Discontentment. One of my greatest struggles. I am not discontent with the things I have or the blessings that surround me, I am discontent with myself, within myself. I long to be more than what I have, to have a bigger life than I do. Maybe I am alone in this feeling, but I would guess that I am not the only one. I sometimes feel insignificant in my daily life. Cleaning house, cooking, making children mind, following the same routine most days. It feels monotonous and I find myself slipping into disappointment as I critique my life. It is easy for me to feel overlooked as I do my best to look after everyone else. But that isn’t true, is it? I have been richly and deeply and thoroughly blessed. And reading Hebrews again this morning, I was reminded just how blessed I am and I felt a renewed sense of purpose for my daily life. There is a passage from Hebrews 11 that I love with a great passion and I read it over and over as I find myself feeling discouraged and stuck in a lonely rut. It is longer but I hope you enjoy it!
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were saved in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskin and goatskins , destitute, persecuted and mistreated- the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
That is verses 32-40. It wows me every time. All these things that were accomplished and suffered with faith. The story of my faith is neither short nor boring. Being a woman called by Christ to walk the hard road is no small thing, no matter what my day looks like. If these ordinary and fallen and broken men of faith accomplished so much, I can surely look past my discontentment to see the wonders that are waiting for me in my most glorious final home. My days will roll along regardless of my feelings. My faith needs to ground my heart and give me the perseverance to live my life fully in Christ. My hurdles are small compared with the greatness faith overcame in history. I love this passage because it reminds me why faith is important. None of the people mentioned were perfect or blameless or without sin. David committed adultery, murder, and a plethora of other sins. Yet he is one of the most highly regarded men in the old testament. His faith was what always redeemed him, his ability and desire to lay his whole self before God, his honesty about his feelings. David was an open book before the God he had faith in, the God he knew saw everything. David was unashamed in his faith. He laid it bare. He had unshakable, devoted faith in God. That is what I want. To have a faith so strong and so steady and so unashamed that it is all my children see. I don’t want to get caught up in the selfishness that roots my discontent with life. I want to live for the God who used faith to accomplish great things, for if He accomplished so much with faith, than I can trust Him to accomplish much for His glory with my faith. Even if I never see all the fruit of it, trusting His promises and having faith in his plan will and should always be enough. I will be made perfect with all these people I admire from history. I am included in their number just by believing. Amazed. Awed. I stand before my God with my heart open and moving ever closer to contentment with the place God has given me in this world. May someone, someday, commend me, say of me that the world was not worthy of me because through my faith God accomplished great things. May my life, lived for my Father, be a steadfast, tight-gripped example of faith. I don’t need to feel like less because I am promised the most. I have faith God has got it all under control.
faith from the stove 