I WANT this...
I WANT that...
I WANT to go here...
I don't WANT that...
I WANT you to...
I'm going to tell you something...I WANT way too much, and I WANT so many of the WRONG things. I want this pair of shoes, I want to move here, I want a certain house, I want to go there, I want this adorable outfit, I want...I want...I want...
I'm not sure about you...but I really believe the way we are brought up is a big indicator of the things we want...and how quickly we feel we "need" those things. I was raised in such a way that if I asked for it...honestly, it was only a matter of time before it was mine. I can recall being SO very young and saying, "I want a swimming pool..."...and to this day I'll never forget walking in the door from school, peering through those big bay windows and seeing so many workers digging in our backyard for a beautiful swimming pool. (No, I wasn't a crazy terrible brat...but, I was given far more than I needed). I can recall being able to purchase any outfit I wanted...any dress I felt I "needed"...any of the latest and greatest gadgets that were popular...it was always mine.
Growing into adulthood I am blessed that God did a great work in me, and is still working on me to correct some of this incessant WANT...but, I still struggle with it. Sometimes Rob will jokingly say that "women are just that way..." but, I strive for better...and here is why...
I was forgetting that The Word was what I needed. Somewhere along the way I stopped WANTING The Word...and WANTING the world. I can attest to the fact that I know I'm not the only one here. Right? Stop to really think about it here...as a woman, as a mother, and a wife...I stopped being content as a woman with all of my blessings...as a mother my children were seeing me WANT and what was that teaching their sweet little minds? To WANT! And, perhaps the most painful to admit...what was I doing to my husband? I stopped being excited about what I had read and craved for from The Bible and from God...instead I was running to my husband with my WANTS...and, I'd be willing to bet that if I were to continue down that path I'd be handing over to my husband a TON of INADEQUACY.
Where and why along the way do we stop counting our blessings?
Because we live in a world that tells us WE AREN'T enough...we live in a world that dictates to us that we NEED this product, we NEED this trip...we NEED more space...we NEED more of this...and more of that...but stop to really think about it....
Our world tells us we NEED to eat at this buffet or this restaurant...and what usually happens? We over eat
We are told we NEED this outfit...I mean, it's a spring essential :-)...what happens? We overspend.
We are told by others exactly what we need to be doing...and what happens? We are following another path instead of our God given path!!!
I'm not sure about you, but, none of these things sound appealing to me!! I really crave that path that God laid especially for ME!!! And, I can tell you this as honestly as I can say anything else...I leave my Bible feeling full...REALLY full...after I've soaked in the words I feel amazing!! I raise up from my knees feeling happy...safe...and cared for by The Almighty! I have never once left a buffet line feeling those wonderful emotions...I've never bought an outfit that made me feel as spectacular as the grace that God blesses me with time, and time again.
I feel I need to backtrack just a bit...It's not my opinion that because you went and bought new shoes you were wrong...or because you took a beautiful trip you are a sinner. Goodness no!!!! God wants to bless us....I simply believe that when we stop seeking The Word...when we stop seeking God...and when we start seeking worldly things...THAT is where we are at fault. I know, because I've been there.
So...today, think about it...do you want to be a woman of the world...or a woman of The Word???
I WANT that...
I WANT to go here...
I don't WANT that...
I WANT you to...
I'm going to tell you something...I WANT way too much, and I WANT so many of the WRONG things. I want this pair of shoes, I want to move here, I want a certain house, I want to go there, I want this adorable outfit, I want...I want...I want...
I'm not sure about you...but I really believe the way we are brought up is a big indicator of the things we want...and how quickly we feel we "need" those things. I was raised in such a way that if I asked for it...honestly, it was only a matter of time before it was mine. I can recall being SO very young and saying, "I want a swimming pool..."...and to this day I'll never forget walking in the door from school, peering through those big bay windows and seeing so many workers digging in our backyard for a beautiful swimming pool. (No, I wasn't a crazy terrible brat...but, I was given far more than I needed). I can recall being able to purchase any outfit I wanted...any dress I felt I "needed"...any of the latest and greatest gadgets that were popular...it was always mine.
Growing into adulthood I am blessed that God did a great work in me, and is still working on me to correct some of this incessant WANT...but, I still struggle with it. Sometimes Rob will jokingly say that "women are just that way..." but, I strive for better...and here is why...
I was forgetting that The Word was what I needed. Somewhere along the way I stopped WANTING The Word...and WANTING the world. I can attest to the fact that I know I'm not the only one here. Right? Stop to really think about it here...as a woman, as a mother, and a wife...I stopped being content as a woman with all of my blessings...as a mother my children were seeing me WANT and what was that teaching their sweet little minds? To WANT! And, perhaps the most painful to admit...what was I doing to my husband? I stopped being excited about what I had read and craved for from The Bible and from God...instead I was running to my husband with my WANTS...and, I'd be willing to bet that if I were to continue down that path I'd be handing over to my husband a TON of INADEQUACY.
Where and why along the way do we stop counting our blessings?
Because we live in a world that tells us WE AREN'T enough...we live in a world that dictates to us that we NEED this product, we NEED this trip...we NEED more space...we NEED more of this...and more of that...but stop to really think about it....
Our world tells us we NEED to eat at this buffet or this restaurant...and what usually happens? We over eat
We are told we NEED this outfit...I mean, it's a spring essential :-)...what happens? We overspend.
We are told by others exactly what we need to be doing...and what happens? We are following another path instead of our God given path!!!
I'm not sure about you, but, none of these things sound appealing to me!! I really crave that path that God laid especially for ME!!! And, I can tell you this as honestly as I can say anything else...I leave my Bible feeling full...REALLY full...after I've soaked in the words I feel amazing!! I raise up from my knees feeling happy...safe...and cared for by The Almighty! I have never once left a buffet line feeling those wonderful emotions...I've never bought an outfit that made me feel as spectacular as the grace that God blesses me with time, and time again.
I feel I need to backtrack just a bit...It's not my opinion that because you went and bought new shoes you were wrong...or because you took a beautiful trip you are a sinner. Goodness no!!!! God wants to bless us....I simply believe that when we stop seeking The Word...when we stop seeking God...and when we start seeking worldly things...THAT is where we are at fault. I know, because I've been there.
So...today, think about it...do you want to be a woman of the world...or a woman of The Word???