Don't Shake Your Fist

All of us, throughout different times in our lives, struggle to be content; whether that's being content with our family, our house, the things we have, the situations at hand, or the tasks that demand our attention. I would suggest that the reason for our discontent springs from a skewed perception of happiness and joy, misunderstanding of our purpose in life. We think happiness is satisfying self and often that is manifest in buying things or seeking approval from man. We are taught to believe the newest technology, nicer cars, bigger houses, latest fashions, etc. will make us happy.  The old saying "money doesn't buy happiness" is true, having more stuff will probably make you happy for a little while (until there’s something newer and better), but it wont bring contentment. Why? Because true happiness comes from sacrifice and service. Yes, in sacrificing your life for others, dying to self. Jennie Chancey, co-author of Passionate Housewives Desperate for God, says, "true life is found in death; true happiness is found in sacrifice; true peace is found in giving away our comforts and security." Nothing will satisfy us when we have selfish goals; either selfish for material things or selfish for man’s praise.

We were created for the express purpose of bringing glory to God, serving Him, and living according to His commandments. It is our sin nature to desire glory for ourselves and seek praise and admiration from fellow men, but we should strive to bring praise to our Creator and Redeemer. We like to feel we are responsible for the good things that we do, but we are not. We are nothing without God's grace and forgiveness and it is only through Him that we do anything right and good. 

How does all this tie into being content? Well, once we see the bigger picture and realize what our goal in life is, we realize how small and insignificant we are without God. We have to humble ourselves and seek to bring glory and honor to God and not ourselves. We are so often discontent because we do not receive the praise we want; our hard work is over looked, or our efforts are taken for granted, but it is not man's praise that we need. It is not man that we will face on the day of judgement, but God. If we see every task as an opportunity to do our best for God's glory than it doesn't matter what man says. As Os Guinness said, "drudgery done for ourselves or for other human beings will always be drudgery. But drudgery done for God is lifted and changed." We are to “present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice” for God’s glory, sacrificing our lives in humility and service. Material positions will never satisfy either. As Matthew 6:19-21 says, “do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” 

Being discontent with life, both in the big things, such as where you live or the job you have, even down to the little things, like the weather or the unexpected situations that arise, is in essence shaking our fist in God’s face declaring that He doesn’t know what He’s doing and His plan is not perfect. So before we shake our fists, we need to stop and realize that trials are sent for our edification, to make us more like Christ.