reach vs persist
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” -John 15:7
Do you ever feel like you just want to “get there”? Do you always feel the tension between where you are now and where you feel you are? I’m reminded of a Switchfoot song, “This Is Your Life”, whose lyrics reflect, “This is your life, are you who you want to be? This is your life, is it everything you dreamed it would be?” It is true that we never “arrive” in our Christian lives – we are always maturing and progressing, until the day we leave this earth.
While it may be true that we are not where we want to be yet, we can still find satisfaction in our lives here and now. The world is always progressing, always seeking more and more, never satisfied. But as Christians, we have the answer of contentment in the arms of Jesus: “Not that I ever needed, for I have learned how to be content with what I have.” (Philippians 4:11) “Yet true godliness with contentment is great treasure in itself.” (1 Timothy 6:6)
How can we learn to be content? First, we can be grateful for what we have. Even people living at the bottom levels of income in America have significantly more wealth than the rest of the world, and even more so than at any other time in history. Second, we can learn to be faithful. “He who can be trusted with a little can be trusted with much” -Luke 16:10. Third and most important, we can learn to “abide” in God. That is, we can experience God’s presence most or all of the time by worshiping, getting into the Word, and adopting a “posture” of prayer. Once we are connected to the Source, we do not lack any good thing. (Psalm 84:11)
Are you steadfast in God today? Let God’s arms surround you as you move through life. Life is so much better when we remain in Him.
