No Reason To Whine
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, …
-- Ephesians 1:18
One thing I really like about Oswald Chambers is that he really gets to the heart of the matter. He doesn’t try to make nice or make you feel good or let you distance yourself away from the truth. Nope. He’s sort of an in your face kind of guy.
For those who have never heard of Chambers, let me give you a little background. I first learned his name in several different Bible studies and books. He got quoted enough that I took notice. I saw a daily devotional book with his name on it one day and purchased it. I am forever being amazed at his wisdom.
Did I mention that he’s been dead for quite a number of years? This prominent Protestant minister was born in Scotland in 1874 and died in Egypt in 1917. His wife, fortunately for us all, kept wonderful notes and compiled his sermons and talks into wonderful books that many of us still use. Because his words are relevant. Though not always in a way that makes a person happy.
“May God not find the whine in us any more, but may He find us full of spiritual pluck and athleticism, ready to face anything He brings.” That’s an Oswald quote.
Whine? You mean me? Oops. Okay. Shut mouth and listen. Think. Praise God. Yeah. I do have it pretty good. But, being the human that I am, I always want life to be a little better. Know what I mean? Sure you do. Because we’ve all been guilty of whining when things don’t go exactly how we think they should.
We sometimes fail to see all that we’ve been given. We’re so busy looking at the dark splotches that are just part of life that we lose focus of the bright light directing our path. So we whine. We don’t want to be unhappy or uncomfortable or put out in any way. Like spoiled children, we want to live an easy existence and then move on to something even better without ever having to suffer. It doesn’t work that way.
We fail to see the deep strength that God provides to us. We refuse to give of our abundance. We want more and more with an unquenchable thirst that no thing can ever fill. We don’t understand who we are and what we have. So we whine. And whine. And whine.
Sounds silly when you consider the inheritance that awaits us. It’s unbelievable when you think about the easy life we have compared to the lives of people in impoverished nations. Let God’s light flood your world with insight and wisdom. Look around. None of us really have any reason to whine about anything at all.
No comments:
Post a Comment