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Then Jesus said, “I am the bread that gives life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 (NCV)
Contentment defined: The quality or state of being contented. (I love when they do that! Tell you a definition by telling you a different word you don’t know.)
Contented defined: Feeling or showing satisfaction with one’s possessions, status, or situation.
Do a search of images that define contentment. You’ll find cute pictures of animals sleeping in odd positions, people smiling while walking with loved ones, or various pictures of people, clouds, the sun and water. Even the word conjures up peaceful surroundings, happiness and joy.
Contentment means that even though there may be things I’d change, few of those changes would be major. The things I see around me are good. My life is good. I’m content.
The picture of contentment that comes to my mind is far from the ones I found on the search engine. The picture of contentment I see is one of a bird snuggled down into her nest. A violent storm is tossing the branches of her tree back and forth. Lightning is flashing, thunder is crashing and the world around her is taking a thrashing. Still, there she sits, riding out the storm, satisfied with where she is at that given moment.
That’s the kind of contentment that Jesus talks about. The feelings of hunger affect every aspect of your being. You look at people differently; situations you encounter seem larger and harder to conquer. Hunger makes you weak and ineffective. Add thirst to hunger and the problems magnify. A person can live a few weeks without food and water, but their health is affected in just a matter of days.
Spiritually hunger has the same effect. There is, within each of us a desire for contentment. A longing to be satisfied with where we are and who we are and what we have. The only way you will find true contentment in life is to look beyond the external pleasures of life. True contentment begins in the heart. When you are satisfied on the inside nothing on the outside can take away the contentment you seek.
A crowd gathered around Jesus one day. They’d just witnessed an amazing miracle. Jesus had just made over 5,000 men content with a few loaves of bread and a couple small fish. Jesus said, “You’re still here with me because I gave you contentment with the externals of life. But I have so much more to give you. I can give you comfort in the wilderness, encouragement in the midst of the storm, courage in the face of danger.”
You won’t find contentment in relationships, or money, or status. Contentment isn’t measured by the size of your bank account, the number of friends you have on your social networking site, or the victories in your win column. Contentment can only come as you grow in relationship with the one who makes us content in the midst of the storm.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, right now I’m going through a storm in life. Some of it’s due to my own poor choices. Some is at the hands of evil people. No matter what I’m going through, I ask that you would help me be content because of your presence, love and protection. Amen.
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
When the Russian Cosmonauts went into space in the 1950s they reported there was no sign of a creator God and no evidence of creation.
It seems ironic that the very sky these men saw as proof of God’s ‘non-existence’ is the same sky that reminds me of the awesomeness of his creation! New advances in technology have given new evidence of a vast, uncharted universe. Planet earth is a tiny speck in the grand scheme of the universe and mankind an even smaller speck.
Still, there are people who echo the words of the cosmonauts. They don’t, of course, make their prognostications from a spaceship. They do it from a classroom, an easy chair in front of the TV, and on the street corner. They wonder about God’s presence in the hospital room, the disaster relief office and the courtroom.
When times are good our search for God isn’t usually a priority. But when the journey of life becomes full of potholes and boulders it’s different. During those times when we realize we can’t fix what we are facing, we look for someone who can.
Many have sought God, and frankly, have found him to be non-existent. Prayers have gone ‘unanswered’. The cancer has come back. The lost child has been found murdered. The divorce has become final. The accident victim dies. In all of this, the question screams out: “So, where is God now?”
I don’t mean to minimize the pain and agony life brings our way, nor do I intend to categorize all of our emotions into a one-size-fits-all approach. But in the midst of our crisis of faith we need to honestly ask ourselves a question.
Do we diligently seek God as he is or do we seek the God we want? Some view God as a Santa Clause type individual. The God they want sees them being good and brings toys to good girls and boys. Of course, this philosophy never allows for the naughty list. Santa loves everyone.
Others seek a vending machine God. This God is a little more pleasant to the senses. If you are good, he will reward. Save up your good acts. Be a moral person. Go to church. Follow the Ten Commandments. Help old ladies across the street. Be involved in your community. End result: Blessings of God.
A diligent seeking after the God who is requires our faith in a God that may not always be understood, but is always love. His actions are beyond comprehension, but his forgiveness is without requirement. He’s not about what you do, or have done. He’s about what Jesus has done and can do in your life. He’s not a tame God. He can’t be put in a box. But his thoughts, his actions, his desire is for you and you alone.
PRAYER: God, I’m having a hard time understanding how you work. So many times I’ve sought you without relief. I now realize I was looking for the God I want, not the God I need. Show yourself to me in a new and amazing way so that I can grow in a love relationship with you. Amen.
If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we I live or die, we belong to the Lord. Romans 14:8 (NLT)
I attended a Suicide Prevention Seminar recently. The presenter was a well-known ‘expert’ in researching why people commit suicide. His hour long presentation showed the physiological, emotional and mental similarities with suicide. It was an incredible learning experience for me.
