (or two) that, on the surface, seems to fly in the face of what I'm trying to say. Which is why I want to quote it, and explore it. Philippians 3:13-14, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." How can we be content with what we have and who we are AND count ourselves to have not apprehended? That's like saying God loves you just the way you are, BUT He loves you too much to leave you that way. It doesn't make sense. But notice the key here: Paul is pressing toward the MARK for the prize of the high calling. Look at Psalm 37:37, "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace." We press toward the mark by marking the perfect man! The high calling of God in Christ Jesus is not to ACT like Jesus. Because if it's just an act then it's not real. If you're trying to act like someone else then you aren't content with who you are. It's about accepting yourself. Embracing yourself. Loving yourself. It's about SEEING yourself as God sees you. And isn't it interesting--my mom sent me this thought the other day--isn't it interesting that we're "trying" to see God... with His eyes? We make this thing way too hard sometimes and miss out on the simplicity of Christ. We judge according to appearance instead of judging righteous judgment. We try to fit into a box instead of looking to the cross. We get caught up in "good and evil" and completely miss out on life. Do you know why there is no condemnation for those in Christ? Because Daddy is well pleased with you. He's not looking at what you do. He's looking at who you are. And when He does that, He sees Jesus. Grace is found in the EYES of the Lord. That's how He sees us, and that's how we can see each other! And that's how we can truly be content with who we are. We mark the perfect man--we see His perfection in us and our perfection in Him--and the end of that man is peace. If you're content, you're at peace. If you think you're not good enough and you're running around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to get enough knowledge about good and evil that you can do good and stop doing evil... then you're not at peace. And peace is one of the three basic elements of the Kingdom. When we set our affection on things above, and not of things on the earth, that's when we elevate our attitude to the Kingdom realm. That's when we can experience that attitude of gratitude. That's when we can stop chasing it, and start enjoying it. It's like this: We have an unction from the Holy One and we know all things. That's the truth. But we don't yet understand everything we know. We haven't apprehended it yet. Even though we've been given it. That's the good fight of faith--laying hold of eternal life. Philippians 3:12 (the verse BEFORE the ones I quoted) says it like this, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." We ARE perfect, and now we're learning what that means. We've BEEN apprehened, and now we're apprehending what we've been apprehended by! He lives in us. Now we're learning what it means to live in Him!