It's All Relative

I've never really had the notion to get into psychology or sociology too much, but I do get interested in how it relates, fits in, and affects our relationship with God. One thing that I say over and over is how the things we want (or need) is all relative to what others have, what we see we could have, or what we might have even had in the past. For example, we can irritated as we pull into Allsups or some little store if we have to park at the end or even around the corner from the door. Yet, if you measured that distance in feet, we'd love a parking spot at Wal-mart that close. And the spots at Wal-mart we complain about are about the distance we'd love to have at a concert, major sporting event, or Six Flags. Obviously, it's all about what we have compared to others or what we might have gotten in the past.

We think we need things that didn't even exist 20 years ago. We discard things that are just fine, but we consider out of date. We just have a disease that one of the most worldly rooted thing that affects all people. We do it with things, friends, spiritual gifts, talents, family, ...pretty much anything. We are warned about storing up treasures on earth in Matthew 6:19 and about coveting in Exodus 20:17. But, I think the most important to remember who should own our things, our talents, and even us ourselves. There is great wisdom in Jesus's "Sermon on the Mount" in Matthew 5-7, but God's most powerful message in the Bible I've seen is Job 38-41 as God speaks to Job. He had taken everything from him and his friends wanted him to turn on God. After a time of silence, this was God's message to Job. It can be summed up by God telling Job how powerful he is, and Job's answer in Job 42:1-6 tells us he got the message.

Job's lesson and us wanting 'things' may not seem to go together that much, but if we got the message that Job did...and we have the benefit of reading it in Job...then why do we worry so much about things? I use the word 'things' because it can be material or immaterial. It can be a better car or a better job. It can be a house or a talent. It can be better kids, a better spouse, a better boss, a better extended family, or just more money. It can even be that we covet better health or even healthier kids instead of the ones we have. I am all about working hard and bettering our lives, our situation, or finding more ways to enjoy life. But, we don't deserve anything we have, so why do we think we deserve better? Because someone else has better? Because we've seen or heard about better? Because maybe we've had better before?

That last think to remember is that we have exactly what God wants us to have until he directs us to more. Probably the oddest thing on my list above was wanting healthier kids. I know it was just a movie, but remember the movie Signs? Remember how the son's asthma was so severe and giving him so many problems...almost killing him at times. What was it that eventually saved his life from the poison? It was the asthma that God had given him that kicked in at just the right time to close his lungs and prevent the poison from entering. You may have a car the breaks down all the time because you needed to be stalled one day to miss an accident or maybe you are suppose to witness to the mechanic you now frequent or maybe it breaks down when you can't afford a new one and God somehow provides a way for you to get one and he wants you to see it was through him you could. There are a million possibilities for everything that we consider bad to be good because God wanted it that way.

Romans 8:28 - "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

There is a good reason your child may have a quirk in there personality that drives you crazy.
There is a good reason you have those family members that you dread seeing.
There is a good reason you have that job, co-worker, or boss that you can't stand.
There is a good reason that car keeps breaking down.
There is a good reason God took that loved home to be with him.
There is a good reason you feel a task has been put upon you you aren't qualified for.
There is a good reason your bills and paycheck don't add up.

But using my quote above by C.S. Lewis:
"God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."

You can't now just sit back and think, "Oh, there's a good reason for all this crap in my life..." You have to seek God to find that good. Without that, there's always room for it to get worse before we find that good in it through Him.

On a side note and unrelated deal, I have to mention a small proud moment. I taught the other night at GTIME about praying more and spending more time with God. Without saying a word to us, Drew went to his room that night and began to pray. We only know because in his prayers, he began praying for Papa (who passed away on Christmas Day) and we could hear him crying and checked on him. Drew has such a tender heart for a rough tough sports guy. I love when it's just the 2 of us doing whatever. He'll come help me at the church with whatever anytime, and I just enjoy him and those 'father-son' times. I especially love that he's growing in church and in his relationship with the Lord as we get a lot of time to talk about it during those times alone. He fits in wherever he is and with whatever age-group he's with, and he makes friends with new kids all the time. ...And I have to admit, I love to have a kids that actually listens to his dad teachings at church...lol.