Everything I have was first in a treasury inaccessible to me. Unlocked by grace,
bestowed by kindness, given with mercy
to be re-gifted again and again — pressed down and running over
like oil too voluminous to be contained.
Rather than fear the gifts
and resist the goodness,
I accept them both with open hands, then leave them open.
And through the sun on our hills
and the softness of a smile,
the joy in a glass and fruit of our hands, they also can taste and see:
He is good. He is good indeed. "Black Friday." I confused them once and my mind can't undo it. For some reason "Black Friday" sounds more appropriate for a crucifixion than for a day dedicated to mass materialism. I've always found it highly ironic that Black Friday, a day dedicated to shopping, comes less than twenty-four hours after we gather to give thanks for what we have. And while I have been known to participate in a few good sales over the years, I generally try to avoid the whiplash of thanking God one day and spending hundreds of dollars the next; I just can't make that shift so quickly! That said, it's tempting to scroll through the endless gift guides: for him, for her, for the kids. I love seeing the recommendations. I tell myself I do in fact need that ice machine; the one in our fridge keeps clogging up. Or maybe an air fryer instead? Those are all the rage. Could I use some cute pajamas? I'm sure Josh is tired of me wandering about the house looking like the ghost of grandmas past in my floor-length white nightgown. And there are the books, for which I have no limits on budget or amount. In the midst of these gift guide suggestions, there's always one slide that stops me: for the home. Here I find sheets, candles, acrylic chairs, centerpieces, cast iron pans, wooden spoons, trendy trash cans, and throw pillows all beckoning my attention. All promising me: Once you buy this, your home will be worthy. We like to blame the internet and social media for our discontent; after all, these picture-perfect houses are always in front of us. But what if social media isn't the problem? What if it simply reveals a problem that was already there? The shiny images of beautiful homes we see online tweak something in our hearts. It's not that beautiful homes are wrong (they aren't), espresso machines are sinful (not true), or a perfectly laid table is unrealistic (for some people, it's not). These items are amoral; they do not possess a morality in and of themselves. The issue lies in how they interact with our souls. The twinge of contempt we feel when we see another person's lovely kitchen isn't about the kitchen. It's about discontent. |
| |
The key to contentment is a strong faith that God will take care of us. |
The key to contentment is a strong faith that God will take care of us. |
| |
The Grass Is Greener on John's Side of the Road The Bible talks extensively about contentment and its enemy: discontent — which happens to be close friends with envy: And [Jesus] said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions'. — Luke 12:15 Jesus' counsel in Luke 12 connects covetousness with an abundance of possessions. When we desire what others have, we reveal what our heart deems most valuable in that moment: things. And there are few places as susceptible to covetousness as the home. The first home Josh and I owned was a small, 1940s cottage on a quiet downtown street. It had green shutters and a yellow door, two massive maple trees in the front yard, and a cracked sidewalk with crumbling steps. We loved it: every chipped part of the picket fence, the little brick patio, the galley kitchen where Josh built me a Julia Child pegboard. But the one thing we didn't like was the front yard. The grass was patchy and turned brown wherever the maple trees didn't cast shade. We raked and tended, fertilized and sowed. Nothing doing; grass wouldn't grow. John's yard was across the street. As a teacher, John had all summer to tend his yard — and it showed. His grass was the color of the garden of Eden's, probably. Each morning when I went for my walk, his in-ground sprinklers came spinning up like other-worldly robots. Josh and I would stand at our living room window and watch John work. "It's honestly quite mesmerizing," Josh said. "His yard is... perfect." "We're creepy." I laughed. "Isn't this the epitome of 'the grass is always greener'?" We thought John's yard — sitting as it was across the road — highlighted the bleakness of ours. In light of John's grass, ours looked even more pathetic. That is, until I saw the yard on Rose Street. Turning the corner of the road, I came upon a scorched patch of grass, unrevivable even by the best of gardeners. It had been roasted by the July sun with no maple trees to help the cause. Cracked, brown, and utterly dead, the Rose Street yard made ours look like a golf course. Perspective. We were reminded, too, that our life stage was nothing like John's. In our season of little children and tight budgets, we couldn't devote the time necessary to have a flourishing front yard. John's was beautiful. Ours, not as much. But both were good in their own way. Truthfully Josh and I coveted John's yard. His abundance made us conscious of our lack. But when we gained perspective about our yard, recognized our limitations, and appreciated the little we did have, we became conscious of the abundance right in front of us. Discontentment and envy blind us to the goodness of the home beneath our feet, the provision already in our hands. And the battle for Christians in today's society is to keep [our] lives free from the love of money and be content with what [we] have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you'. — Hebrews 13:5 NIV |
A Strong Faith in God's Provision The author of Hebrews told us that the key to contentment is a strong faith that God will take care of us. We can be free of the love of money and be fully content in the homes we have when we are confident that God will not leave us. If we flip the argument, the author of Hebrews implied that envious, discontent people believe God is untrustworthy. When we choose discontentment, we're essentially saying: "What You've given me is not enough. I don't think You really love me. You won't take care of me, so I need to take care of myself." This kind of discontentment is often flanked by anxiety and urgency; a desperation to grasp the thing we believe will calm our roiling desires. So when Black Friday sales offer up yet another perfect home, our anxious hearts become blind to God's provision. If I only had a kitchen like that, I would have people over.
