Weekly Snippet: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Earlier this week, I barked my shin on a pile of boxes I have stacked up in my house for my business, and I caught myself complaining to God about them.  "Help me get rid of some of these boxes.  I have too many!" I said.

I guess I wasn't expecting an answer, but God gave it. "Two years ago," He reminded me, "You were always asking me for more, because you needed them for shipping and you didn't have enough in the right dimensions. Now you're complaining about having too much of what you asked for?"

I felt a bit sheepish then (no pun intended, folks), and withdrew the complaint.  Later on, I caught myself starting to complain about a similar thing--having so much food that I was worried that some of it was going to spoil.


That really made me think.  I'm truly blessed if I can say, today, that I have too much of something I need--too much food, too much time on my hands, too much togetherness with loved ones, too many boxes.  Of course, it is possible to have too many health problems, too many needs, and too many concerns.  I'm not talking about that.  I just have to reflect on my complaining and say that it's really stupid to whine about having too much of a good thing, especially if that "too much" is actually an answer to prayer.

Why is it that truly blessed people sometimes forget to be grateful?  Those who whine about having too much of a harvest might regret their complaints if the winter comes and they didn't have enough, after all.  Those who complain about having too much time with their children will always regret it when they've moved away.  Of course, when we have too much of a blessing, it can seem like a curse, as long as we forget to recognize where all this abundance came from.  The problem here is perception.

We read about the Israelites, and how they continuously complained about everything they received from the Lord while they journeyed through the desert.  In one incident, they worried they might starve, but later whined because they'd had too much manna, and were sick of eating the same thing every day (Numbers 11: 4-6).  They forgot what it was like to be hungry, and they took their blessing (and their Benefactor) for granted.  That's just embarrassing!

The lesson we should gather is that God expects grattitude from us--a grateful heart and a pleasant attitude.  He wants to see us knee deep in blessings, and thankful for it, not complaining about something that He gave us to meet our needs.  This takes a special kind of faith that looks beyond things to see the glory of the Provider behind them.  Every blessing, every prayer answered, testifies to the love and attentiveness of the God of the universe, because, "my God will meet all your needs, according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus," (Philippians 4: 19 NIV).  Now does that thought make us want to complain about what we have?

P.S. If we have too much, maybe we should store up what we've been given (2 Kings 4: 1-7), or share our blessings with someone else who needs them (Acts 2: 44-47).  Just a thought.

That Restless Feeling

Lately I've noticed a pattern in my moods at the end of the day.  Maybe you've had days when it seems that, no matter when you get up, or what you do all day, you feel like you haven't done enough when night comes.  You get restless.  At first you try to distract yourself with some interesting activity such as browsing the Internet, watching some random tv show, or reading a book.  You still feel restless.  If you get desperate, this is the point where you go and speed clean something, or some other activity you don't care for all that much.  You figure if you haven't done enough, chores might fill that void.

It doesn't.

I had gone through several nights of this in a row when I finally noticed the antidote to that restless I-need-to-feel-productive mood.  Get alone with God for awhile!  It really works.

Nothing under heaven can really fulfill the need to be needed, although some things seem to, for awhile (like relationships, or parenthood, or a promotion at work).  What we really desire is for someone to really notice our efforts and give approval.  Until then, we may find ourselves chasing that approval and feeling restless when silence greets us at the end of the day--and scented candles, positive quotations, and a clean bathroom aren't going to fill the void.

Spending time with God means, to me, spending time reading the Bible and really analyzing what it says and how it applies to me, and praying accordingly.  It helps me realign my priorities with God's, and see where I am falling behind in obedience.  I don't feel so restless because I'm reminded again of where I stand with God, and what He wants from me.  I feel like I really did something worthwhile with my time.  I'm so blessed to be able to actually draw near to God and get my instructions from the source (Deuteronomy 4: 7)!

This, I believe, is essential for feeling contentment.  Rather than wasting precious minutes on things to fill up that restlessness and dissatisfaction I am feeling, I'd rather offer up my life and my free time to God (although cleaning that bathroom has to be done from time to time).  It's what I was made to do (Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14), and what I feel the most useful doing.  Besides that, it is pleasing to God, and that's the approval I've been looking for.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12: 1, 2 NIV)

A Truth That Outdates Tradition

Perhaps you've heard this story before, but I thought it was worth retelling.  I once heard of a young newlywed bride who wanted to impress her new husband with her domestic prowess.  She got up early, cut the end of the pot roast off like her mother had always done, put it in the pan, and cooked it all day.  Her husband (like a smart man) told her he loved it and ate several helpings.  However, he had one question: "Why did you throw away the end of the roast?"

She was stumped, so she called her mom. "I don't remember, exactly, honey.  That's just how your grandmother always did it," Mom replied.

After getting off the phone with her daughter, the mom couldn't stop puzzling over it, so she called up her own mother. "Why is it, exactly, that we always cut the end off the pot roast?" she asked.

"It's simple, really.  I had to make it fit in the pan," Grandma said.