It's Not Easy Seeing Green

I used to suffer with an affliction. I still do but on a smaller scale than before. This affliction is: never being content or satisfied with what we have. There's a game that we play with ourselves. We see something we want. A "high" develops. We begin processing a plan of how to get it. It becomes exciting. We carry out our plan. Many times we succeed. We have the thrill of success. We admire our new "thing". Then VERY quickly the high fades. We question our "item". Maybe we should have waited. Maybe we should have looked around more. Maybe we should have got the other one. The other one looks so much better to me now. The thrill we felt at the beginning is a LIE. It is a deception. It is a work of the enemy. How thrilling it must be for him to see us in a constant state of discontent and on the unhealthy ride of highs and lows that put the world's most insane roller coasters to shame. Satan has to love that. We always want what we don't have and are never satisfied with what we do have. What ingrates we are!

With the exception of my current vehicle, I have always had a HUGE high when it comes to buying a car. I see one, I research it, I compare it, I test drive it, I do all the things one can do, and then I decide to buy it. The first day is AWESOME. This is MINE. I love it. I breathe in the new car scent deeply into my lungs. Wow, isn't this awesome? I drive it around. I enjoy it's every feature. I drink in the toy that is MY NEW CAR!!! Then, that night, lying in bed I begin the process of discontentment. I begin to think, "I really wanted red.... Really I wanted an SUV not a sedan. I don't like this feature or that one. Or I think, mine doesn't have all the features that this car or that car has. I picked the wrong car. I don't want my car, I want that other one. What a FOOL I am!!!!"

It happens with cars, homes, clothes, shoes, etc. It is even more dangerous when we do this with the "deeper" things in our lives. Like people and churches, etc... I'll be honest, I've done it. Many of us have. I used to know this man, who SO wanted to fall in love. At least, he thought he did. He tore up the dating scene trying to find THE ONE. He'd meet a lady, enjoy her company, her looks, her personality etc.., he'd think she was IT, and then wake up the next day, with the high gone and a real live person "hooked", but he was no longer "hooked". He left a trail of broken and hurt women in his path because he wanted what he couldn't have and never what he did have. As soon as it became "his" in any way, as soon as the "chase" was over, he'd begin to despise what he had. It was all about the chase. He didn't want a woman in his life...he wanted the HIGH of chasing them. He was like an addict searching for the next high, it was all he could think about, it overcame his mind. He would never sit back and be satisfied and full. He succumbed daily to Satan's lies: "Wait, that's not the BEST of the BEST, you settled, you are a fool, man. There is one hotter, one younger, one that is PERFECT, toss this one aside and start the chase again, my friend." This man has fallen for those lies for decades. Sadly, my bet is that this man will never be content and will live a lonely life and die alone, because he continues to listen to the enemy and jumps up to dance with him every chance he gets. It makes me sad and a bit nauseous at the same time. What is wrong with us?

Aren't we all like that, especially in this country? We are so spoiled, so selfish, and so discontented with what God places in our lives. We receive blessings, then pick them apart, and decide that they are not quite up to our standard. Even though we may have prayed for them and God blessed us with them they become "not good enough". I've done that. The enemy must fall over laughing every time that I do that. He must love that I taint my blessings that way and that I become unthankful and displeased and even begin to despise what my God gave to me. It's sickening! I've done it with cars, houses, jobs, relationships, churches. From the most insignificant gift to the the grandest. I've mocked them all. I've been like the selfish little brat at Christmas that wonders "is that all?" or says, "but I didn't get this...or that..." How ungrateful is that?!?

How disgustingly ungrateful we must all look to our Father. How sad we must make Him. We pray. He blesses. We throw it back at Him and say THAT isn't good enough for me...try again buddy! How His heart must hurt and break in our selfishness, discontented state. Do we continue to do the church hop, the small group hop, the relationship hop, the job hop, etc...? Do we keep sitting back in selfishness and pick apart the blessings God has placed before us or do we STOP?!?!? Do we put our foot down and say, "God, I AM SO SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME. You placed such precious and wonderful things at my table and I am thankful for them ALL. I wish to honor You by cherishing all that is in my life: my home, my job, my family, my children, my spouse, my friend, my church, my small group, my car, my clothes, my body, my LIFE." How much sweeter would life be if we just said "thank you" to Him and put in the work it takes to enjoy the things He has placed at our table? I say WORK because it is work, when we constantly have to fight off the devil lying to us saying we deserve better and/or more. If we all got what we deserve, we'd all be dead and tormented in the fires of hell. Get off of your self-made pedestal and begin being gracious and thankful for all that is in your life, instead of disappointed about all that is not. God has made your cup overflow and you should be thankful and satisfied with His provisions.

Let's stop playing the role of Eve and listening to lies. You know what that got her?!?!? Learn a lesson from someone else FOR ONCE. Let's not follow her lead. Let's be thankful that we have what we have, and that we are blessed with so much MORE than greedy and selfish people like us will ever deserve. The next time you look at something in your life and think that it's not good enough...recall that no matter what that thing is, it is FAR better than what you deserve! You deserve hell's fury and fire. Cry out to God with a thankful and joyful heart that He has made your cup over flow! Contentment is not a feeling! It isn't. It is like love. It is a CHOICE. It is a decision. It is a beautiful realization that you have what God GAVE to you and it is MORE than enough. Fall to your knees and pour out your heart in thanks and love and gratitude. Do the work. Make that choice. Decide to be content. Our grass is BLINDINGLY green, let's ask God to help us see it and to be thankful for it! It is so much more than you or I will ever deserve.