Pray, Pray, Pray

501.  "Pray, Pray, Pray"                           April 19, 2012
Hebrews 13-Part 8
Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.  Hebrews 13:18-19
LET IT GLOW
Ministers and Christian leaders need prayers offered up for them daily. We should pray that God will teach those who teach us. That God would make them vigilant, wise, zealous, successful, assist them in all their labors, support them under all their burdens, and strengthen them under all their temptations. (Matthew Henry)

"It isn't out of our resources that we pray prayers of intercession, but out of God's inexhaustible grace,"says The Preacher's Commentary Series on Hebrews.

Here is a cry for help, a person in need. If it is Paul writing this letter, he's probably in prison. What kind of help is he asking the readers to give?

1. Pray for us. (Don't we assume that an admission of need is a confession of guilt?) This is definitely not the case here. Pray, used here, refers to praying to God, supplication, pray earnestly for.

          Prayer is in present imperative verb tense. It looks for continuous activity and implies that they
          had already been prayling for him. (Guzik)

          We are created interdependent people, whether a society or a church, functioning like a body.
           Each part has its abilities, which it offers to the whole, yet each part is dependent upon other
           members of the body for its supply of strength. So it is with prayer. God has given us
           responsibility for one another. (The Preacher's Commentary)

           How faithful am I to pray for my brothers and sister believers? Do I specifically pray when
           asked? Am I spending enough time in prayer, that God wants me to spend?

How am I to pray, according to scriptures?

• so that your faith fails not (Luke 22:32)
• night and day praying exceedingly (1Thess. 3:10)
• that ye do no evil (2Cor. 13:7)
• to come over here (Acts 16:9)
• for them that despitefully use you and persecute you (Matt. 5:44)
• fall on your face (Matt. 26:39)
• kneeled down (Acts 9:40)
• pray, pray, and pray, even a third time (Matt. 26:44)
• in a solitary place (Mark 1:35)
• when you stand praying, forgive (Mark 11:25)
• in my house (Acts 10:30), on the house top (verse 9)
• in the city (Acts 11:5)
• singing praises to God (Acts 16:25)
• in the temple (Acts 22:17)
• praying always (Eph. 6:18)
• giving thanks (Col 1:3)
• do not cease to pray for you (Col 1:9)
• when someone is afflicted (James 5:13)
• everywhere-on a mountain, in the wilderness, on a lake

I think I'm getting the picture-It is important that I pray for myself, other believers, and the lost.
Jesus interceeds to the Father when we pray in His name. Even when we don't know what to pray.

LET IT GROW

What else does the writer have to say, according to New American Standard?

       2. We are sure that we have a good conscience. King James Version uses the word
            "trust."  Trust is putting to proof, experience. Conscience is a co-perception, a
            moral conscience. "A good conscience is sanctified by the Spirit of God, sprinkled by the
            blood of Jesus," stated John Gill. They are walking in purity.
            "A good conscience has respect to all god's commands and all our duty," said Matthew Henry.

      3. Desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. The term desire is from a Greek word
          that conveys the idea not of a"wish," but of "firm determination."  They were determined to live
          honestly-not as men, but as ministers, faithfully dispensing the Word of Truth; willing to behave
          with decency and propriety.
      4. I urge you all the more to do this (pray). This writer, soldier of the cross, is healthy and pure,
          but he's in need of reinforcements. Keep on praying! Bring in the assistance I need so that I can
          survive through this battle. He wants to revisit the readers again. (Swindoll)

Do you have an urgent need? Are you willing to share it with us  so we can pray for you? You may want to use generalities.

LET IT GO

When I feel the urgency to pray for another, let go and do it.

Keep prayer as my priority.

Fetch Some Eggs

500.  "Fetch Some Eggs"                           April 17, 2012
Hebrews 13-Part 7
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.   Hebrews 13:17


LET IT GLOW

It is hard to believe that today is my 500th posting on this blog, by my counting. May God bless you as you read. To Jesus be the glory, honor and praise!

