Content part 4
There's a trick to being content. And it's simply where you choose to put your focus. "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). Focusing on what you've got instead of what you (think you) lack. Focusing on who you (really) are rather than who you think you're "supposed to be." I don't know anything that will mess you up more than "supposed to be." I think we all have an idea of how things are "supposed to be." But I don't think things ever fit into that box. I know they haven't in my life. And if you're trying to make a round peg fit into a square hole, you're going to find nothing but frustration and failure. But there's a more excellent way. Instead of fighting upstream... go with the flow. And, listen, I'm not saying you should roll over and take whatever life hands you. You know how they say, "If life hands you lemons, make lemonade"? Well I always say, "Stop just accepting what life hands you and begin to receive what Daddy has given you!" There's a whole Kingdom economy available to us. It's already been given to us. It's within us! And all we have to do is believe. But let me work on this for a minute. Because you can't just believe any old thing and expect it to happen. That's not faith. Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God. If I say, "I believe I'm a millionaire," but really I WANT to be a millionaire, guess what my bank account's gonna say. Being content is not about having what you want. It's about wanting what you have. It's about setting your affection on things above. Or, again, things within. The deep stuff. The real stuff. Love. Look at 1 Timothy 6:8, "And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." Now link that up with Matthew 6:31-33, "Therefore take no thought say, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Be content with food and clothing. But don't run around like a chicken with your head cut off trying to get them. Seek HIM. Because He has what you need and He knows that you need it... and He gives it freely. What Father would see His Son hungry and not feed Him? Honestly. That's a big part of what being a Daddy is all about. Guiding, protecting, and taking care of the kids. Providing for them. What am I saying? We're provided for! We don't need to try to win the rat race. Who cares about being the big cheese? There are more important things in life. You were made for more than just suffering through life, paying taxes, and dying. You were made to be an expression of God's love. Which, by the way, is HOW we seek the Kingdom. We don't seek it in order to "get it." We already have it. We already ARE it. We seek it by exploring it. By experiencing it. By seeing what's IN the Kingdom (righteousness, peace, and joy) and sharing what we find. Sharing what we've got. Sharing who we are! And when you're doing that, all of the other surface stuff just kind of fades away. When you're doing that... you're truly alive. And when you're truly alive you can be content, no matter what.