Contentment

Aren't people funny? We always seem to want what we don't have. When I was a kid I wanted to have dark hair and eyes and my friends wanted to be blue-eyed blondes. No matter what I had, what the other guy had looked better.

Even today I find that my clients fall into two categories:

Those who are trying to get into a relationship and those who are trying to get out.

We seem to think we're supposed to strive for more, better, best. Whatever we have and are isn't good enough to be satisfied.

A friend of mine is house hunting; recently we had a good laugh because most of the houses she liked were listed as 'starter homes.' We agreed that society assumes we're supposed to keep pushing and wanting something different. To be content is to be complacent.

Since I've been thinking about New Years resolutions lately I've noticed how inconsistent our goals are. There are people who want to do less or do more, purge or attain. Some folks want to change jobs or do a better job where they are. Most frequent responses were those wanting to be healthier (we used to call it 'lose weight.')

The fact is, we must learn to be content. Satisfied. At ease with who we've been created to be.

We need the ability to sit back and process what makes us who we are.

It's okay to do that, you know.

I was taught that it was bragging to think about myself positively. I learned the humility lesson early on. Evidently I was supposed to like myself fine but want to work hard to change myself completely!

Now I find an interest in developing myself and the talents I already have. I've shared some of those talents in previous blogs (and thanks to all of you readers who want to see me hula).

In my quest to refine my abilities I must accept that I have abilities in the first place.

This thought may resonate with you. (Not necessarily the hula part!) Spend some time listing your assets. Then think about which of those assets deserve more investment. What talent(s)

do you want to develop more fully?

Be content with what you have and enjoy the process in the meantime.

p.s. Props to my very talented friend C.H. who gave me an awesome sample of barbecued ribs. He is thinking about opening some sort of restaurant or catering business with his special recipe.

Seriously, I loved them and would go out of my way to get more. I'll keep you updated.

Ambition or Faith?

We walk a fine line between ambition and faith. Faith tells us to walk through open doors and take steps of trust in areas where God leads us. Ambition tells us to work every angle and push doors open by sheer will and hard work.

I struggle with the concept of ambition vs. faith quite often. Is God telling me to move ahead and market myself and my ministry or is it simply my own ambition?

I know myself; I know that I enjoy reaching people and touching lives that need encouragement and hope. But I've burned out in the past trying to do everything for everyone and all it really resulted in was lost time. And I'm left with the question: Was I operating by faith or ambition?

Many people in my age group (those who have been in the workforce for longer than 10 years) find themselves asking this same question. Many times they decide to keep striving, keep moving onward and upward in their quest for meaning in their lives. They find themselves in jobs they learn to hate because it pays well and has good benefits. Lifestyle choices convince them that they have to keep running on the hamster wheel of work and stress to maintain it.
When they get exhausted they resort to retail therapy, expensive vacations, toys, and finally, to therapy in the hopes of finding relief.

Is this what Scripture intended when it stated, "If a man does not work, neither shall he eat."?(II Thessalonians 3:10).

I don't think so.

Our faithfulness to God requires us to be obedient. Absolutely. But our society tells us that money will buy cool stuff and a great life, which is not necessarily true. Many folks I know have lots of money and are not as happy as we think they are.

This last week I asked several clients and friends if they thought God was subtle in their lives. Did they have to strive to hear God and feel panic that they had to stop everything to hear His 'still, small voice'?

Every one of them said no! God was not shy in any of their lives in guiding them into the right decisions for them. If anything, each one had to force themselves to sit back and relax until God led them. In the meantime, no one went without blessing- not one!

It reminds me of a conversation my daughter Kari had with a classmate in high school:
C: "So, Kari, do you have a job?"
K: "No, why do I want a job?"
C: "So you can get a car."
K: "Why do I need a car?"
C: "So you can get to work."

See the quandry? Are we to work too hard doing something we don't like to earn money to pay for stuff we're too exhausted to enjoy?

I want a legacy of proper investment in my life. That investment doesn't necessarily involve new cars (I'd love a new car!), or great vacations (I'd love a vacation, too). It does include being healthy enough to bless God and others, to have enough money to tithe, pay my bills, and donate a few bucks here and there when needed.

The answer to the question of ambition vs faithfulness = Which of the two choices bring contentment?
I Timothy 6:6 says, 'For godliness with contentment is great gain.'

I've decided to focus on contentment; God will certainly (and NOT subtly!) guide me in the work I am to do or to leave for someone else to accomplish.

Enough deep thought- I'm going to take a nap.