When I was a child, I was often sent to the garage to fetch some eggs for Mom to use in cooking. Now that was a dreaded task. The hens wanted to keep their eggs so they would hatch baby chicks instead of letting me have them peacefully. They would ruffle up those feathers, make loud clucks, and peck at anything that came near them, which was me. So I devised a method-I wouldn't get pecked if I used a croquet mallet to carefully scrap them out of the nest, away from her, on the ground. Now I thought that was pretty smart for a kid my age, until they chased me out of the garage. I obeyed what Mom told me to do, but not very joyfully, I admit.

It is for my benefit that I obey my spiritual leaders and do what they say, this verse is telling me. What do they do for me? They watch over my soul. They are accountable to God. I am to give them a reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. I am to obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to me. (NLT, NIV)

According to Thayer's Lexicon:
obey  means to listen to, yield to, comply with;
rule is leading as respects influence; overseers or leaders of Christian churches;
submit means to resist no longer, but to give way, yield; to yield to authority and admonition;
watch is to exercise constant vigilance over something (an image drawn from shepherds).

I want my spiritual leaders to do their work with joy, cheerfully because I am obeying their teaching, preaching, and leading scripturally. Do I no longer resist what they point out in the Word of God? Do I obey the biblical principles they are showing me?

Warren Wiersbe said, "When a servant of God is in the will of God, teaching the Word of God, the people of God should submit and obey. This does not mean that pastors should be dictators, nor church members have a flippant attitude toward pastoral authority. One day both will have to give an account to the Lord. When a shepherd is faithful to watch for souls, it is important that the sheep obey him."

Do my leaders duck away into hiding when they see me coming? Do I make their life miserable or joyful? Or do the have a smile on their face?

As a children's leader and a mission's leader in my church, I am accountable for those under my leadership and how I lead them. Am I leading them down the right path, as the Word of God directs?


LET IT GROW

Liberty Bible Commentary says, submit denotes an assent to another's direction. God has given these leaders the work of overseeing, not by being an overlord but by being an example. (1Peter 5)

Am I willing to turn, change my ways and opinions to follow what the leader says? Do I joyfully submit?
Resist no longer is a good definition for submit. As I yield my will to Christ's will, I will submit to my leaders in authority over me. That makes my Lord happy.


LET IT GO

Submit to and obey joyfully my spriritual leaders that God has put over me.

Be a leader in subjection to the Word of God and those in authority over me.

 

What Pleases?

Hebrews 13-Part 6
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.   Hebrews 13:15-16


LET IT GLOW

What pleases me? A smile from a stranger, an encouraging word from a friend, a hug from a child, an unexpected bouquet of flowers, hearing "I love you"spoken to me, just to name a few. What is important isn't what pleases me but what pleases God? That's what I want to find out. I have been searching for answers for almost two years as I have been walking on this road of faith through the New Testament. Have I found the answers? Some. Today's key verses fill in the bits and pieces missing.

What pleases God?

• Faith-Without faith is its impossible to please Him. (Heb. 11:6)
• A gentle and quiet spirit is of great worth in God's sight. (1 Peter 3:4)
• Obedience-To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed than the fat of rams. (1Sm. 15:22)
• The condition of the heart-Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Sam. 16:7)
• Deny self, take up your cross daily, and follow Jesus. (Luke 9:23)
• Love, bless, do good to, and pray for your enemies. (Matt. 5:44)
• Forgiving others. (Matt. 6:14)
• Mercy shown.(Hosea 6:6)
• Prayer and fasting. (Matt. 7:21)
• Loving God-with all your heart, soul, and mind. (Matt. 22:37)
• Loving your neighbor-as yourself. (Matt.22:39)
• Look after the orphans and widows in their distress, and keep yourself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
• Meditate on His Word. (Ps. 119:11)
• In everything give thanks. (1Thess. 5:18)

I am sure the lists could continue, and will continue. Maybe that should be my next project.


LET IT GROW

Now, what do our key verses say are the kind of sacrifices which please God?

