Let him step to the music that he hears, however measured or far away.“  Henry David Thoreau

So, whose drum are you listening to? We all are hearing one you know. Listening, following. Is your drummer the incessant beat of the materialistic, hedonistic, “stuff” is the answer of our current culture? Are you caught up in the swirl of busyness and breathless aquisition that is the norm of our day? Many if not most Christians are. In fact in every measurable or discernable way the mass of what the world sees as contemporary Christianity looks no different from what they see in the mirror. We value what they value. We chase the same things they chase. The beat goes on.

The drummer whose beat we follow is the one who will lead us to the Judgement seat of Christ where the final evaluation of all that we have done with the lives that Jesus died to give us will be done. (II Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:11,12, I Corinthians 3:11-15) It’s commonly called the “Bema” and each Christian will pass through it alone on the way into eternity.

There are basically only two drummers playing and we have to choose which to follow. One is much louder and far more popular than the other. His beat is sensual, seductive and filled with promises of physical and emotional pleasures. Oh and it is so loud! It’s populsr,pervasive and accepted by most people. The only problem is that the promises are empty lies. “There is a way which seems right to men but the ends are the way of death.” (Proverbs 16:25) Listening to this drummer is like drinking salt water, it can’t satisfy, only makes one want more, and ultimately kills you. 

The other drummer beats a different tune and He has a problem. He doesn’t attempt to compete with the volume or tempting promises of the competitor. His sound is quiet and confident but requires an effort to hear. His promises are long-term and require faith and delayed gratification. They are focused on our inner being and have little to do with the shiny, sensual, temporary pleasures of this world. He promises all we need to follow Him but nothing more, but He actually leads to life abundant and fulfillment beyond our ability to imagine. The second drummer speaks in a still, small voice and we have to tune out the first drummer to hear Him.

By now you know who they are, the two drummers. One leads to death and loss, the other to life abundant. The question is; which are you listening to? 

Sometimes following the second drummer feels lonely, especially when we feel it in church where we expect others to be lisening for Him but find that they are not. The second drummer undertsands lonely. He spoke Truth to thousands, healed and delivered hundreds, but when He was paying their bill He saw them turn away, listening to another drummer, and only a few continued to listen to Him play.

As I sit here in the quiet of my living room I can hear Him playing; Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. I hear Him, can you?

                                                                                                Galatians 6:9

 “Let us not grow weary….” Do you ever feel weary? Tired, wornout, burned out? Does the burden of being somone chosen by God to deal with the particular frustrations and difficult people that make up your life and relationships in its environment ever make you wonder if it is all worth the effort required? Do you ever feel like just chucking the whole deal and simply taking a walk? I do.

One thing is for sure, if you answered “no” to any of the above you will lie about other things too! We all grow weary at times. If life were easy we would never need God. He would be irrelevant. God is never irrelevant.

No one gets a pass from the challenges of life, everyone has a piece of the action. A perfect life without trail or pain doesn’t exist, yet. But the Bible quote that we started with tells that we shouldn’t “lose heart.” Have you ever lost heart? I have. When I take my eyes of the reality of life and look through the lens of wrong expectation it’s easy to do. Let’s ask ourselves some probing questions and reflect on our answers. Jot down your rresponses to:

• What is the “good” that we are called to do in our roles as Christ-followers? And who calls us to do it?

• Why do we get “weary” even doing what God asks us to do?

• When that happens, what or who would you suppose is the most likely cause?

• What do you think might be the most powerful cure for weariness?

• What can we do to avoid getting weary?

• Who determines what “due season” is?

• What shall we reap if we remain faithful and don’t lose heart?

Take your time and think through these questions and then ponder this statement; “The circumstances of life don’t make me what I am, they reveal who (whose?) I am.” Only by accepting and adopting the true eternal perspective on life abundant”can we have any chance of not growing weary and losing heart and, even then, to maintain perspective we need the encouragement we gain by association with other like-minded Christ-followers to sustain it.  

So, how’s life workin’ for you?

The good news is…IT DOESN’T MATTER!!!!!!

For Christians it doesn’t matter because our God, not our government or any world power or economic system, is our source! It is He who promises to supply all we need to do all He asks… period! What God asks of us is faithful, dependent, obedience to His Spirit moment by moment. If the sun shines or it rains, in good times or bad, in sickness or in health, in democracy or totalitarianistic socialism – our call is to trust Him for all we need to do all He asks AND HE WILL!!!

