We bring so much of the misery we experience on ourselves through allowing our emotions to rule us and our thoughts to overtake us. If we purposed in our hearts to stop complaining, stop comparing, and to dwell on the prescription for right thinking found in Philippians 4: 8, can you imagine how different our lives would be? Yes, the circumstances may stay the same, but us in the circumstances would totally change. And we would honor God in the process and be a good example to those around us. Ignoring this encouragement will only hurt us and keep us in the defeated and downcast mentality we have experienced for so long. Make the right choice. And continue choosing to make the right choices moment by moment.
Don't you think crosses and losses are better for us, especially long term, than prosperity and earthly comfort if it keeps us focused on God, enables character growth and the producing of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, equips us to reach and minister to others in need, and makes us lean on God for support, strength, hope, and help?
We as an American society have everything so backwards. We value riches, fame, and power at the very expense of character, goal-setting, living a meaningful life and serving others to their benefit. We pursue wealth at the expense of quality time with our families and negate seeking the Lord just so we can keep up with the Joneses. We settle for busy lives filled with fluff and pointless, empty distractions while the opportunities to serve our community and those around us are endless.
We have become selfish, entitled, and immature, and lack any depth to our personalities and character, yet somehow have fallen for the lie that worldly success means we are okay in life and have arrived.
We ignore the hurting, the lonely, and the broken because the pursuit of our own happiness takes precedence over giving of ourselves to those truly in need.
America is destroying itself. We are becoming the scenario presented in the film WALL E.
It would be better to experience consequences, loss, and hardship by the sovereign hand of Almighty God to wake us up to our daily need for Him and to give us a willing heart toward being used by Him in the lives of others in whatever capacity He calls us to than for the Lord to just let us continue living in the comforts of our own little lives.
We purchase daily coffee or dessert yet plea for justice for the human trafficking victim while doing little to make a difference. We spend hours in front of the television then wonder why we have become so sluggish and are not changing for the better. We are content with shallow conversations when everyone we meet is so complex and one of our greatest needs as human beings is "to know and be known" on a heart-to-heart level.
Surrender to God is our best option. Let us consider that the spending of ourselves for God's purposes far outweighs any selfish pursuit in meaning, joy, and purpose. What are we waiting for? What is keeping you from such a privilege? Sin? Laziness? Apathy? Wake up, sleepy Christian, and get a clue!
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