1. A sacrifice of praise that is offered continually. Sacrifice, used here, means a free gift; praise is a thank-offering, a sacrifice of praise presented to God for some benefit received.(Thayer's Lexicon) What kind of free gift can I give to God, who owns everything? Praise is what He wants, thanks for what I have received from Him. What might that be? The gift of salvation in Jesus, breath of life, daily needs, unending love and forgiveness, understanding, patience, mercy and grace, and so much more from Him. In Hebrew, the language in which the Old Testament is written, praise is made up of two words, hallal, meaning to praise, and jah, which is the word for God. So praise means "praise be to God" or "praise the Lord."(Harold Sala)

      Proper praise that pleases God is offered:

• by Jesus, who is our High Priest, who offered Himself as the blood sacrifice for me, on the         altar of the cross (He interceeds for us, we go through Jesus to get to God). Jesus is the                altar upon which we lay our sacrifices of praise.
• continually, so I am always praising Him.
• is a sacrifice, so it may be costly (not feel like praising) or inconvenient (outside                 the church, with non-believers).
• is the fruit of our lips, more than just thoughts directed towards God. Fruit means praises, which are presented to God as a thank-offering. It is spoken out unto  the Lord, either in prose or in song. (Guzik)

     2. Giving thanks to His name. Thanks means to praise, celebrate. We should approach the
         presence of God, attend the house of God, and acknowledge the work of God with an offering of
         thanksgiving. We thank God for what He has done and praise Him for who He is. We recognize
         the names of God, giving glory and honor of His divine perfections.

     3. Do good and share with others. Give to those in need and communicating with the poor. These
         acts are done in faith, and springs from love, is direffted to the glory of God. Koinonia can mean
         fellowship and generosity, sharing, contribution, or gift.

Do I give God an unending offering of praise out of my heart thoughout the day? Do my sacrifices involve my tongue, my actions, and my finances? Do I remember to present my body as a living sacrifice to God daily? (Rom. 12:1) (Falwell)

The sacrifices of praise coming from the lips of God's people please Him only when accompanied by loving action. (MacArthur)

Do I just speak words or do I share and care? Things to ponder.


LET IT GO

Sing praises to the Lord continually today.

Thank Him for all things.

Do good and share with others.

Strive to please God in all that I do.

Camping Out

Hebrews 13-Part 4
Wherefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.   Hebrews 13:12-14


LET IT GLOW

During one summer visit to our family, my sister inlaw's family and mine decided to camp out locally. Neither families had a tent nor any camping gear. It was a last minute whelm. They threw a mattress in the back of their truck and we threw  lawn chairs into our car. (It was only a few miles from my in-laws' house.) The guys went up stream fishing while we gals set up camp. Actually, all we did was start a campfire, set up lounge chairs, spread out blankets, and got cozy for our private night on the lake. However, it didn't seem to be the secluded spot to camp that we thought it was. Some guys walked by us after dark, then set off fireworks a short distance down stream. That resulted in us women folk and kids getting nervous. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, the guys returned to camp. I thought we women were making the sacrifice of comfort so the men could enjoy fishing, but it turned out that they were as cold as we were. (Wind off the lake gets cold at 2am.) And they didn't catch any fish, either, so they actually sacrificed comfort so we could have a good visit. The men's sacrifice was made outside of camp, just as our key verse describes Jesus' sacrifice that was made outside the camp. What does it mean?

First, verse 11 tells about the High Priests who made the sin offering for the people, on the Day of Attonement, mentioned in Leviticus 16 and Exodus 29. They killed the goat, sprinkled its blood on the Mercy Seat, then burned the goat's flesh outside the camp.
Jesus fulfilled that, when He suffered outside the city gates of Jerusalem, where the temple was located, on Golgotha's cross. As our sin offering, Christ has been seperated from the Jewish camp. Those who have turned to Him for redemption must also join Him outside the camp. (We don't hold to Judaism's offerings.)
We do not participate in the sacrificial ritual because Jesus is our Sacrificial Lamb.


LET IT GROW

We have no continuing city, Jerusalem with its temple. We seek our city, which  is to come, the New Jerusalem. Is my faith inside or outside the camp? Because of Jesus, I am a citizen of that  heavenly city.

Figuratively, believers must join Jesus outside the camp of the world, no longer beign a part of its unholy systems and practices (2 Tim. 2:4). This would also depict the departure from the Levitical system. The uncommitted Hebrews needed to take the bold step of leaving that system and being outside the camp of old covenant Israel. (MacArthur)

How bold are my steps? Do I bear Jesus' reproach?