There is no need for weeping and wailing or gnashing of teeth! IT DOESN’T MATTER!!! Don’t waste time or energy!

This is like the endless and wasteful debate over the return of our Lord, whether He will come before, during, or after the tribulation! IT DOESN”T MATTER! It is just a distraction! What matters is moment by moment trust and obedience now, in the moment. He will come again for each of us and when He does, whether that is before, during, or after the tribulation, all that will matter will be our trust and obedience. He has a plan for each of our lives and He will always provide all we need to fulfill it! No power in heaven or on Earth can stand against Him. Jesus isn’t dependent on any form of earthly government or economic system. He is the absolute sovereign and infinite power of the Universe.

So, don’t be discouraged. Of course we have preferences concerning our government and who is best qualified to lead it, and we need to be informed and vocal in support of candidates who represent our values and views. But no matter who leads the country this is not our home and it will never be perfect or even really close, and it will never change our Source or what we need to do to receive all we need to live abundantly from Him. We are here for a short term as Ambassadors for Christ and then we’ll go home. Faithful Ambassadors don’t look to the country where they are sent to serve to supply their needs, they look to home. Press on, the Bema awaits!

I have been asked to briefly give a couple of keys to what we have found to be a way to do marriage that works. There are so many things that God has used and is using that it is hard to pick just a few. For me, not to try to over-spiritualize, but it starts with understanding, and accepting God’s role for me in our relationship. The basic concept that I am to love Bonnie as Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself up for it is where it all started. I had failed in marriage twice before coming to Christ. I know how to fail at marriage, and I’ve learned, I should say I’m learning, how to succeed. There are three things that we have done that have really helped us and that I would encourage others to do in some form without question.

FIRST, from the get-go we committed on our knees together that we wanted, and would strive for, God’s best in our marriage – no matter what! We knelt before Jesus and promised that divorce would never be an option. But, more than that, we said that we wanted the marriage that God wanted us to have. Not to just stay together, but to know the joy and “oneness” that He wanted for us.  We didn’t know at the time that there would be a thousand challenges that would test our commitment, and there have been, but so very often, when it has hit the fan, we are reminded, and remind each other, of our promise to Jesus and our commitment to His goals for us as husband and wife. Somehow that always breaks the problem down and reminds us that God is able to bring resolution and healing to whatever it is that we have let slip in.

SECOND, and following from the first, after about 12 years of marriage and two children, we realized that, while we were investing a tremendous amount of time and energy into their lives, we weren’t investing much at all in building our relationship. We had forgotten why we were attracted to each other in the first place and the romantic portion of our relationship had slipped drastically into “yesterday’s mashed potatoes.” After the realization and some thought and prayer, we decided to take one weekend a month and get away for at least one over-night. We found reliable sitters for the girls and committed to get away and do something “fun” every month. There isn’t space or time here to list all the benefits that this practice brought us. The planning and discussion around it brought out all kinds of issues and helped me see how I had neglected my responsibility as Bonnie’s husband to nurture the part of her that needed to feel feminine and wanted. We explored Bed and Breakfasts and “antiqued” together. (Guess whose idea that was?) I learned to enjoy Bonnie’s enjoyment, and yes, sometimes we played golf. After the girls left for college we had no “empty nest” problems, we enjoy being together.  Since then we try to have a weekly “date” for the same reason. It takes time and some money, but it is more than worth it. I’m 71 years old today and I’m still romantically attracted to my wife and she to me. Romantic love doesn’t have to die but we can kill it by neglect. I don’t do as well as I would like to, and writing this will help me to press on, but even a little effort over time is a whole lot better than none.

FINALLY, and simply, the most important thing we do, is to have quiet time with the Lord each morning and to finish it by holding hands and praying aloud together for our family, friends, ministry, and each other. There are many other things we do, but none more powerful, meaningful or helpful. It’s really hard to have a hard heart toward someone you pray with every day. And somehow hearing my wife pray tells me more about what’s going on in our lives than tons of general conversation. We spend about an hour at it each day, the last 10 minutes or so, depending on what’s going on, in prayer. We also hold hands and close every day in a short prayer of thanksgiving before we go to sleep each night. We’re not really Bible students or prayer warriors by any means, but we do a little everyday. There is nothing that I know of that helps more, and, if all Christians would do just this one thing, the statistics concerning Christian divorce would change dramatically.

