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We are constantly bombarded with advertising designed to make us discontent with what we have so that we will always feel compelled to pursue something more. This can easily send us on a never-ending quest for happiness and fulfillment; always thinking, “I’ll be happy when…” or “I’d be happier if…” In stark contrast to this, the Bible calls us to live a life of contentment, but is that even possible? Today’s message reveals the secret of being content, even in a world that isn’t.
A child who awakens in a dark room in the middle of the night is often gripped with fear, yet all it takes to comfort him is the presence of his father or mother. The same darkness is still there, but the child’s heart is now at rest simply because he is not alone. As we walk through the dark seasons of life, we are easily filled with fear. The one thing that will bring true peace and comfort into those situations is knowing that Jesus has promised to always be with us to the very end of the world!
Just a quick glance at the headlines reminds us that we live in a world filled with trouble. Terrorism, wars, toppling governments, economic instability — it’s enough to make us want to run and hide. But even though we live in a world of fear, we do not have to live in fear! The Bible reminds us that God is in complete control of all things, and that nothing happens in the world at large or in our own lives that is outside of His providence. Knowing this truth will bring us peace even in the most troubling times of life.
Have you ever said, “If I had a chance to live my life over, I’d live it so much better!” But why is it that we don’t go ahead and make those changes now with the one life we do have? The Bible tells us how to invest our life wisely so we don’t reach the end and realize we wasted it. Jesus has entrusted each of us with different “talents” and one day He will return to see how we invested them. Will we hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” or will He rebuke us for the way we managed what He gave us?
God sends so many blessings into our lives, but there is always a danger that those very blessings will be the things that draw our hearts away from Him. Because of this, the Bible warns us to never treasure anything more than we treasure God. We can become so consumed by our treasures that we refuse to let them go, and as a result, we will miss God’s mission for our life. Are you investing the blessings God gives you for His kingdom, or are you using them all for your own benefit?
What a tragedy it would be to reach the end of your life and still not know the purpose of it all; to live for 70 or 80 years and have nothing of eternal value to show for it! For the most part, we spend our lives pursuing temporary achievements and storing up temporary things, never realizing that one day they will all slip through our fingers like sand. We get so preoccupied with the present that we lose sight of eternity. We must pray that God will reveal to us the brevity of life and the seriousness of eternity, so that we will learn how to live a life of purpose.
Someone once said, “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” Our thoughts are so important, they will ultimately determine the course of our lives. Romans 12:2 tells us that we will either be conformed to the world or conformed to Christ based on what we think about. It also tells us that we will either find God’s will or miss it based on what we think about. It is absolutely vital that we learn how to surrender our thoughts to God so that our lives will be shaped by His thoughts, not ours.
In a culture that constantly urges us to strive to get ahead, to climb the ladder of success, to never settle for second place… what motivation could there possibly be to completely surrender our lives to the will of someone else? This command of Jesus comes as a startling shock to our senses. Surely no one would ever demand such a thing! And yet that’s precisely what Jesus demands. Could there be any reason compelling enough to make us not only obey this command, but to do it willingly?
When we were children, most of us had things handed down to us. Perhaps we had clothes from an older sibling handed down to us, or toys they had outgrown. That first Christmas 2,000 years ago truly was a hand-me-down Christmas. God handed down His Son to a sinful world. Jesus humbled Himself and was made a little lower than the angels in order to come and save us. This Christmas, you may receive all the gifts you’ve ever wanted, but have you ever received the one Gift you really need?
For generations the people of Israel waited for their Savior to come, but when He did come, He was not the Savior they wanted. Instead of being born to royalty, He was born to a poor couple from the middle of nowhere. Instead of being a powerful king, He was a humble servant. Instead of being a mighty military leader, He taught everyone to love their enemies. Jesus truly was an unexpected surprise. And even after they put Him to death on a cross, He still had one more unexpected surprise that no one could have believed until they saw it for themselves!
Imagine spending weeks searching for the perfect gift for someone you dearly love, paying an outrageous price to purchase it, carefully wrapping it in just the right paper, then giving it to them with great excitement, only to have them throw it in the trash can! Surely no one would ever respond to such extravagant kindness in such a cruel way. Yet the Bible tells us that God gave the gift of His Son to the world, and they rejected Him. John 1:11 says, “He came to his own, but his own did not receive him.” What have you done with the gift of Jesus? Are there areas of your life where He is still unwanted?
Mary and Joseph didn’t ask for this! They were quite content making their plans and living their lives. Things were going along just fine. And then, without warning, along came God and dropped a bombshell in their lap, telling them that all their plans would be laid aside so that God could use their lives for His plans. They could have been angry. They could have fought back. But instead, they both submitted themselves to God’s will, and their lives were never the same. How do we react when God drops an unwelcome announcement into our lap and asks us to put our lives on hold for Him?
