I want one. Its getting bad.
Salivation, cold sweats, increased heart rate and a depraved sense of envy
always washes over me every time I see one. The 1968 Chevy C-10 Pickup truck is
my all time favorite model of any truck ever made. It has to be two toned.
Preferably blue and white, Stock wheels, manual transmission with a 350 Engine.
I look on craigslist every day. As if it would be possible to buy one. This all
began when I bought my current truck. Don't get me wrong, I love my truck.
However, now that I have my truck, I want something better, faster, and that
screams, "sweet baby Moses look at that truck!"
The stark reality
though is that once I had the C-10 I would want something better, something
faster, and something more vintage. I have found that this principle applies to
every material thing that we have in life, both physical and emotional. If I
could just have a bigger house I would be happy. If I could just lose weight
and look like her, I would be happy. If I could get this job, happiness will
surely follow. A boyfriend, a girlfriend, a wife, a husband what ever it is, we
find ourselves resembling a dog chasing its tail. We are driven by envy and
discontentment, and when we finally arrive at the new destination we find that
true joy eludes us. What does this reckless pursuit of happiness rooted in
envy, discontent, and materialism say about us? More importantly, what does it
say about God?
Romans 11:33-36 sheds some
light...
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of
the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths
beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his
counselor?”
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
36 For
from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory
forever! Amen.
Essentially, everything we have
is Gods and is given to us from him. Contentment is saying, "what I have
is enough". When our life is filled with the pursuits of materialism and
envy of things that we think we deserve or the things we don't possess we are
not making a statement about ourselves. We are making a statement about God's
provision. What God has given me is not enough.
To be clear, having the C-10's in
this life are NOT a bad thing. If I have one someday praise be to God! However,
verse 36 needs to be our battle cry when we do receive such gifts from God.
From Him and through Him, and for Him are all things to Him be the glory
forever. Its a slippery slope that I find myself sliding down every single day.
That is one side of Contentment.
The other side is the one that I
fear may be killing us as followers of Jesus. At some point during the ride on
the Jesus train towards glory we decided to get off at the "I have
arrived" station. I've done enough, I know enough, I have served enough
and I have Jesus in my heart. I am going to heaven. I am perfectly content with
being right here. I'm retiring. This is the ugly nature of contentment.
I am amazed at the number of
times a week Exodus 33 pops into my head. Its a perfect example of Holy
Discontentment. Moses is meeting with God. They are having a conversation. This
is the same Moses who saw a sea split in two, pillars of fire by night, a cloud
by day, manna from heaven and water spewing forth from a rock. As far a
miraculous, glorious, supernatural things go, Moses could write a book:) Then
we find him near the end of the Exodus story after experiencing all of these
unimaginable workings of God saying "Show Me Your Glory". Are you
serious? Haven't you seen enough? Isn't it time for you take a break in your
pursuit? Maybe go to the beach? Take a sabbatical;)? Not Moses. He wanted more.
Desiring to know the fullness of God on this side of heaven, he kept pursuing
the glory of God. It was Holy Discontentment, and its missing from many of our
lives.
None of us have arrived. None of
us are where we need to be in our pursuit of God. None of us will ever be who
we are called to be or reach a place where we will no longer be in desperate
need of God every single day. This is what fuels our discontentment.
May we hunger for more.
C-10s are great but i'll be just
fine without one.
My chasing after God is a
lifelong pursuit,
and the train doesn't stop until
HE's done....
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