Tag Archives: Contentment

A spiritual high or a deeper life?

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Jesus took Peter, John and James with him to pray on a mountain. As he was praying, his face changed and his clothes became as white as lightning. The disciples saw two men, Moses and Elijah, appear in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. Peter and his companions, when they became fully awake, saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen. Luke 9:26-37 (abridged)

 

Wow. Maybe this is where we get the expression, “a mountain top experience.” For the disciples it was both amazing and stunning. They didn’t know what to make of this or how to share it with others. But they didn’t remain on the mountain. They didn’t live their lives as if that spiritual high was enough. They kept following Jesus.

 

Have you ever wondered, when Jesus first met them, why they felt compelled to drop everything and follow him? Maybe it was the miracle he performed in finding more than a boatload of fish. Maybe it was the authoritative way in which he spoke. Or maybe it was the compassion in his eyes. Maybe they had lived such hard lives they found themselves thirsting and longing for something more. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” Psalm 42:1

 

Whatever it it was, they weren’t content with a little of God in their lives; they wanted and needed much more. Their consuming desire to know Jesus compelled them to a deeper life. Paul felt the same way. Having persecuted Christians and standing watch at their deaths, he experienced a compelling call to follow Jesus and advance his gospel. But his was no mountain top spiritual high. He was struck blind and later he himself was persecuted, stoned, and beaten. Yet he too was compelled by a deep desire to know Jesus:

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10-11

 

He said, “I face death every day, like sheep being led to a slaughter.” Yet he concluded it was worth it because nothing can separate us from God’s love. Knowing Jesus, drawing ever closer to him, was the source of his contentment. (Philippians 4:11-12)

 

What about you? Are you compelled to follow Jesus in a deeper way? Are you ready to experience more joy, and even suffering that draws you closer? Are you ready for more fulfillment than you’ve ever experienced before? It can start today:

Lord forgive me for going my own way, for wasting so much of my life. I surrender to you my other ambitions and passions so I can know you more.  I’m not content with knowing about you. I want to know you and to be known by you. Let me see my life and others through your eyes. Make me aware of you throughout the day. Thank you for inviting me to draw closer Show me how to take the first step.

 

Understanding scripture: “The love of money”

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Is money the root of all evil?

 

We would be well advised to have our thoughts and actions transformed by what the bible says. But I wonder how often we are transformed by what we mistakenly THINK it says. For example, this verse is a frequently misquoted one. What 1 Timothy 6:10 actually says is “the LOVE of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” In this chapter Paul is telling Timothy to adhere to the sound instruction of Jesus. He warns against false teachers who seek personal gain over understanding, teachers who love to seek controversies and quarrels that end in “envy, strife, malicious talk, and constant frictions between people…who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” (v 4-5) His beef is with preachers and teachers who use the gospel as a pretense for personal worldly profit.

 

Paul asserts that “godliness with contentment is great gain….those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” (v 6 and 9)

 

It is in this context that Paul warns: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (v 10)
The rich young ruler was dismayed after talking with Jesus, not because he had too much money, but that it was more important to him than seeking God.

 

But the problem is much larger than money or even the love of it. The root of evil that Paul warns against is desiring and trusting everything else more than God. We say, of course I love God, but I just NEED to have (insert your own heart’s desire). This is the root that grew out of the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve decided to trust their own thinking instead of trusting God. Money, food, clothes, jobs… none of these things are evil in their own accord. They are each necessities to some sort and in fact, useful for the advancement of the gospel when used according to God’s plan.

 

Money is not the root of all evil. It is the love of money – and everything else we value more than our relationship with God – that is the root of all kinds of evil.

 

Enjoy the good life God intended for you, a life of contentment and freedom from the slavery to things.

 

 

Treasured joy

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One of the treasures that perhaps everyone seeks is that of deeper and lasting joy. But a deeper joy requires a deeper life. A.W. Tozer (in his book Keys To The Deeper Life) said the deeper life only seems deep because the average life is so shallow. Ouch. Have you ever noticed that when real truth shines into our lives that it reveals something uncomfortable?

I suppose our lives are like a community swimming pool, having both shallow and deep parts. If we want to enjoy the deeper joys of life we have to spend more time in the deep end. Marcia and I were talking tonight how sometimes it takes suffering through some crisis to push us into the deep end of the pool. It is difficulty that wake us up and allows us to focus on what is truly important.

Years ago, my friend Norm was dying of cancer. During a more resilient phase he spoke before the church. He said sincerely that he had fallen ‘asleep’ spiritually, and then said that if being healed meant he would fall back ‘asleep’ he would rather have the cancer because it had drawn him closer to God. You know what is like to get sleepy and start to nod off. You are still cognizant of what is going around, but everything starts to lose focus. That physical phenomenon happens to us spiritually and relationally too. It is easy to drift away, only partially focused on our most prized ambitions and relationships.

What price would you pay to always “stay awake?” Would you embrace suffering with more joy and wish to keep it if being healed meant we would drift farther away from God and others you love?

It seems to me we too easily pray away suffering as if we have this genie that exists solely to make our life more comfortable and luxurious. There is nothing wrong with comfort, unless it causes us to drift away from our pursuit of Godly ambitions.

We also talked tonight about the joy of contentment (Phil 4:11-13) that comes with suffering. Not to glorify the act of suffering, but to glorify God who shows us the way to endure suffering. And not only endure but to thrive in the process.

What are you willing to change in your life to find the treasure of deeper and lasting joy?

Finding peace where you are

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We live in a world that provides no end of advice on self-help and self-improvement, on increasing productivity, and doing more -better-with less. We are taught to multitask, though I think research is starting to demonstrate that too much multitasking actually decreases productivity and quality of life. Overall, it seems we are wired to do more whether at work or in our hobbies, in keeping up with an endless supply of emails and Facebook updates, or making sure our children don’t miss out on an opportunity to participate in yet one more activity.

Such a world of go-go-go reminds me that I need to guard my heart and mind by purposefully inserting moments of quiet meditation into each day; times to reflect on where I am going so and how I am getting there.

These moments of reflection bring us to a point of inner peace. They restore our trust in who we are becoming.
They remind us of our faith and the gifts and love we’ve been given to share with others.
They teach us the power of contentment and the wisdom of finding perspective in stepping back from constant activity.
They free us from the tyranny of the urgent and allow us to refocus on the truly important.
They allow us to live each day with purpose and passion.

The busier you are, the more hectic your day, the more you need to stop the go-go-go and simply rest, breathe, and thank God for who he is and what he’s done. At what cost do we deny ourselves this instantly available and gracious gift from God?

Find peace wherever you are today.