Quick Before I Get Sidetrack'd

The last few weeks have been rough on me. There hasn’t been anything major, or even anything specific, but I’ve felt weary and worn most days; coming down with the plague hasn’t helped things either. I’m pretty confident in the fact that my malaise stems, at least in part, from not spending the time that I should in prayer, scripture reading, and meditation on the things of God. When I get out of the habit of quiet time I tend to find myself besieged by the thoughts and worries of the world.

Toward the end of last week I was reading a post at Days to Come and came across this sentence, “But my future is in the hands of the same God who was sovereign of my past.” This thought has stuck with me for several days, reverberating around in my head at various times.

It isn’t healthy to dwell on the past, but it is good to consider from time to time how God has been faithful in your past. Looking back I can see how God orchestrated events, people, and places to make me the person, wife, mother, and Christ follower that I am today. Reflection of this type leads me to gratefulness and praise which leads me back into the throne room of the Father.

This life isn’t always easy. We are beset daily by the cares and struggles of a fallen world, but I know that He is in control and that he is faithful. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” In this I can rest. In this I find joy.

Today is Easter. For many people today is simply about bunnies, baskets, and egg hunts. For many, today is simply about going to church (many from a sense of obligation) then gathering with family and friends to enjoy good food. For me, as a Christian, today is about the glory of God being revealed, about victory over death and triumph over a fallen world, about the hope I have of one day singing with the angels gathered around the throne of God. Today is the celebration of Christ’s rising from the grave, the miracle of all miracles, the reason we can celebrate throught the year and enjoy the other activities we engage in today.

I hope this morning finds you reflecting on the empty tomb and filled with joy that He is risen. He is risen indeed!

Note:There are the seeds of several posts sprouting in my mind right now. The hard part is getting them developed and written in a cohesive and comprehensible fashion. Hopefully this means I’ll be posting regularly the next few days, but that is always dependant on life with Little.

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” ~ John Piper

This is currently my life quote. It spins through my head several times a day; especially if I see or hear the word glory or satisfaction. As I seek to glorify God in all things I realize that it is something best accomplished by satisfaction – being filled daily by the presence of God.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ speaks these words (Matthew 5:6 ESV):

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

I am currently involved in a Bible study called Living Your Life as a Beautiful Offering by Angela Thomas. In this week’s lesson (on Matthew 5:6), Angela defined righteousness as, “the right living that comes out of your desire for God.” Based on this definition, my desire for God leads directly to Him being glorified in my life. If my main God-given purpose in life is to glorify God, then this leads to a “life loop” – I hunger and thirst for righteousness; I am filled to satisfaction by Christ; God is glorified in my satisfaction; seeing God glorified increases my hunger and thirst for His righteousness. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing – changing diapers, talking to my neighbor, cleaning house – if my hunger and thirst are being filled by Christ then God is being glorified.

Satisfaction is being fully content. So, can we be truly satisfied here on earth? I think we have moments of satisfaction, full contentment, and then life happens. It is tough to be content when the baby is screaming and you can’t figure out why, when you are going through financial struggles, when you have to report daily to a job you hate. I am given hope though, in Phillipians 4:11 Paul says, ”[F]or I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” Full and eternal contentment will only be realized when I see Christ face-to-face, but while I’m here on earth I can make the choice every day to be content “in whatever situation I am.”

Contentment is not the natural state of my heart. I am constantly falling prey to the illusion of the American life that is based on materialism and consumerism (another post for another time). Contentment is a daily – even hourly – concious choice that has to be made, but if I can keep my eyes on Christ I can constantly and actively be filled to satisfaction.

“The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want.” Proverbs 13:25