The one thing that has stuck with me since that session was his statement that most suicide victims don’t want to die; they just want to escape the pain. Their actions aren’t meant to hurt anyone or themselves. In their minds the only way to escape the pain they are in is to die.
He told a story of a young man who had decided to commit suicide. He had it all planned out. The day. The process. Everything. On the morning of his impending death he began to have second thoughts. He decided that if, in the process of his day, just one person would ask him how he was, if he was okay, etc. he’d tell them his plan and ask for help.
He was either crying or near tears all day. He came in contact with several people he knew and a few he didn’t know. In spite of his tears and obvious emotional state, not one person asked him what was wrong.
Fortunately, when he finally attempted to take his life, he was unsuccessful. He ended up in a hospital as a result of the attempt, and is now living with the scars of his attempt, but with freedom from pain.
All of us can feel, at times, like we are all alone, like no one really cares, like the things we do in life are futile and unappreciated. We bear the pain of past neglect or abuse. The question each of us must answer isn’t “Will I encounter pain in life?” but “How will I handle the pain I encounter.
People handle their wounds in different ways. Some turn to drugs and alcohol. Some turn to sex, lust and a variety of relationships. Others rely on anger, power, strength and violence, or take part in being the abuser rather than the abused. I’m convinced that most people don’t ‘sin’ to hurt others, or reject God. Sin is a symptom of deeper pain and an attempt to relieve that pain.
Pain, be it physical, spiritual or emotional, is inevitable. How we handle the pain in our lives can depend largely on the support system we have in place. People struggling with life need to know someone cares.
We can say to others that Jesus cares, but until they see that care manifested in our Lord’s tools, (his people) they will never fully understand what his care really means for them. You may think you can’t make a difference in people’s lives. That’s simply not true.
Just watching for signs of pain in the lives of others and asking ‘how is it going’ or ‘what’s wrong?’ may be the very thing they need to work through the pain. We don’t get involved in peoples lives because we are special; we get involved in people’s lives because they are special.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you have put me here for a reason. I ask for you help in dealing with my own pain. Help me use what you have given me to help others live free from their pain as well. Amen.
If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful, because he must be true to who he is. 2 Timothy 2:13 (NCV)
I sat across the desk from the young woman who, through her tears, shared her story. He’d cheated on her once, while they were engaged. Got caught red-handed so to speak, but they worked through it. She’d decided she loved him enough to forgive him. She believed his tear-filled confession. Her trust in him slowly returned and they were married.
Now, six years later and with two adorable children at home, he once again came to her for forgiveness. He’d met a woman. They’d slept together. He regretted that decision and wanted to ‘come clean’ and be the dad, husband and lover she deserved. She didn’t know if she could go on this way. She wasn’t sure that she could ever trust him again.
I’ve knelt with a man at the altar (a different story). He’d called and asked to meet at the church. I found him in tears sitting at the altar. Three times in the past year he’d gone home with a woman that wasn’t his wife. Someone he’d picked up at the bar. There wasn’t any love, just lust. No relationship, just a desire on the part of both parties to ‘have a little fling’. Now, he had to come clean. His wife had no knowledge of what was coming. They’d been together for nearly 20 years. Four great kids, a successful business and for all appearances, a good wholesome family.
These were ‘good people.’ They were active in our church. They taught Sunday School and greeted visitors. The man went home to his wife and confessed his sin. They went to counseling and the last I heard were completely restored in their relationship. The marriage of the young woman, I’m sad to say, ended in divorce. Too much damage. Too many wounds. .
I don’t tell these stories as a post against marital infidelity, although I certainly could. These stories, which I imagine are played out a thousand times a day, awakened in me a new understanding of the passionate relationship with have with Jesus.
Being unfaithful to your lover hurts. It hurts your lover. It hurts you. It’s a family breaker. While there are, thankfully, many stories of families that have endured the devastation of infidelity, many aren’t able to overcome the hurt, the distrust, the anger.
We all have affairs in our relationship with Jesus. Times in each of our lives when we make decisions that are directly contrary to what he desires of us. Sometimes they are flippant ‘flings’ that catch us unaware. Sometimes they are well-thought out decisions.
The point is this. Regardless of how many times we disappoint Jesus, he will never say enough. No matter how many times we fail to live for him, he will never say ‘I don’t love you anymore’. He knows we’ll fail him…again. He knows we’ll reject his love. But because of who he is, he can never turn his back on us.
If you truly love someone, you will do whatever you can to keep from hurting that person. If you truly love Jesus you will do whatever you can to keep from hurting him. These life stories I shared beg the question each of us must ask: “How have I had an affair with other lovers (lust, money, desire, fame) and hurt my Jesus?”
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I do love you. I realize that I’ve let you down so many times. I don’t know how you can possibly love me after I’ve done so many things against you. Thank you for your forgiveness and grace. Empower me to live to please you and not myself. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 