There you go – three simple things. I hope that someone who reads this might just give them a try and, if they do, that they will be as blessed as we have. God is more than good. He’s the source of all that’s good. And marriage was His idea in the first place. Committing to His best, nurturing our love in His, and talking about it all with Him all the time really helps!

Many friends have agreed with the concept of journaling over the years but most have struggled to find a consistent format that helps to keep the practice coherent and on track. In the hope that some may find it helpful I will share a very simple but effective journaling practice that I have used, and that has made it work for me for years.

1- For my journal I use a simple three ring notebook with a clear cover and dividers because they are so readily available and cheap. I slip my personal Mission Statement into the clear cover where I see it every day. I use the dividers to separate my journal and prayer list which is also pretty simple. (Consistent prayer over a few things is much better than occasional prayer over many things)

2. The way I set up each page is like this:
a) The first thing I do is write the day, date, time I get up, and my weight (I have been on a diet for 40+ years!) in the upper right hand corner.
b) Next I write the chapters of scripture that I will read (minimum) on the first line – center of the page. (Always one from the gospels and another usually from the New Testament.)
c) Next I drop down to about three lines up from the bottom of the page and write Blessing #…. I started with 1 and today was #7766. I then stop and reflect on what I am thankful for that God did in my life the day before, the previous 24 hours. I list as many as I can think of. I start this list by writing “Thank You Father for…..and write them down. (You will be amazed at how quickly we forget God’s blessings and kindnesses.)
3. Then I proceed with my reading, study, and reflection, beginning always with Scripture, and always including a chapter from the Gospels as I always want to be under the direct teaching of Jesus,  but also including other works that I feel God leads me to. Some sacred, some secular that will help me develop in the calling God has placed on my life.
4. The last thing I do is write a letter to God. Mostly they are just one page and are a combination of thanksgiving and praise for His Grace and questions about what He wants me to do. Sometimes I think He answers directly and I note what I think He has said. Sometimes I ask questions, sometimes I confess sin. Nothing is off limits! I write what I think His Spirit leads me to write, period. He doesn’t seem to mind how I do it or what I ask!
5. Every Saturday I review all that I have written during the week before I write to Him. This is an awesome practice and I highly recommend it. I keep tab markers handy and when something appears that I want to remember or review I tab it and go back over the tabs at the end of each year, or earlier if I am looking for something. Each January I spend part of the time reviewing the previous year, again, an amazing exercise. We forget so much of His grace and goodness!
6. Finally friends, and again, the thing that makes it all work is that the first hour of every day belongs to Him. This is the non-negotiable commitment that I made 7766 days ago. In all the years have missed three times to the best of my knowledge. These caused by red-eye flights or other unavoidable travel intrusions.

If you are serious about growing in your faith and have struggled to have a consistent and quality quiet time with God and want one,  try this; make it the first hour and non-negotiable and try this format for journaling for 90 days. You’ll never regret it and you life will never be the same.

The key is to not negotiate! It is infinitely easier to make one simple decision than hundreds or thousands of difficult complicated decisions. (I’ll have just a bite this time! I’ll skip running while I’m on vacation! etc.,etc., etc.)  Been there, done that! Decide on the positive and don’t negotiate!

The one simple decision that will make you successful in having personal time with God every day is this; give Him the first hour! Let the other 23 float on the winds of chance if you like but Give the first hour of every day to God. Make it His and not an option to anything or anyone else!

I can hear the groans from many of you but look, here are some things that I have learned about the concept:

We all set our schedules by the first obligation of our day. That is; if we work, we know what time we have to get up to be at work on time, many of us to the last minute! So all we have to do is back that time up one hour and spend it with Jesus! It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are doing this WORKS! Making it the first hour of the day, every day makes it easy! It is non-negotiable.

(No, you don’t really need the last hour of sleep that you think you do and if you do you can just go to bed an hour earlier!)

It is impossible to measure how much more or less tired you or I are at the end of a day based on 1 hour more or less of sleep. How do you measure tired? We are all tired at the end of a busy day. I live by this system. Do you really think that I’m more tired than you are at the end of the day? Nonsense! If you have a “tired meter” let me know. The fact is that tired is tired and most days go so much better when we start them with God that there is a great net gain in energy that far offsets any imagined sacrifice.

