One of the aims of this blog is to encourage my fellow brethren to be a thankful people. So often we look at what other people have and get jealous (the whole grass-is-greener-on-Kobe's-football-field-sized-lawn thing). This exposes three things (and maybe more):
1) A discontent heart
2) An unthankful heart
3) A prideful heart
A Discontent Heart
I have to represent my man, Job. He has lost all of his livestock, most of his servants, and he just found out that his children were all killed. It can't get much worse than that. If ever there was a time to complain (and really, we complain for SOOOOO much less), this was it. But look at Job's response:
He said,
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
And naked I shall return there
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD."
Wow. That is a heart that understands that everything he has is a gift from God. This is a man whose joy and satisfaction was not in the things of this world, not in his riches and wealth, and not even in his own family. His joy was in the Lord. We should echo the Psalmist who says in the 73rd Psalm:
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
This is the heart of someone who is content in God.
An Ungrateful Heart
I've talked about this before so I won't belabor it. Just quickly want to say: HOW IN THE WORLD CAN WE, AS CHRISTIANS, AS PREVIOUSLY CONDEMNED PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN BOUGHT BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST AND NOW HAVE ETERNAL LIFE SECURED IN HIM, EVER BE UNGRATEFUL? Just a thought.
A Prideful Heart
Now this last one may strike some of you as odd. Just because I'm jealous/not thankful, how does that make me prideful? Geez, you're just kicking me while I'm down, aren't you?
Well, the reason I think this last point is pertinent is because what are we saying when we're jealous? Yes, we're saying we like what that other person has. And yes, we're saying we want that too. But really, what we're saying is this: I like what that other person has, and I don't have it. Why don't I have it? I should have it? In fact, I DESERVE IT because I'm such a great person.
Sounds prideful to me.
Conclusion
Please don't think that I'm this perfect guy who has this all figured out. Trust me, I'm not. I am most definitely an imperfect person. I sometimes day dream about being a professional basketball player. And while some may say it's fine to day dream a bit, really those dreams are fueled by a longing for having a comfortable life, a jealousy of the Kobes and Lebrons of this world. A discontentment with all the riches that I have in Christ. Really, when I look at what I have in Christ vs. what unbelievers have, there's no comparison.
Unbelievers, at best, have:
1. A "long" life - which goes by super quickly and will inevitably end in old age, broken down physical and mental capacities, and unavoidable death
2. Many riches, fame, popularity - which will all fade away into dust, forgotten, destroyed, all in VAIN
3. Pleasures and satisfaction - which are temporary, fake, leave you empty
Believers, regardless of how life is, have:
1. Eternal life in Christ
2. Eternal riches in Christ
3. Eternal joy, bliss and satisfaction in Christ
Why would I want the things of this world more than Christ?
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