Contentment, What Are You Supposed To Be Doing?

 I really am asking you to think about this.

What are you doing for God? I’m not asking you to justify yourself. I’m not asking you to stand up and tell everyone. I not asking you to email me at truthbygod1@gmail.com. No. I’m asking you to seriously look in the mirror, look around at your fruit, and see what your life has produced for God and His Kingdom. Are you growing in faith? Are you telling the truth to people and attempting to further the Kingdom? Are you?

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Or? Or, are you simply waking up Sunday morning, getting dressed in your best dress clothes, and heading to church, only to leave and go back into the world and do the same things you have always done, even before you were “saved?”

“I am struggling to pay bills. I am struggling to keep my family together. I am struggling with alcohol and or drugs. I am struggling with porn. I am struggling with {In sert whatever it is, here.} I work all the time. I do not have the time to do anything. I do not have the time to read the Bible. I do not have the time to do anything than what I do daily. I come to church. I listen to the pastor. But truthfully? What has the church done for me lately?”

If you have said or asked any of these, you are not alone. It is normal. It is human nature. But it is also against God and His plan for you and your life. This way of “down thinking,” or worldly thinking, will keep you from all that God wants to do in your life.

We did a whole sermon series entitled “Let’s Get Real.” I encourage you to revisit it and see what Jesus was actually asking us to do. Spreading the Good News, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, healing the sick, and setting the captives free. Are you working towards any of that? Do you even know what God is calling you to do?

I come to you and say I have a job for you. It is over there on the other side of the water, I need you to go over there and clean out the area. If you do, as long as you are on the job you will find housing, food, and even some recreational stuff over there. When you are done, I will compensate you handsomely, and you will become part owner of my company. You agree. What happens next? I walk away and leave you to figure it all out? No. I'll give you a boat. I teach you how to use it. When you get to the other side, you find all the necessary tools to do what I have asked you to do. Why? Because I have a plan and I want the job done. So here is everything you need to do it. When you are done? I honor my end of the agreement.

Some of you are standing on the edge of the water, looking across, and saying, “Well? I can't get over there. I can’t do the work when I get there, I see no tools waiting. I just can’t. But where is my agreed compensation?” Where are all the things you promised me? Look here.

“And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Sounds great right? All the good, bad, and even the ugly, can work together for our good, why? “For” say for. “For those called according to” who? “His” Who? God’s “purpose.” Jesus did not want to go through all He did. The humiliation, torture, and death on the cross. Look what He says here in His prayer.

“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

In Luke, we read how much agony He was really in over this.

“And being in agony he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:44

That is how much He did not want to do it. Change that. That is how much His FLESH did not want to do that. Remember what He said to Peter when Peter cut off the ear of Malchus in the garden?

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” Matthew 26:52-54

It is not about you. When you become a child of God, it then becomes all about Him. Look how Paul puts it here.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

It is not me. It is not because I’m so important and I deserve this or that. No, it is all about Him. I get blessed, through and by Him, by doing His will and walking in His ways. God is not an ATM. He is not a Lotto Ticket. He is not going to bless you because you are so awesome, that you just should be blessed.

Look at your earthly family. Look at mine. I have four kids. My oldest, although not officially my child through the birth of my wife, my oldest daughter is now 31 and has two master's degrees, and is out there trying to make it on her own. My other three children are home and living under my roof and my rules and regulations. I see them every day. I am here when they wake up, and when they go to bed. I am here to hear their stories, wants, and desires, and I will be here and love them as long as they are here and love me.

Think about what happens in these scenarios. If Selina, the oldest, wants to talk to me, she has to call me or make the trip to come see me. If the other three want me they just say “Hey Dad?” and I say “Yes my child.” If Selina wants some sort of blessing from me, she has to stop what she is doing, and call and ask, or come and ask, and hope that I will have the time and or the means to bless her. My other three, get blessed daily. Why? Because they are here.

Now what happens if one of my kids falls down or gets hurt? I’m there to lift them up and help them to heal. What if Selina falls down and gets hurt? Well, I’m nowhere near where she is. She is pretty much on her own. Now if she fell and got hurt here, under my roof, especially if I asked her to do something, I would be here to lift her up and heal her.

What happens if my kids fail to do what they know I expect? Or worse, they do the opposite? Do I just continue to bless them because they are my child? No. They get punished. Sometimes I take the stuff away. Sometimes, I simply cannot bless them if they are not doing what is required for that blessing.

Look at this story about God and how he blessed His children in the middle of the desert. He told Moses to lead them out of Egypt and they left. He brought them into a place where the flesh feared and the worldly mind started to run in loops.

“They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 16:1-3

God said go. Promised land of milk and honey. Yet all the people could see was what their flesh was craving. Although keep in mind, they were still doing what God asked them to do.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.” Exodus 16: 4-8

Even though there was no physical way to get grain, oil, or anything else, God supplied them with bread from heaven.

“Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight, you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” Exodus 16:9-12

Here they are, worried, hungry, and unaware of the fact that God, say it with me,

“knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:8

God is a God of supply. God is a God of Blessings. God is your Daddy. Look how this came about.

“In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.” Exodus 16:19

God blessed His people, His children, in a miraculous way. He had a purpose and a plan for them to fulfill. He will make sure that they have the means to fulfill it. Look how this chapter ends.

“The people of Israel ate the manna for forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan” Exodus 16:35

Even though they were disobedient. Even though God had to delay the reward and or even though they delayed doing what God asked out of disobedience, God still blessed them, because He knew ultimately they would.

What is it that God is calling you to do? What are you supposed to be doing? Are you sure that God wants you to say the Prayer, and ask to be adopted into His family? Attend church when you can and simply work and pay bills? Or do you think perhaps, there is so much more to this life than that? I submit to you, there is more. Much, much, much more. You do not have to worry. You do not have to fear. Simply recognize who you are, a child of God, and trust in Him. Trust in your Daddy.

Find what it is God is leading you to do. Do it. Whatever it is. However scary it may be. Trust that He will pave the way. He will teach you, train you, and give you, whatever it is you need. Be content with that. You may not think it was happy to eat bread for forty years, or quail for dinner for forty years, but you know what? They had an unlimited supply and it was always there for them. Trust that whatever it is that God calls you to do, He will be there every step of the way.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

Be content with what God is given you. Know that even if you are in a desert in your life, God is faithful and just and will meet your needs even there. He will do His part. What are you supposed to do? Do you know Jesus as your savior? If you are not in His family, how can He even try to bless you? Say this prayer. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Jesus, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Brand new Email if you wish to contact me, it's truthbygod1@gmail.com

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!