No, this is not legalism. Not any more than the prescriptive truths about diet and exercise are legalism! If you want to weigh less or be stronger there are practices that you will need to do and others that you will need to eliminate. Success will depend on being consistent and for most if not all of us that means stopping some things that don’t help us and starting and maintaining others that do! If we want our lives to be better in any significant area we need to be willing to change! Change or exchange as in good habits for bad!

You CAN do this! And you will never regret it.

Here are some tips that will make the first hour easily doable;

1: Read two chapters from the Bible. Focus on the New testament.  I always read one from the gospels because I always want to be listening to Jesus. The Old testament is foundational and historical but it’s in the New that we live and learn to apply God’s way in life for us. (Obviously this is a suggestion and for those who disagree or are disinclined the Old Testament is fine. Just do it!)

2: Read from a good devotional or other book that focuses on life lessons from a Christian world-view. Books on personal spiritual development from current writers or past heroes. Pick from authors like Max Lucado, Rick Warren, A.W.Tozer, Mother Teresa, George Muller, Andrew Murray and any others you happen across. Hold what they say up against what you are reading in the Bible. practice discernment! One chapter a day.

3: Read one chapter from a book focused on helping you to grow as a Christ follower in your calling. Christian parenting, marketplace ministry, teaching school as a Christian in a public school environment, etc. One chapter a day over five years will set you far above the crowd.

4: Make a prayer list and use it for 5-10 minutes of your hour. It will come to mind through the day.

5: End your hour by writing a “Thank You” note to God. Tell Him what’s on your heart and listen for a minute or so. He will tell you what’s on His. don’t write it as if anyone else will ever see it. Make it personal. Remember, He’s you dad and He loves you.

Yes, these tips are simplistic. But they work and if you begin and apply even these God will show you a more personal way for you. I have changed bits and pieces over the years and you will too. That’s not the important thing. What is important is the practice and making it non-negotiable. The tips are just to help those of you who need them to get started. The principle in practice will change your life eternally. By the way, today is my 7761st day at this. It’s in my journal! I guarantee that if you follow this practice for 90 days, making it non-negotiable and keeping a short daily journal, that your life will never be the same and you will have established a foundation that provides great benefits now and in eternity.

For the first 15 years of my life as a Christian I heard others talk about having a daily, early morning “quiet time” with our Lord. Since I am not at all a ‘morning person” I resisted the advice and tried every alternative I could think of to justify my resistance. (I do know all the reasons you can’t do it!) I did make a commitment to read the Bible for at least 5 minutes every day and involved myself in a broad variety of men’s groups and activities. I was a growing follower of Jesus and a new father and husband. There was so much to learn and so many changes that I needed to make in the way I thought about things and in life in general. I grew but continued to resist the early morning commitment.

I am a reader and over the early years read the biographies of a wide variety of heroes of our faith. Heroes like George Muller, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther, Smith Wigglesworth, Watchman Nee,  Hudson Taylor, and many others. I wanted to look for commonalities among them that I might learn from and adapt to my own life experience. One that jumped out but that I constantly rejected was that every single one of them testified to the blessing derived from, and their absolute need for, spending their first hour with the Lord in Bible reading, prayer, and quiet meditation. Each of them said one way or another that the practice of spending the first hour, or in some cases hours (Martin Luther said that “I spend the first hour of each day with the lord. Unless I have a very busy day planned. Then I spend two! Not what I was looking for!) was the key discipline that allowed them to walk in faithful and fruitful obedience and to grow in intimacy with the Father and the knowledge His will. I wanted those things for my life but still resisted.

Then in 1987 I was given the opportunity to become the Area Coordinator in Florida for the Fellowship of Companies for Christ, an organization that ministers to Christian business owners and CEOs. The work was definitely in my sweet spot and fit my background as an entrepreneur and chief executive. From my conversion in 1973 I had worked for most of the previous 14 years as VP of sales in a chemical business that used as the business model the question “What would this business look like, and how would we make our decisions, if Jesus Christ was the owner and Chairman of the board?”  What I had experienced had led me to hope to share with others the wonder of working for God in business, I still do (am)!

One day as I was ready to launch into the work I heard God speak to me. Now don’t freak out, it wasn’t an audible voice or anything weird. God has never spoken to me audibly. He speaks in my thoughts and in impressions that are hard to describe but very real. Often He speaks to me as I read His Word and sometimes in just a still, small inner voice. We can talk about this at another time but for now just accept that I heard Him say to me; “Buck, if you want to be effective in the lives of others I want the first hour of your day.” I can’t explain how, but I knew that I knew that this was real and could be a go-no go deal.

