{unthankful heart >> grumbling and complaining >> covetousness >> idolatry}
I was just going about my normal daily routine. The laundry that covered my bed was gradually diminishing as I put clothes away and hung them in the closet. When we moved into this house, we gave the master bedroom to our girls. It's bigger and has a larger closet to hold the clothing of four (soon to be five) precious girls.
So there I was in my small, just enough space to walk, be careful not to bump your leg on the foot board room...putting our clothes away.
Little did I know, temptation was coming. As far as I can remember I felt fine and I was thinking happy thoughts...until I went to hang one of my husband's shirts. Our closet is about the size of an average doorway. My husband and I both hang our clothes in it. When I iron clothes, I never place them back in the closet, that would make my ironing an exercise in futility because they would be squished and get wrinkled again. So my tactic is to hang them on the closet door. I have to find solutions like this one to make things work as best I can. Well, one thing I cannot do is change the size of my closet.
So back to when I went to hang a shirt. I had to reach up and use all my strength to move a bunch of clothing in order to achieve an inch of space to hang the shirt. As I did this a couple of empty hangers came popping off the rod and fell somewhere behind my hamper and some other stuff I have stored in there. At this point, I felt frustrated. I began to complain in my heart. "Ugh, this little closet is such a pain!", and of course this leads to dreaming (coveting) of a large walk-in closet where I wouldn't have this current problem. I was going down the wrong road quick. And so, as I stood there looking into my little closet, I decided to stop and thank God instead. It was a choice, a decision made. The decision to get off of that path as quickly as possible and find the right one to tread.
I stood there and I sang a little song of praise to him. I made it up. Something like "Thank you Lord for all you've given to me." It was very simple, I don't remember all of the words, but I was desperate to get my focus right and with my heart praising God and thanking him, grumbling and complaining were just about impossible.
I would not be like the God's people in the Old Testament who grumbled when they didn't have the food they wanted or when no water could be found. I would not be the wife and mother who complained that her closet is too small. No, that would NOT be me. Instead, I would trust in the giver of every good and perfect gift. That what I have is what he has given. No more, no less. And I would thank him for it.
For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers
were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,
and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
and all ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink.
For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them,
and the Rock was Christ.
Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased,
for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things took place as examples for us, that we
might not desire evil as they did....
(We must not...) grumble, as some of them did and were
destroyed by the Destroyer.
Now these things happened to them as an example, but they
were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of
the ages has come.
Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not
common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you
be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation
he will also provide the way of escape,
that you may be able to endure it.
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
1 Corinthians 10:1-6,10-14
What idolatry might you have to flee today? "Take heed", the temptation can come in the smallest of packages. Praise our faithful God who always provides the way of escape and the grace to thank him and focus on his goodness instead.
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