Food for Thought: Growing pains

We kicked off this week with an expedition into a new habit. Diving into the meaning of that habit meant standing on the edge and asking ourselves if we were fully prepared to go all in. Developing this habit of gratitude means being content in the quiet, content on the battlefield, and even content in great loss. It is finding that God is enough at all times and that's why it is so hard for us. Our landscape is littered with billboards and advertisements for food, cars, and everything money can buy. Their goal is to convince YOU that you would be much happier if you obtained that thing. Does it work? The record amount Americans and Europeans spend every year, even in an economic crisis says that it does. More. More. More. It is so ingrained into the fabric of our lives that we don't even notice it's there anymore. We have to make a conscious effort to notice what the Spirit has been trying to tell us all along.

I think we spend an exorbitant amount of time lying to ourselves. We truly believe that WE can make this whole thing work of pleasing ourselves (we work hard, we deserve it!) and serving God. We misread scripture to say "Serving two masters is hard" rather than the truth "You cannot serve two masters".  

Scripture also says:

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matt 22:37-40

Which goes along with 

 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.Philippians 2:3-4

Allowing us to fully carry out

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”Matt 28:18-20

I believe it's time we call it like it is and become painfully honest with ourselves. We KNOW exactly what it says, we just don't want to give up what we have and what we want in order to actually do it. We're comfortable even if we're not content. That has been the trap that has snared my feet so many times. I would catch myself praying "God, whatever your will....but wait, I'm not sure I actually want that...." Sound familiar? (It's okay to admit it, God already knows 😉) Head and heart at war. This world tells us to look out for "me, me, me", but that doesn't satisfy us EVER. There is only one person who can offer complete fulfillment wrapped in peace saturated in unending love and dripping with sweet grace-Christ. We can search the entire world over and we will never find the salvation and restoration that He offers and that our soul seeks. 

Contentment is a choice, not a destination we arrive at. We choose to turn our eyes to Him in all circumstances. We choose to love Him with our whole heart, soul, and mind. We choose every day when we wake up that every breath will be labored for His good will. We choose to rely on His grace and strength and wisdom and none of our own. We also choose to take the Scripture at its word. It says what it says and it means what it says. In essence, we choose the greatest love this world has ever known over temporary treasures which will pass away quickly. As Paul said in Philippians 3:7-11

 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Change means growing and growing is painful, but if we never went through it you'd still be the size you were when you were born (wow that would be creepy). This has been our first week of starting the new habit. I'm sure it was hard and some of you probably forgot 5 minutes after you read the devo each day what we were even talking about! It's new and we're just not used to this. So find a way to make it stick. If you're a writer then journal. Put a note on your Bible, on your mirror, an alarm on your phone, or even find an accountability friend! Whatever it takes to grab your attention until your attention is tuned in automatically. *(I cannot speak for all of us, but I will just make a general statement here) The world has been eroding us away like the Grand Canyon and I think it's time we put a stop to it. We must "take every thought captive to obey Christ"2 Cor 10:5b  Let's do this together! Have a blessed weekend💜