God recently confronted me with a truth, and it's been on my mind all week . . .
It's from the book Lies Women Believe, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. The author tackles 40 different deceptions used by Satan to keep us from a thriving relationship with Christ, and then counters these lies with truth from God's Word. Lie #12 goes something like this:
I should not have to live with unfulfilled longings.
I hadn't realized how much this idea has made its way into my thinking. When I pray, often it's with the attitude that God owes me all my heart's desires . . . that if I ask Him often enough and with the right amount of faith, He will certainly give me what I so earnestly request. Doesn't He want me to be happy?
DeMoss points out, referring to Rom. 8:23, that we will always have unfulfilled longings this side of heaven, and that . . . we must learn to be content with unfulfilled longings. *groan* There's the C-word again.
God has made us in such a way that we can never be truly satisfied with anything or anyone less than Himself (Ps. 16:11, 34:8-10).
The bottom line is, in spite of my self-proclaimed expertise, I don't know what's best for me, or for anyone else. God does, though, and He uses my unfulfilled longings to refine me and deepen my longing for a future life with Him. He uses them to drive me to HIMSELF, the only oasis and true satisfaction.
2 comments:
I really enjoyed that book too. By the way, $5/hr ballet is what you get when you live in the middle of nowhere where culture is considered having beer-boiled lobster tails at your tailgate party! ;)
Yes, contentment - oh goodness! Charity, interesting coincidence that we have the same book in mind at the moment. Over the weekend I ordered 10 copies of it in Russian.They're in stock in Moscow. I'll be really tickled if they have the workbook available too. But, guess I'll MANAGE TO BE CONTENT (wink) if only the book is available. Thank you for your post and insight, as per always. EE
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