Completely Satisfied!

“for they shall be completely satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6 AMP)

Wait – Wait – Wait This can’t be right. Do you believe this? Is it true? Or is Jesus telling us a little white lie to try to motivate us to be good. Does true satisfaction really come from the pursuit of righteousness?

All our lives we are told that the best way to enjoy life is to live on the edge, to walk the fine line between good and bad. This is nothing new either. Generation after generation, it takes different forms, but we live surrounded by the message that a little compromise and a touch of naughty will bring a little joy into our lives.

The American culture teaches us that when someone is stressed, or grumpy, they just need a little sex and they will relax a bit. When someone has a hard day they need a drink to take the edge off. If you have to meat a budget, a little lying or cheating will go a long way to solving your problems. Satisfaction is just a compromise away.

It’s a lie! And it has worked for thousands of years. In fact the serpent used this same lie to trick Eve in the garden. God is keeping the best away from you. He wants you to go through life missing out on all the fun, and always frustrated.

This same serpent is the thief that Jesus tells us has come to “steal and kill and destroy.” His lies have separated us from satisfaction and in fact have left us unsatisfied and distracted from the source of true happiness. How could we be so foolish as to believe this liar! Jesus promised us “abundant life,” not average, boring, prudish or disappointing life.

Here is the thing. As I sit here writing this, God is bringing to my mind stuff that needs to be done with more integrity in my life. He is asking me if I believe Him, or if I am going to keep on living a compromised, unsatisfied life.

Now you decide, is Jesus telling us the truth? Is it true that complete satisfaction comes from pursuing righteousness? Or is this religious speak intended to manipulate the masses into obedience. Is there actually blessing, happiness and joy in living your life for God? If what Jesus says is true, aren't we effectively robbing God of that which He purchased when we live in compromise? 

Can you quiet yourself and listen for the voice of God as you read this. If you don’t have time right now, plan some time to mull, to consider. If you are like me, right now you are saying, oh, sister so-and-so could use this, or brother what’s-his-name could sure use some integrity. Yep, I thought about brother what’s-his-name, I admit it. But you need God’s voice in your life today, and so do I. Get quiet and ask Him this: Am I stealing myself back from You by my lack of integrity? (ouch)

Hey, thanks for reading today. Please let me know if this is making a difference in your life.

Ben

Why this blog... 

Lord, I have a Question.

I have never been a fan of people giving me prayers to pray. You probably know what I mean. The devotional that gives you something to read and then suggests you "pray this prayer". It just does not feel right to me. I was never even crazy about telling someone to “pray this prayer” in my evangelism endeavors. It never felt authentic to me. Not my words, not my thoughts. Prayer aught flow from out own passions, my own needs, my heart.

Right there on the other hand, I do see that God took the time to publish a good number of prayers for us, and I have been helped at times reading the prayers of saints of the past.

But I was thinking today about this blog and pondering what to do to make it more impactful. What if I suggested a question to ask God. We know God is the author of all knowledge, and will liberally give wisdom to anyone who asks.  Perhaps a suggested question to ask God would not be exactly like telling people to pray a prayer. And then we could collaborate on what the Lord puts on our hearts. 

I am actually getting a bit excited about the idea of a group of random folks approaching the Father in search of wisdom, or direction. We are all in different places, and have different perspectives. It would be a really great exercise for us to compare notes.

One final thought about this collaborative idea. Paul tells us that we collectively are the body of Christ. We do not get to ignore our brothers and sisters and live alone in this thing called the kingdom of heaven. Listening together will stretch us and grow us. I am convinced of that.

Let’s give is a whirl eh? I actually put out my first question in yesterday’s post. Let me know what you hear. Click here to see yesterday's question.

Thanks for reading!
Ben

Why this blog... 

Kingdom?

Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt 5:3 & 10

I know I am getting out of order here. I was just lying in bed – it is about 10 minutes to 12 on Friday night, and I was mulling.

Now let me be clear. I have studied through and taught through the Beatitudes probably more than any other passage in the Bible. It is my favorite by far. I have notes dating back a decade from preparations for this little piece of scripture.

But tonight – closing in on the middle of the night – I am trying to get to sleep, and the phrase “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven” [Read More...]