Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.-Philippians 4:11–12
Everyone, at some point, has become overwhelmed with the responsibilities in their life. We’ve all grown tired of the monotony of our day to day. Almost unconsciously we complete our daily tasks; heading to work, cleaning the house, feeding the kids; mindlessly checking things off of our to-do list. Once one thing is done, two more things are added to take its place. Such is adulting.
But what if the problem isn’t our endless to do lists and mountain of responsibilities? What if the real issue is the lens through which we are viewing our lives? What if we changed our perspective?
- Love in the Purest Form
I just love, love; don’t you? I mean, who wouldn’t?… Read more: Love in the Purest Form
You Are Living Out Your Answered Prayers
Take a moment to take note of the life that you have right now. Think about your physical surroundings, the job you work, your family and friends, your mental health! Now meditate on how much of who you are and what you have are the result of answered prayers from years ago.
Whether we notice it or not, much of what we call burdens today were desires of our heart 5 years ago. The job that stresses you out today is evidence of the faithfulness of God to provide for you. We all prayed during pregnancy for healthy and strong children but now complain that they use that health and strength to destroy our homes. And speaking of home…haven’t we all cried out to God to put the roof over our head that we now complain is too small, or too outdated, or too hard to keep clean.?
My point is that like children spoiled by a loving father, we often lose appreciation for the blessings given to us. That if we really reflect on our day to day lives we will see that much of what we complain about today is the gift of a gracious God answering prayers we have brought before him.
Anything Worth Having is Worth Working For
Every good thing requires work to maintain. In order to have a happy and fruitful marriage you need to work on your communication. In order raise our children to know God we have to work on instilling Biblical principles in their lives and exemplifying the love of God to them.
And this hard work brings favor from the Lord. In Matthew 25 we are shown in the Parable of the Servants that God blesses those who are good stewards over what he entrusts to them. We are told that “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.”-Matthew 25:29.
If you have a ton on your plate know that God has entrusted you with more because of your good stewarding over the little he gave you previously. Your current busy season might just be evidence of your faithfulness in the quieter seasons of your life.
There is Someone Aspiring To Have The Life That You Have
If we are honest, the discontentment in our lives can almost always be traced back to comparison. We love what we have until the newer shinier model comes out. We love where we are in life until we see someone seemingly surpass our accomplishments. We love our grass until we peek over the fence and see someone else with grass that looks greener.
But just as we are inspired by the lives lived by others, we’d be surprised to realize that many people are inspired by the lives we live as well. Your health is the dream of someone battling illness. The old car you drive is the dream of someone who can only afford to take public transportation right now. Your mile long to-do list is the dream of someone who has very little to take care of. There will always be someone who seems to have more than what we have but we have to keep in mind that we are also living someone else’s dream life.
We need to renew our minds and ground ourselves in the knowledge that our season of life, no matter how busy or quiet, is a gift from God. Just as the seasons change and bring forth busy seasons (Spring/Summer) and quiet seasons (Fall/Winter) none of what we are facing will last. One day our messy and loud homes will be quiet and neat and we will miss the busier seasons of life. So, let’s shift our perspectives to appreciating wherever God has placed us in our lives and be good stewards over whatever he has given us.
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