Content? Or Everything Would Be Ok If?

Category: Excerpts

Everything would be okay if _____ ? What comes to your mind, if anything? Have I put something plus Jesus in my equation for contentment?

Transcript

What plus Jesus have I put in my equation for contentment? And I'll just think about some of the things I speak with some of the saints in the assembly about. Here's a good way to ask it in your own heart. Everything would be ok if _____? What? What comes to your mind in that? Everything would be ok. I'd have soul satisfaction. I've got Jesus, but everything would be ok, if ____? This. Everything would be ok if I was married. Or if you are married, everything would be ok if my husband would just lead me like those other men lead their wives. Everything would be ok with me if my wife would just be submissive like some of those other wives. How about this? We spoke about unity in our church. Everything would be ok if Charles Leiter was my pastor. It'd be great. Or if the people in my congregation were like those people at the Fellowship Conference. Just so zealous for the Lord. Everything would be ok in my life if I could just have a fellowship like that. You know what all of those say? Jesus isn't enough. Beloved, it is not wrong to want to be married. Next month, I'll be married for twenty years, and I'm so thankful for my wife. It's not wrong for you to want your spouse to grow, to become more Christlike. It's not wrong for you to want to have health. That's not wrong. It's not wrong for you to want your church to grow. It's not wrong for you to want your pastors to grow. You should enjoy those things. But let me tell you this, Christ is the full substance of only what those things can point to. Do you realize that? You say I love coming to the Fellowship Conference. It's like heaven on earth. Let me tell you this, Christ is better. I want to be married, I want to enjoy companionship, I want to walk with somebody. Amen. That's a blessing from the Lord, but I want you to know this, Christ is better than that. I want health. I want this body to be restored. Let me tell you this, Christ is better. Those things should be enjoyed. Health should be enjoyed. Marriage or singleness should be enjoyed. The fellowship of the church, your pastors should be enjoyed. But those things all point you to something greater. It's the Giver of all of those things. It's the fulfillment of what all those things could never be. It's Jesus Christ. I'm convinced most of us are miserable if we're honest. And it's because we're looking to something that can never give you what you're looking for. You're looking horizontally what can only be found vertically in Jesus Christ. It's not wrong to want those things. But it's wrong to not be content if you don't have them. Because, it says, "Jesus, You're not enough for me."