Reproach, according to Webster's Dictionary, is a charge with a fault; shame, disgrace.

Thayer's Lexicon says reproach is such as Christ suffered (for the cause of God, from its enemies).

As a believer and follower of Christ, am I willing to seperate myself from the world, pay the price, and accept the same abuse, mistreatment, or persecution He took upon Himself at Calvary? Grace is worth it all.

Can I be charged with being a follower of Jesus? Am I guilty of living for Him instead of self? Do I act like a citizen of this world or a citizen of heaven?

LET IT GO

Let go of the world and cling to Jesus.

Join Jesus outside the camp.

Act like a citizen of the New Jerusalem.

Strengthened by Grace

Hebrews 13-Part 4
Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited. We have an altar, from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
Hebrews 13:9-10


LET IT GLOW

Do I get hung up on what I can eat or don't eat? Do I judge others by what they eat or don't eat?
For six months I followed a very strick diet so I would not have to take a shot every week. My efforts paid off. So far, so good. The problem is, since I don't have the pain, I tend to slide back into my old ways. Yesterday I ate strawberries, barbq chicken, and corn, which were some of my forbidden fruit. My body told me about it, too. I said all of that to show that I enjoy the benefits of following my diet. It strengthens my body. Also, I enjoy the benefits of grace. I don't have to offer animal sacrifices for my sins, as in the Old Testament days. Shall we look closer into grace?

Is my heart strengthened by grace?
Legalism weakens the heart; human restrictions deter growth. It is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited. No person is ever benefited by following a heresy.

Ephesians 2:8 says, For by grace are ye saved though faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Grace has been defined as unmerited favor. It's a gift, not one that we deserve, can work for, nor can get on our own. Since Jesus doesn't change, His grace is always available.
God's grace is uncontainable. Time and space do not restrick it.

Ann Voskamp said in her daily devotional, God in the Moment:

Grace means favor, from the Latin word, gratia. It connotes a free readiness, a free and ready favor. That's grace. It is one thing to choose to take the grace offered at the cross, but to choose to live as one
filling with His grace? Choosing to fill with all that He freely gives...with glory and grace and God?
It is a choice.
This act of naming grace moments, this list of God's gifts, moves beyond the shopping list variety of prayer and into the other side, the other side of prayer, the interior of His throne room, the inner walls of His powerful, love-beating heart. The list is God's list, the pulse of His love-love thrums on the other side of our prayers.

Do I thank the Father for His free grace? How often do I thank Him? Can I list a thousand gifts of grace this year for which I am thankful?


LET IT GROW

In verse 9, we are to not be carried away from grace, by various, different (divers), new, unheard(strange), teachings (doctrines).  (Thayer's Lexicon)

These teachings are of a variety of colors pleasing to the eye and wooing to the senses. Although the doctines of others may be appealing, they may be fake. Don't be led astray. (Swindoll)

Some of the Jewish Christians were being tempted to return to the ritual of the Jewish system. Meat was a vital element of Jewish ritual. The distinction of what was clean or unclean for eating was largely based upon that which was clean or unclean upon the altar. (Falwell)

It was according to the Levitical laws.  There are four specifics listed here that touch the lives of those who embrace grace and the person of Jesus Christ:

• We have an altar, which is the cross, where Christ's sacrificial offering was made.(verse 10)
• We have a reproach to bear. Believers should be willing to pay the price for identifying with Christ. There's a seperation stigma with which we must live. To fully and genuinely align ourselves with Christ is to accept the same abuse, mistreatment, and persecution He took upon Himself at Calvary. It's part of the curriculum of grace. (verse 13)
• We have a city to seek. It is a city which God has designed and built located in heaaven, not on earth. We aren't home yet. (verse 14)
• We have a sacrifice to offer. It is a sacrifice of praise, of doing good, and of giving. It is a sacrifice of ourselves. (verse 15) (Swindoll) 

Jesus told His disciples, in Matthew 16:24: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

 

 LET IT GO

Hold up the cross of Jesus, no matter what the cost.

