It Could Be Better

Introduction

Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve told someone about an issue or a traumatic event that you have been through and the first response is “well it could be worse”. You’re right it could be worse, and often times when you tell people that they typically know it could be worse. I want us to understand this morning that it could be better. Life could be better if we prioritize contentment. Many of us can think about many of the things we are thankful for but are we truly content. We live in a world in which every thing is quantified. How many or how much property to you have. How much money is in our bank accounts, how many cars are in our drive way. How many followers do we have on social media, how many likes did our selfie get. How many trips can we take in one year. How many degrees do we have, how many promotions can we get. So many things in life are counted that we forget to count blessings, more importantly the idea of contentment. Family, the true key to thanksgiving is contentment. In order to truly be thankful we have to first begin with understanding how to be content with what we have and where we are in life. Sure it could be worse but it also could be better if we truly understood that where we are in life right now is exactly where God wants us to be. Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”

Sure it could be worse, but with the Lord it could be better. There are plenty of us that are blessed beyond measure, or even in a season of winning. Everything is working out in our favor, nonetheless none of that means anything without God. Furthermore we become a slave to accomplishments when we refuse to be content with what we have and always seeking to gain more.

Finding Resolve in What You Have

The first step in contentment means coming to the understanding that God is in control. We can do all the preparing that we desire but the final say so belongs to God.

Proverbs 16:1 “The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.”

Be prepared, take time to make arrangements but just understand and know that God has the authority to change the plans you made. Just know that walking by faith and trusting God will always be better! Understand that contentment takes commitment. I have to be content enough to be okay with everything that God provides, and still hold fast to the commitment that I have unto God. Understanding that what life throws at me is not about abandonment but about faith. I’m content because I serve an “I’ll never leave you, nor forsake you God”.

Before I can get to a place of having a purposeful heart I have to understand the idea of devotion. Contentment, commitment and thanksgiving are not switches you can just turn off and on, it takes devotion and discipline. Contentment is a mindset. If our heart is not devoted to God we will never find resolve in life no matter how great or terrible things become. Understand relying on our own rationale can be the worse decision we can make. Our own emotions, our own thoughts can lead us astray. This is why prayer, meditation, and trusting God to guide us is so important!

Find resolve in what you have! Understand seeking righteousness with what you have is better than gaining influence, money or any other form of gain in a dishonest unjustly way.

What is Better?

In this text it says, “better”. What does better mean, basically the text is stating that it is more valuable to be content with a little righteously than to have plenty in a dishonest way. Why is this better? It’s hard to conceptualize when things such as finances are a frustrating part of your life. Nonetheless let’s look at life through a wider panoramic lens than just money. Think about all the things we can find discontentment in. The society we live in has conditioned us to think more is greater when in all actuality many of us have a lot, we just haven’t taken inventory of all the blessings that God has provided us with.

Righteousness is always better! Imagine if the world marched to the beat of righteousness how much better would our communities be? Righteousness in this text is not just doing the quote on quote right thing. Righteousness is doing what is required according to the STANDARD!

Psalm 32:1 “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.” God is not covering sin, and forgiving transgression to give us an avenue to continue to make the same mistakes. He’s covering and forgiving to provide space and confidence for us to live according to his standard. It’s interesting that we hold God to a standard but sometimes don’t apply the same logic to ourselves. Anytime we find ourselves in a issue it’s God you’ve got to get me out of this, God I need your help, God provide me with this, help me with that. What does the reciprocity look like on our end? Can God trust us to be faithful when it counts. Can God count on us to show mercy when it hurts? Can God expect us to be the examples of love, grace and mercy to our brothers and sisters as well as those who have no idea what it means to be a Christian?

Better is deeper than prosperity, the gifts from God are priceless and let me let you in on a secret just because you are obedient doesn’t make you exempt from struggle. The relationship between God and man has never been transactional, we shouldn’t be doing things because we believe God is going to bless you.

This text is not glorifying poverty. There is nothing wrong with success and wealth. Nonetheless the idea of prosperity as a sole result of obedience is foolish thinking and has never been something that God promised. The message behind the “better-than” is value based! a small amount of money gained in a righteous way is more valuable than a large amount. Understand that ill-gotten wealth will not last and furthermore it’s dangerous.

Anything gained in a dishonest way never works out for the long haul, don’t get caught up in the short lived success. Also stop comparing, focus on what God has blessed you with! In the words of my grandfather sitting at the legendary domino table. All Money Ain’t Good Money.

Is Your Heart Content?

Understand that life is never complete without Jesus. Often times the uneasy feeling we have is life can never have true peace and joy without God being the driving force of our lives. This thought comes to a complete culmination, Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”

Our heart the center of our mind, thoughts and reflections we make plans, we set goals, we have intentions. Those goals and plans are a reflection of our heart. Do you have the faith to submit to God directing your steps, understand God is a guide, but to direct in this text is translated into established. God establishes the path, and the more we fight against the path that God is trying to put us on the more difficult life will be come.

How content are you this morning? How thankful are you this morning? Remember that if anyone has the ability to provide abundance from a place of a perceived lack it’s Jesus! He has the power to make a little seem like a lot!