Yesterday, one of the kids in my class shared a very powerful clip during a time of devotion. It’s all about privilege and how we often forget the blessings in our lives. How we often replace our gratitude with complaints. The more we have, the more we seem to want. When we live in an amazing country of opportunities like Australia, we need to be content. When we have a roof over our head and a meal to eat every day, we need to be thankful. When we have the privilege of an education we need to stop our complaining about having to go to school.
The tricky part about living an impacting life means to always be content, but to never be content! How’s that for an oxymoron?
To always be content means to recognise those things in my life that I am blessed with. I have so many amazing things in my life that I am thankful for. Instead of complaining that I don’t have money in the bank, or don’t drive a smart car, I choose to be content with the few dollars I do have and the Hyundai we drive. Instead of looking at people living in amazing houses and going on tropical holidays all the time with jealousy, I feel blessed to have a home (even if we’re renting) and to be in a position to take a 10-minute drive to the beach. And even if I had none of these things, the fact that I am alive and have eternal life because Jesus died for me, is more amazing than anything this world could offer. Life itself is an amazing blessing. Living, knowing that Jesus is my Saviour, means everything.
By being content with our lives doesn’t mean that we can’t have ambition and dreams. If there is anyway in which I can improve my circumstances and my life, I need to grab them with both hands. But the important thing to remember is that, while chasing after better circumstances, I must NEVER lose sight of the fact that I am already blessed and that I must always be thankful and content with that.
When it comes to our character, we must always realise that God is calling us to Him, no matter what our lives look. He is content with us coming to Him just as we are. We don’t first have to clean up our act. So we need to be content with doing so. But, here’s the thing; Even though we can do nothing to make God love us more, or make up for our sinful lives, Jesus does call us to turn from our sins and follow Him. We can never be content with how much we love Jesus and other people. And that love must shine through in our lives. That love is a verb. We show our love by what, and how, we do things. I can never feel content, knowing that I live an amazing life, yet there are children around the world that will give anything for a good education. That is why, next year, I am pursuing that and will never be content even if a million lives are changes, because I always know that more can be done. But I will always be content in the fact that Jesus loves me, no matter what I do, or don’t do.
Have an amazing day being content, but not being content at the same time.
Mark Davidson