Die to self and live for Jesus.

Endure what I must in order to remain faithful to my Savior.

Yellowed with Age

Hebrews 13-Part 3
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.  Hebrews 13:8

LET IT GLOW

I have an old Webster's Dictionary that I use quite frequently. It sits on my bookshelf in two parts, with tattered pages, which are beginning to yellow. I don't even know how old it is because the cover and front pages are missing. Oh, I have newer dictionaries that I could use, including the internet ones, but this old faithful one is just fine. It has the old words. Some things that are yellowed with age are still usable, such as Mom's old cookbooks, the deed to our farm. I find comfort in knowing that some things don't change. Our key verse tells us that Jesus Christ is one of them. Let's look a little closer.

The word same means immutable, which means unchangeable.

Unlike the weather, seasons, and people, there are some things which do not change. God's truths do not change. The Trinity, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit do not change. God is not proone to change; He is constantly the same. My problem in understanding this is that I haven't known such a person. God is not fickle; His moods don't swing, and His dealings with us are not subject to cancellation or redefinition. (Swindoll)

I am secure in knowing that God's love, faithfulness, mercy, grace, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, kindness, laws, promises, judgements, and plans don't change. His character has been the same since before the creation of the world. He is the same person as in ancient days, Old Testament times, during His walk on earth, New Testament times, and modern times, today. Jesus is my prophet, priest, and King as He was back then.


Joni Eareckson Tada, in her devotional book, Diamond in the Dust, told what her friend Francie's
Grandma  Grace wrote in her worn Bible saying:
"There 's nothing old or worn out about the love of God. His love has not yellowed with age. It is neither fragile nor ragged at the edges. God's love is as current now as it was a century ago, as fresh today as it will be tomorrow. Today, praise the Lord that He is the same, always loving, always merciful, and that with Him there is no shadow of turning."

Joni goes on to pray,"Jesus, I'm amazed that You never change. You are always faithful. Your promises are time-tested. Together with the saints of the ages, including Grandma Grace...I praise You!"

Do I completely trust Jesus, who is the same always, immutable person, Savior?


LET IT GROW

Verse 7 tells us that as Christians, we are to show our faith by:

• remembering our leaders, (spiritual fathers who were dead/martyred) who led properly,
• recalling those who spoke the Word of God to us, (led us to Christ as Savior),
• consider the outcome of their way of life, (godly character), the right outcome,
• imitate their faith, (follow their example).

Consider means to look upon a subject to investigate and observe it accurately. I am to study the life of individuals, pastors, teachers, parents, and even biblical ones. Are they having a godly influence on me?

Charles Swindoll gives us three lasting principles as guidelines for me:

1. It is unbiblical to support wrong leadership, no matter how sincere it may appear.
2. It is unwise to claim no leadership, no matter how comfortable it may feel.
3. It is unprofitable to resist right leadershiop, no matter how painful it may be.

Spiritual leaders are unlike domestic, business, or professional leaders in that they look over the souls of their constituents. They carry a burden for their people. They're concerned whether or not those under their leadership are growing and having their souls adequately nurtured in faith.

Do I daily pray for my spiritual leaders?

LET IT GO

Thank Jesus for remaining the same, unchangeable, immutable Savior He always was, is, and will be.

Pray, encourage, and show respect for the spiritual leaders that God has placed over me.

Content with a Twelve-year Old Car

                                        
Hebrews 13-Part 2
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.  Hebrews 13:5-6 KJV

LET IT GLOW

There are four promises in verses 5-6, which are quoting Old Testament verses, .
1. God will never leave thee.
2. He will never forsake thee.
3. The Lord is my helper.
4. I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

God told these promises to three men and a nation-he would never leave, fail, forsake them. To whom did He speak them?
*to Jacob in Genesis 28:15,
*to Joshua in Joshua 1:5,
*to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:20, and
*to Israel in Dueteronomy 31:6,8.

