Daily Dose 20: Turning Around Discontent

Here is where to begin reading Daily Doses 11-20 in order.

The Fourth Question

Answering the contentment question honestly, particularly when the answer is, “No,” frees us to see the situation the way the Lord does—and that leads to the next question, the direction question: “What should I do to make [whatever] more satisfactory to the Lord?” The answer to THAT question opens up the world of stewardship action steps. 

Stewardship Action Steps

• Often, the next step requires a change in our thinking, the option we were never going to explore when we were busy excusing away responsibility.
• Sometimes, the next step reasserts our stewardship role and leads to a project designed to allocate resources (in my case always more time than money) to preserve what we have.
• Occasionally, the step turns on the creative solution spigot, generating options we “never thought of before” to solve the problem.
• Once in a while, the step asks us to rest, understanding we have truly done what we could, and the proper path is effective, fervent prayer for needs and open-handed waiting for the non-essentials.

So, if this is the only sofa I will ever own, what would He have me to do?  Clean it, cover it, reupholster it, fix its broken springs, exchange it for chairs and floor pillows (and where is it written that every living room/great room/family room requires a sofa?), start a five year saving plan?

If the school schedule is ruining health, church involvement, and the ability to help family, what should change if this was going to be the lifelong schedule? What priorities need realigned? Facing squarely the (unlikely) option that nothing will change, should inspire wise students to examine their school routine and provide for meaningful devotions and adequate physical care for a healthier long term level of living.

Accountability

Home life, at least biblical home living, needs us to keep accountability questions, like the contentment question, on the tip of our tongues, not for the others in the house, but for ourselves. Accountability gets a great deal of attention today. Everyone in the workplace watches over everyone else’s shoulder. Church members are strongly encouraged to become accountable to one another to maintain spiritual disciplines. Husbands account to wives and wives to husbands.

Accountability’s Balance Point

Even accountability, an admittedly valuable help, has a balance point, however. From where is the pressure to stay accountable coming? The accountability partner or my yearning to give pleasure to the Lord? What does it say about the reality of my personal second-by-second walk with the Lord, when telling someone I did or did not have devotions is more binding to my resolve than the immeasurable benefit gained from the devotional time? Isn’t the bottom line that my devotional relationship is NOT compelling and (ouch) my character is not actively engaged in daily attempts to make it more so? Shouldn’t laying this week’s spiritual projects before the Lord be as binding to my soul as telling my friend?

Accountable to God

Home living is an essentially solitary occupation in a private work zone that requires two things:

• we see ourselves as God sees us, a reality that makes us to neither think of ourselves more highly or more lowly than we ought, but also propels us toward how God wants to sees us: humble and grateful where He has already given victory, excited and expectant to transfer the newest conviction to a past tense problem, engaged and experimental where we can be or can do  better, content and prayerful for the current unchangeables.
• we see God seeing us, a reality more compelling for any choice we make than the awareness or concern of the closest human confidante could ever be.