In what I look back on as my ignorance and even arrogance I said; “OK Lord I will give it 90 days. If after 90 days I can’t see any difference I’ll give it up.” (Can you imagine giving God a 90 day performance review?) I started the next morning and I must tell you that nothing that I have ever done has had the powerful and positive effect on my life that giving God the priority in my daily life that He deserves has had.

Since that first day almost 22years ago I have missed only about three days. God has taken me through the FCCI experience to starting The C12 group, LLC in 1992 and has grown it to the national presence we now enjoy as Americas leading resource for Christian CEOs and owners. I have been used to speak and write across our country and abroad and I have taught this principle in person and in seminars to hundreds of leaders. Nothing else that I have ever done has had the influence for good or been as fruitful. There is no Christian habit or discipline that I could recommend to you more highly if you desire to grow in your faith and effectiveness as a Christian. In fact I am so bold to say that without a daily quiet time you will never be ALL that God wants you to be. It is the foundation that a successful Christian life stands on and there is nothing else that takes its place.

There are two keys to having a consistent and successful quiet time that I will give you today and flesh out in a later post.

First, commit the first hour of each day to God. Give it to Him and let Him own it. And here is KEY #1 – make it non-negotiable. The first hour of each day is His every day – period. As long as it is negotiable the devil will negotiate you out of it!

Second, Key #2, write about it! At the end of each quiet time write a letter to Him in a journal. Tell Him what you think you learned. Ask Him questions. Jot down the answers you think you hear. Tell Him thanks for your blessings and tell Him that you love Him. Tell Him anything that is on your heart. Use ordinary paper like a three ring binder. Don’t be fancy just do it.

I guarantee that if you give Him the first hour of your day every day for 90 days you will never be the same and you will never stop or struggle with it again. In fact, I have a special offer that I make to those willing to try this process that I will share with any of you who write to me and ask about it. Give it a shot! You have nothing to lose except being ordinary.

The problem is that “stuff” is not and never has been the answer to what leads to a content, happy, and fulfilled life. We are not happy because we have bought into an alternative reality that focuses our lives on this material world and the material things of this world. We live as though we will never die – in spite of the one absolute certainty of our lives that we all will! We stuff our physical minds and bodies and hang as many gaudy ornaments on them as we can was if they are what really matters. We focus on our physical comfort and starve ourselves spiritually. WE ARE DECEIVED!!!!!!!!!

We join with all the fools who have ever lived who have ever believed the lie that was first told in the garden of Eden, the lie that anything other than obedience to the will and way of God can bring something better. The devil offered Eve an attractive alternative to God’s way and she took it, Adam went along, and people have been falling for it ever since.  A manifestation of the lie is that happiness is found in possessions, reputation, sex, power, fame, or all the things that are part of the American dream, which is just a different manifestation of the lie itself. It’s not there! It won’t work! And as long as we pursue this course God is honor bound to increase our level of dissatisfaction and frustration. He has to because it’s false, and HE WILL!

Not everyone believes the lie. In every generation there are a few who see through it and live their lives in the reality that “We are NOT physical beings who have occasional spiritual experiences, we ARE spirit beings who are having a temporary physical experience.” We don’t have to live in the lie, it’s our choice to perceive life as we choose to.

But, here’s the bottom line; the happiest life can only be found in the center of God’s will for that life, yours or mine. It doesn’t matter where that will is expressed or what the circumstances are on the outside of our lives. Happiness exists only on the inside and it can only be is found in this; to know God in Jesus Christ, to learn His will for our lives, the reason He created us and sent us here right now, and then to do it with all of our heart as long as we have. Nothing more, nothing less.

I know that many, maybe most, will scoff at what I have said. It’s always been that way. The deceiver is powerful, the delusion is strong. Most men and women through history have risen to his bait like a fish to a lure and, once caught never really fight to be free.  The lure (lie) is attractive and the hook doesn’t hurt much at first, and then we sort of like it for a while, until we have it for long enough or enough of it. That’s why so many American Christians are rich but not happy. The shame is that we have exported the lie so well. Materialism is the world-wide god of our age.

