Timmy Benedict Lao Uy
May 26, 2024
THE TRUTH – Part 2 – Discontented
Jeremiah 29:4-7 – “4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (NIV)
From the very beginning of creation, ever since the universe came into existence, there has always been someone, somewhere, unhappy with their place in the world. The feeling of dissatisfaction is a common thread that runs through the history of life on Earth. It was discontentment that made Satan rebel. And ever since, discontentment has been one of his strongest weapons. His first victory happened in the Garden of Eden. He made Eve feel unhappy by twisting what God said. He made her think that God was trying to cheat her, to keep her down, and to prevent her from becoming like Him. So, Eve ate the fruit. She gave some to Adam, and he ate it too. That’s how sin started in humans. Discontentment led to disobedience, which led to the loss of paradise and the entrance of evil into our world. DISCONTENTMENT often leads to DISOBEDIENCE.
FIVE SIGNS THAT DISCONTENTMENT IS HURTING US SPIRITUALLY:
Envy: Being unable to feel happy for others when they succeed. Uncontrolled Ambition: Wanting to win no matter the cost, even if it hurts others. Critical Spirit: Often making negative and hurtful comments about others. Complaining Spirit: Making excuses and blaming others or bad situations for our problems, refusing to take responsibility, and not being thankful for what we have. Outbursts of Anger: Getting angry and saying harsh words when things don’t go as we expect.
Being happy with what you have makes a poor person rich, but always wanting more makes a rich person poor. Discontentment is like a disease for the soul; it takes away our joy, ruins our happiness, destroys how we see life, and makes us always see the bad side of things. We can’t be happy because we don’t want to be happy. We can’t be satisfied because we don’t want to be satisfied. So, how can we overcome this harmful thinking? The solution, as always, lies in a good understanding of our faith. Sin comes from having wrong ideas about God, ourselves, and life. Jeremiah 29 offers some Helpful Insights About Dealing With Discontentment:
You Are Where You Are Because God Wants You There
Remember the background of Jeremiah 29. It’s a letter from the prophet Jeremiah in Jerusalem to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. They felt abandoned, rejected, unloved, discouraged, forgotten. How could they find hope knowing their own foolish choices put them in Babylon? How could they find the courage to go on when God said, “You will be in exile for 70 years”? God answers them in Jeremiah 29:4 – “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon (NIV).” This verse shows God’s control over everything. Even though the Babylonians captured them, it was really God who allowed it to happen.
Solomon put it simply in Proverbs 16:9 – “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps (NIV).” The Jews never planned to end up in Babylon; it was the last place they wanted to go. But God decided that would be their home for the next 70 years. If you don’t think God is involved in our lives, it won’t matter because you won’t see His work even in good times, especially in difficult times. But if you believe God cares about the details, it makes a big difference to know that He takes responsibility for allowing things that seem like disasters to happen and turn them into good. Remember, Everything that happens in the universe is either caused by God or allowed by God. So, you are where you are right now because God wants you there.
You Are to Make the Most of Your Present Situation
Verses 5-6 give us God’s specific directions to the exiles in Babylon.
It was not what they expected to hear. Jeremiah 29:5-6 – “5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.” (NIV)
In every hard situation, we have to face the same question. Are we going to complain or are we going to get busy? The will of God is not a DESTINATION; it is a JOURNEY. In life, we are always learning and growing, and we never reach a point where we have completely figured everything out or achieved all our goals. There’s always more to learn, more experiences to have, and more ways to grow as individuals. It’s a recognition that life is a continual journey of learning, rather than a destination where we eventually “arrive” and have nothing left to learn or experience.
You Need to Face Reality
This may be the hardest thing for all of us to do. Sometimes, the best wake-up call we can get is a reality check. You need to face reality. You owe it to yourself and to others not to live in fantasyland. Your kids will be happy if they see you making the most of what you have. God told the exiles in Babylon to settle down, build a life, and have families. It’s good for kids to see their parents making the best of their situation.
Some of us get stuck here. We feel bad about the past, so we can’t move forward. The secret to a better future is to stop wishing for a better past. Here’s a big truth about your past: It is what it is. You can’t change it, delete it, or make it better, but you can accept it and move on.
What is the bottom line of all these things? You are where you are by the sovereign choice of God. You can serve the Lord where you are right now. You can glorify the Lord where you are right now. So the question comes down to this: Do you believe in God or don’t you? Do you believe God will give you what you need right now so you can serve Him right where you are? In a sense, when you complain and dwell in discontentment, you aren’t fully trusting God. It’s like you believe in God, but when you complain, you act like you don’t. If you can’t do everything you would like to do, you can joyfully accept your situation as being from the hand of the Lord. You can always pray, you can always praise, you can always sing in your heart to the Lord, you can always refresh yourself and find comfort in God’s love.
How should we apply the truth from this passage? Bloom where you are planted. Serve God right where you are. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Don’t live in the past or the future. Let God shape your life, not your circumstances. Don’t rely on change to make you happy. Remember, you won’t be here forever.
LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION:
1) When was the last time you complained about a situation in your life? How did it affect your trust in God?
2) In what areas of your life do you struggle most with trusting God’s plan? How do you think dwelling in discontentment impacts your relationship with God?
3) Can you recall a moment when you chose to accept a difficult situation as part of God’s plan? How did it change your perspective?