Unwrapping Discontentment

Faking gratitude is one of the most exhausting efforts known to man. You know when you receive a gift that you don’t prefer or like; it’s terribly painful trying to act like you’re crazy about the gift and would love getting one next year too! Some people are experts at this fake tactic, while others, like mwah, throw reservations into the preverbal wind.

Back when the Sega Genesis (God’s video game system) dominated the gaming underworld, they released their version of the Gameboy known as Game Gear (fear the Gear Nintendo nerds).

BOW DOWN!

When I was in middle school everyone had a legit handheld video gaming device, except me (I did have a collection of Tiger handheld 2-bit classics).

I had been asking for a video game system for a while and since Christmasbirthday was on it’s way this was going to be my year!

I got a new shirt.

I got a box of Legos.

I got a Carmen CD.

Where’s my Game Gear?

I was ticked!

My Christmas joy and holiday spirit were robbed. This turned out to be the worst Christmas ever, and I hated sharing a birthday with Jesus even more. I discarded my presents, cursed the day I was born, and even lashed out at my parents.

Little did I know, my parents had chosen another spot to place my final gift. Normally the tree is an adequate location, but nooooooo they had to hide it under the couch, in a completely different room. Having not only ruined my Christmas by my attitude, my parents were beginning to realize I was about to demolish theirs too. They revealed the hiding place, I got my wish, and I was happy again.

I was the most, ungrateful, son of a Reiff and Pam ever!

Don’t we all do this?

We let our circumstances dictate our gratitude.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians he writes, I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. Apparently contentment has something to do with our gratitude.

Discontentment leads to ingratitude, and ingratitude affects how we handle, treat, receive, and respect everything in our lives. If we were truly thankful for our food, our clothes, our homes, our friends, our cars, our shoes, our jobs, our parents, our schools, our experiences, and our lives we would treat these things, people, and circumstances differently.

The reason our closets are full of clothes we don’t wear is because we’re ungrateful with what we have, and our discontentment prompts us to buy more.

The reason we disrespect our parents is because we’re ungrateful for the life they’ve provided us, and our discontentment can’t wait to get out from under their roof.

Paul continues on, I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…

[A little background on Paul's situation: HE WAS IN JAIL WHEN HE WROTE THIS. And he was content?]

Here’s the secret, I can do all this through Christ Jesus who gives me strength. (BTW, here’s another secret, this verse isn’t about sports.)

The cross was Paul’s contentment. It was all he ever needed.

Can we be content with the cross alone?

Our discontentment reveals something about our souls. We believe that if we just had the next best thing our lives would be set. How can temporary things satisfy eternal longings?

C.S. Lewis serves it up this way, We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

Jesus satisfies our eternal discontentment through the cross, and enables us to be grateful with our temporary lives.

:: The French Pressed Four ::

: My Wife and my Family :: Thanks for your love and being the only one’s who read this.

:: The Advance Team :: Thanks for your heart for teenagers.

::: That Wednesday Crew :: Thanks for carrying my mat.

:::: CLT :: Thanks for the 5-1-5, Dilworth Coffee, FHC, GCTS, and the Wrenns.