You can step off the track of the rat race and onto the narrow path that leads to life that is truly abundant. It’s your choice. God will call you but He’ll never force you. I made my choice 37 years ago and wouldn’t trade my life with anyone.  Here’s an easy way you can start, it only takes one simple prayer. Say out loud; “God, if what Buck has said is true – reveal yourself to me and help me step onto the path.” Then watch….let me know you’re watching. I’ll be praying for you.

1) Real per-capita income in our country has doubled since 1960.

2) Life expectancy has nearly doubled in the last century and continues to rise?

3) The size of the average new home has grown from 1100 square feet post WWII to 2300 square feet today?

4) We Americans are more prosperous today than 99.4% of anyone who has ever lived?

5) We have technology and labor saving devices beyond what could be imagined just 50 years ago?

6) The total of the knowledge we have gained in the last 50 years is 50 times greater than all that was previously known to man and continues to double every year or less.

7) We live in the country with the greatest individual freedom that the world has ever seen?

In spite of the above, all studies show that we are no more happy or satisfied with our lives than we were two and three generations ago. We are living in the most abundant and liberated society the world has ever seen. We have the greatest degree of personal freedom. But…

25% struggle with or are experiencing depression.

Our rates of addiction and suicide are flat or increasing.

Violence against children is rising.

We have a greater percentage of our population in jail than ever before.

Divorce is more common than fidelity to our marriage vows.

With all of the gains we have made through science, all the incredible total knowledge we have gained, with all of our basic needs for food and shelter met beyond anyone, anywhere in history, we’re not happy by even close to the same degree.

The question is… WHY????

Discontent fuels so much of the pain that we experience in our lives! For most of us what we have is never good enough and we live in a constant state of delusion and delayed hapiness because we don’t have whatever it is…..yet! Yet? Yet means that we don’t have it now but it is coming, sometime…but not now. The problem is that contentment, happiness, peace, and joy only exist in the now! In the moment. We can remember them from the past, we can hope for them in the future, but we can only experience them in the present moment! Look around! Who do you know that has these qualities as a consistent characteristic of their lives! Do you? If not, why not, are you waiting for… yet? We don’t have to live for …yet! There is another way.

The delusion that causes us this disconnect is no accident, it’s an intentional strategy. There is a source for this unhelpful way of thinking about reality. At heart discontent is a product of the pit of hell.

God is using Satan to create the opportunity for choice in life. God doesn’t want robots to love Him back because they can’t. The only love that matters is love that is a choice and has a cost. God has created us with a free will to choose and make meaningful choices.  Satan has limited but significant power to offer us alternatives and he has created an alternative reality to offer in place of true reality as defined by God.

Satan’s reality is the world’s system of material reality and value and it’s values are all drawn from the material and temporal. They are packaged in shiny, attractive, and sexy boxes but the problem is all the boxes are actually empty and opening one only leads to wanting another. There is never enough whatever. Remember, “If you can’t be happy with what you have, you’ll never be happy with what you want” because what you get becomes what you have.

Think about it. How many times have we set a goal or had a desire for something, committed ourselves to strive to get it, got it, and found that the satisfaction doesn’t last and only leads to another goal or desire   that leads to another…. Whether it is a net worth, a degree, a job or promotion, a relationship – anything outside of ourselves, our inner person.

Two pervasive characteristics dominate our 21st century culture and have been the source of so much of the world’s pain forever; competition and comparison. Our American culture is so totally captured by the misuse of these two that it is almost impossible to find examples of lives that aren’t totally given over to them. Our education system, the over-importance of sports in our culture, our attitudes towards our careers, almost everything we do is fueled by comparison and competition.

Our economy, the world’s economy,  is driven by advertising that bombards us constantly with messages designed to make us…discontent with what we have. Think about it! Talk about pervasive!

When we live looking outward in this way, comparing ourselves to others and striving to compete with them in what is perceived as a zero sum game we can never be content. If we can’t be content life is….what would you say? Frustrating? Empty? Tiring? Busy,busy?

Are you content? What would you say to God if He spoke to you and said “Your life is as good right now as it will ever be. You’ll never have any more stuff. No one will ever think more highly of you than they do. You’ll never be promoted or get a raise. ” Chances are He will never say that but, if He did, could you say “That’s OK Lord! I don’t deserve what I have and it’s plenty for me. Thank you for caring for me and giving me all I need to do and be all you want!” If you can you are not only content, but blessed beyond  most who have ever lived and have received the first gift of Christmas. It all starts there.