It is a divine adage. What was said to them extends also to us. He will never withdraw His presence nor His help. (Bengel)

John Gill says, "These promises made Joshua belongs to all believers. God won't leave us destitute of His presence, nor will He forsake the work of His own hands in them, but will perform it until the day of Christ. He won't leave or forsake them, so as that they shall perish. He won't forsake them in life, nor at death, nor at judgement. He is able to help, and does help, when none else can."
Men can do nothing against God, and God can make all that men do against his people to turn to their good. (Matthew Henry)
The last promise is quoted from Psalm 118:6, The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
The word fear means to be afraid; to be struck with fear; to be seized with alarm, of those who fear harm or injury.
Do I still fear people after reading these promises?
Isaiah 12:2a states, Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid.

LET IT GROW

My 12 year old car had a dent in the front finder (my fault), an air conditioner that didn't work, the seals around the windows chopped up (ugly), 3 windows that wouldn't roll up or down because they stuck in that positon, back armrest broken off, just to name a few problems. I spent a few years dissatisfied with it, grumbling any chance I got. Finally, seeing the advantages of keeping it instead of buying a new one (twice the gas mileage of an SUV, no car payment), I didn't want to get rid of it. After all, I only drove it to church and work twice a week. Then a car, just like it, only a different make, was dropped into my lap. Now that was God's blessing to me. It is even the same color. Why can't I learn that lesson about other things? Contentment, grateful to God for all He has given me.

The first part of our key verses tells us how our manner of life (conversation) should be-without covetousness and be content with what we have.

Covetousness means loving money; loving silver.

This is the only scripture listed which has that particular meaning. Found elsewhere, it means dishonest gain, and the wish to have more.

Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have, states New Living Translation.

Let your way of life be free from the love of money, being content with what you have, says New American Standard.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, says New International Version.

Greed is a sickness of the soul, a malignancy in the spirit, a bottomless pit that Christians are to steer away from at all costs. The love of money is the root of all knds of evil because it is a kind of addictive idolatry (1Tiom.6:10). The more the greedy person gets, the more he or she wants. (Shepherd's Notes)

"It is not money or the lack of money that is the problem, but the love of money. Christians are not to set their affections on the almighty dollar or make the increase of money their purpose for living," states Swindoll in his Bible study book Hebrews II.

Liberty Bible Commentary states:

These Jewish Christians to whom this epistle was written had been spoiled financially by their persecutors, and they had accepted it joyfully at first (10:34). But it grew more difficult to live with the condition as it continued. The author then bases his admonition to contentment upon two Old Testament promises. When trust is placed in money, it will only produce covetousness and contention (1Tim. 6:9-10).

Lusting after material riches is "a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness" (1Tim. 3:3). (MacArthur)

It sounds like, that often as the new wears off, we become dissatisfied. It wasn't until I became content with my 12 year old car that God provided a better one for me. (same year, but better condition)
The second point in verse 5 tells us to be content. Content means to be satisfied with a thing.
Paul learned to be content in whatever state he was in (Phil. 4:11-12). Oh, that I could.

Covetousness is the opposite of contentment. Contentment has much more to do with what you are on the inside rather than what you have. Real contentment comes only when we trust in God to meet our needs and to be our security. It's amazing that we are often more likely to put security and find contentment in things far less reliable and secure than God Himself. (Guzik)

Contentment frees you to enjoy every good thing God has given you. It demonstrataes your belief that God loves you and has your best interest in mind. Discontent stems from the sin of ingratitude and a lack of faiath that God loves you enough to provide for all that you need. Strive to be grateful for all that God has given you. A grateful heart has no room for envy. (Blackaby)

Paul told Timothy, But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. (1Tim. 6:6-8)

Swindoll said, "It is doubtful that anything can bring us greater and more lasting satisfaction in life than being committed to our mates and contented with our life-styles. If it has a price tag, it won't bring lasting satisfaction."

Do I really need more things outside my current situation to make me happy or fulfilled?
Do I accept my life-style as God-given and sufficient, regardless of my surroundings or any other person's status?

I don't know about you, but I have some homework.

LET IT GO

Let go of discontentment and confess it as sin.

Be  satisfied and grateful for my lot in life.

Thank God for all He has given me.

Don't worry, be happy.

Trust God to never leave me nor forsake me.