If I had a closet like that, I would feel confident in myself.
If I had a living room like that, I would take better care of my house. - Discontent always lives in the future, never in the present.
It consumes every good thing and is unable to see the beauty right in front of it, chewing up the goodness but hungry for more. If I had this, if I had that, if it were different prevents I'm so glad I have..., I'm so grateful for..., I'm living an answered prayer. Discontentment is an insatiable beast, which is why it depends so much on envy; envy keeps it alive with a daily reminder of what is lacking. To kill discontent we must first kill envy. To do that, we must return to Hebrews 13:5: "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you'" (NIV, emphasis mine). The author of Hebrews commanded us — in God's authority — to reject materialism and to choose contentment. But He does not do so arbitrarily. He told us we can obey these commands (He assumed our success) because God will never leave us. He was not saying to recite verses or tell ourselves God won't leave. He was saying: God is not leaving you, and that is your present reality. Will you trust this is true or not? Because God will not leave you or neglect you, you can choose contentment. You can trust God's heart for you. You can reject an urgency about money and status because God is for you. You don't need the Instagram house to be loved by Him. The espresso machine is not evidence of more or less favor. More money, a nicer kitchen — these are not sinful. It is not wrong to be rich; it is not wrong to be poor. But it is wrong to place ourselves in God's rightful role as provider: Jehovah-jireh. |
|
|
Do those deep-discount home goods sales prick your discontent, too? Does someone else's greener grass, or bigger house, or nicer things cause you to look at what God has given you with dissatisfaction? Today, let's remember that God is a good provider! He's good and He loves us and remembering that will quiet our ingratitude! ~ Devotionals Daily |
|
|
Build God into your everyday routine, tasks, and chores |
Every Home a Foundation: Experiencing God through Your Everyday Routines |
|
|
+ Free shipping on $20+ with code SPRING20 |
+ Free shipping on $20+ with code SPRING20 |
What if our homes and the work that goes on inside them are not "in the way" of our calling but are instead the way to live well and disciple effectively? Reimagine the Christian home as the firm foundation of a life filled with faith, joy, contentment, and belonging, even in the midst of everyday tasks. In Every Home a Foundation, Phylicia Masonheimer invites readers to reconsider their view of home. The Christian home is an image of both a coming spiritual reality and the existing spiritual reality of our family, the church. Through Christ, we can heal and build a home that brings joy to us and love to others. Masonheimer offers a unique perspective on the importance of home in a modern world. Home is much more than a physical structure—it's a place of belonging and connection that has been strongly tied to God's mission from the beginning. God wants to build a home for His people, emphasizing the importance of homes as central for the Christian life. With an enthusiastic and friendly tone, Every Home a Foundation is sure to have readers reflecting on the importance of home in our lives and how we must strive to protect and honor it in all its forms. |
Every Home a Foundation will transform readers' view of home from a place of boredom to a place of purpose, train them to find joy in their daily tasks, and equip them to use their home to love others well by - focusing on healing our view of home and creating a culture of faith;
- exploring the purpose in the mundane tasks of the home, including cooking, cleaning, laundry, mending, tending, and creating beauty;
- and learning the importance of hospitality and creating a covenant home culture.
|
|
|
Jesus Calling Adult Coloring Book |
| The Weekly Self-Care Project |
|
|
12 Daring Women of the Bible Online Bible Study |
12 Daring Women of the Bible Online Bible Study |
What can we learn about ourselves from women in the Bible? Join the FREE 12 Daring Women of the Bible Online Bible Study and learn from 6 women of the Old Testament who dared to trust, believe, and step out in faith. Plus, get access to 12 study videos and other Bible study resources - all free when you sign up! |
|
|
this devotion with someone who needs it today |
|
|
*Sale price ends on 4/19/25. Limited quantities available. Sale pricing excludes ebooks and audiobooks. *FREE U.S. shipping on orders of $20 or more with code SPRING20 valid through 4/13/25 until 11:59pm ET, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Sale pricing excludes ebooks and audiobooks. *Points earned through our loyalty program can be stacked with most promotional offers, including seasonal and special promotions, with the exception of welcome codes or other select offers at our discretion. Eligibility for stacking may vary based on specific promo code terms. We reserve the right to determine which promotional codes can or cannot be combined with loyalty points. *eBooks purchases are fulfilled by our partner, Glose. Please note that: - To access your eBooks, you can download the free Glose app or read instantly in your browser by creating a Glose account using the same email address you use to purchase the eBooks.
- eBooks fulfilled through Glose cannot be printed, downloaded as PDF, or read in other digital readers (like Kindle or Nook).
- For more information about how to access eBooks purchased on this site, click here for our FAQs.
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment