(5/23/19)
As we head in to summer, kids will soon be out of school and many parents are likely to be ready to pull their hair out strand by strand within the next few weeks. The list of activities and summer camps can be daunting as parents rush around to keep their little ones busy with fun.
I can't help but notice though, we seem to be bringing up a generation that can't entertain themselves for more than five minutes. And while we blame smartphones, tablets, or video games (which can be taken away), the blame often lies within ourselves.
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances" Philippians 4:11
Here the apostle Paul pens a pretty amazing concept, to be content no matter what's going on around you, no matter what the circumstance...(what you're doing or who you're with).
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Phil. 4:12
Now this is not just mind-boggling because of what he's saying here, it's also in knowing that Paul went through some real stuff...actually penning letters to the churches from prison (where he was often beaten). If he can be content in that, then why can't we be content with the measly stuff we have to deal with?
We are living in a society that preaches the opposite of contentment, it seems everyone is looking for the latest/greatest and children are taught early-on, often through clever marketing gimmicks, to never be satisfied; they are quickly wired to always need more or better or different. They learn they can never truly just be happy with what they have and where they are. We rush them to friends houses, because we want them to stay entertained and for things to be fun (reminds me of the song in the Lego Movie, Everything is Awesome), but what are we really preparing them for? Life...in the real world is nothing like that. Some fun? Sure...All fun?...No way! There are going to be days when you don't feel like it, or you're bored, or there's real storms that have presented themselves, life is not all...fun. It just isn't. And when we run ourselves ragged for their fun, I believe we are actually doing them a disservice.
The roots of being truly satisfied grow deep and one of my greatest desires has become to raise kids that are entirely content. Let's just be honest here y'all and say, I desire this kind of contentment for myself. But how is it even possible?
The answer lies in the next verse, this "secret" that Paul mentions in verse 11.
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Phil. 4:13
It can't be done without Christ, He is the one who strengthens us. He helps us when we are weak. But He must be at the center of our home, in the very core of our day, His Spirit guiding us all the way.
It was just a few months ago that the LORD dropped this in my heart like some kind of heavy weight. It is my job to teach them to be content, to be satisfied, to be okay no matter what we are doing or not doing. If I don't do it, who will?
If we can raise kids that are content no matter what, we are setting the stage for their life of faith. To be content requires patience, as does faith. To be content requires hope, that even if things aren't going the way we want, that it will turn around, and so does faith. Contentment requires a deep seeded joy (which only comes from Christ), so does faith. It requires not acting based on how you feel...and...you guessed it...so does faith.
My challenge to myself this summer is going to be putting conveniences aside (video games, iPads) and going through some of the hard things, with His help, in order to teach them. It will require guidance on my part as this generation, unlike our own, will need some reprogramming from things we were never privy to. I intend to find constructive ways for myself and my children to share His Kingdom with others, to focus on pulling out those gifts and talents He has placed within them and start using them even now, because satisfaction can always be found in purpose. Will it be easy? Of course not, but it will definitely be worth it.
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