Rodan of Alexandria said, "It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out; it's the grain of sand in your shoe." We should not be exhausted by the situations ahead of us, though the journeys behind us can wear us down. Another adage tells us that we cannot know a man without walking in his shoes. The human tendency is to look at others and see the comparative ease in their lives, but all of us have our own burdens to carry. Most of the time, we unknowingly choose those burdens with our own erroneous decisions. Additionally, God allows those burdens to fit His plan and His purposes.
As Christians, the secret to our success is two-fold, contentment and trust in God. With the human condition, that contentment can be difficult to find. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve demonstrated a lack of contentment. God perfectly prepared the place before the creation of man, as Adam stepped into a paradise. That paradise included abundant food, with one stipulation from God.
15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 2:15-17
Is it ever enough for us? We always seem to desire more than abundance! In the same manner that Adam and Eve yearned for what they did not have, all of us have the tendency of looking at the lives around us with yearning. “I wish I had that car,” we might say, unsatisfied with the transportation the Lord has provided. “I wish I was married instead of single,” we might say, unaware of the difficulties our married friends might be experiencing. “I wish I had a higher paying job,” we might say, not considering that more money in our pockets might cause us to turn our backs on the Lord! The tenth commandment reminds us what God says about that behavior:
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
Exodus 20:17
The opposite of covetousness is contentment. Contentment is the peace and acceptance in the present, no matter what trial or condition is facing you. When we are discontent, we desire a different path for ourselves than God desires for us! He is omniscient, and sees the end of each situation. Additionally, because He is incapable of giving bad gifts to His children, we should be able to accept whatever He places in our paths with gladness!
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5
Do you have an obstacle in your path that seems to be insurmountable? God must want you to be right where you are, as He desires to draw you closer to Him. Does it seem like others have an easier road, filled with more blessings? God has a plan in each of our lives. As He formed us to be His unique creations, He also planned a path knowing our strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Trusting in Him involves that walk by faith, not by sight, but God does not expect us to walk blindly. In our lives, He demonstrates His love for us by His continued provision. By looking back, we can remember miracles He has performed, to bless us personally. Those events make it easier to see His love in the present and trust Him for the future! Worry points to lack of trust in the same way that covetousness points to lack of contentment. When we worry, we accuse God of lying, for He has promised that He will provide all of our needs. Without faith applying to our lives, our beliefs are only words! Be content wherever He has you and trust Him, for He cares for you!
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:11-13
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