Monday, Take 2

Not a bad day today at all. Perhaps due to my vacation, I was extremely relaxed at work most the day, so it went by fast. Tonight was a pretty relaxing evening. I watched TV, played around on the computer, and then went to a coffee shop and worked around with my budget with my July 15 paycheck. I'm over-budget, sadly, so I had to shuffle things around to get the most out of the check. It'll be a tight two weeks, but hopefully doing some more overtime the next few weeks should clear out some of the gaps in my budgeting. All in all, I feel hopefully. I believe God is giving me the opportunity and discipline to be strict with my budget and I can start to see the potential for improvements being made. It'll be rough for a bit to get on track, but if I'm remaining firm in my commitment to being a good steward and being accountable, I think that there could be some real progress here.

It's funny; this time in our lives we start to really hope for a lot more, don't we? I want a more fulfilling job, a family, a big house, a balanced budget, and a feeling that I'm making a difference in the world. I'm sure almost everyone my age feels the same way. We're told that the world is our as long as we apply ourselves, and so we start to dream big. Nothing wrong with that, as long as we commit ourselves to glorifying God and not ourselves.

But I think the reason many people, myself included, get frustrated and depressed at this time in life is that we spend too much time looking at the future and not enough time looking at what we already have on our plates. I can sit here and worry all I want about what career I want to end up in, who I'd like to marry, where I'd like to live. But if all I'm doing is dreaming and fretting about tomorrow, than that's all it will be. . . tomorrow. I have to make good on what I'm responsible for today before I can even hope to start worrying about the next day.

That's what I think Christ is talking about when He said that he who is faithful with a little will be entrusted with many. Yes, it pertains to our spiritual life. But there's truth to the everyday things as well. If I can't be happy and diligent at the job I have now, why should I think another career would satisfy me? If I can't manage my own money right now, why would I think it's time to start settling down with a family? If I can't even handle the messes I get myself into everyday, why do I think I can handle a mature relationship?

I'm learning that God has me in the situation I'm in right now in order to develop me into the man He wants me to be in the future. So I need to be a faithful steward with everything He's given me now--my job, money, relationships--before He can move me onto the next step He has for me. It's not wrong to want those things, prepare for those things, and move toward those things. But I have to make sure my timing and responsibility are working in God's timing and to his standard.

I guess that's what contentment is. It's not staying where you're at, just resigned for everything to stay the same. It's being happy to fulfill your purpose right where God has you and still keeping your eyes on the future and the things He has in store for you.

Well, it's bedtime. I'll write more later.
C-Dubbs