I came across a quote the other day that really grabbed my attention:
“There are no justified resentments.”
It’s interesting to me how slight the line is between justified hurts and unjustified resentments. We can easily drift across that imperceptible line when we stop focusing on points of gratitude, allowing our grievances and hurts to take center stage.
I slip into this myself when I fix my eyes on the blessings I am not getting, on the solutions I want to see that never come. I want one thing, and God gives me something else instead.
This upside-down way of navigating life and faith is empty and unsatisfying. The more disillusioned we become on this path, the harder it is to see anything of substance to praise God for. When we do find something to praise him for, it doesn’t last long before something else discourages us and steals that joy and gratitude away.
These are the times I begin seeking God to help me search my heart for those impurities that cloud my vision. I often find a seed of anger and resentment trying to take hold and sprout into a root of bitterness.
It surprises me when I find it there. I wonder how it got there while I thought I was busy going about living my life and seemingly pursuing the things of God and faith.
During my prayer and quiet time this morning I saw myself in the prophet Jonah, and I didn’t like it. Even more discouraging? The way chapter four of the book of Jonah ends. It seems a bit of a cliffhanger, doesn’t it? There is no happy ending where Jonah finally gets over himself and regains his right side up focus on things above. We do not read about how Jonah walked out his repentance by thinking about the true, honorable, just, pure, lovely things that are commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (see Philippians 4:8).
It occurred to me this morning that perhaps it’s because we need to take that step to partner with the Holy Spirit to write our own chapter five, so to speak. That sounds filled with hope to me. How about you?
With love and prayers,
Margie
Points to Ponder:
- What have you been seeking; what specific outcomes are you looking for in your life? How much weight have you assigned to them? Meaning, how connected is your contentment, worth, peace, joy, etc. to that desired outcome?
- Sometimes when God doesn’t do what we want him to, we get angry at him without actually recognizing it as anger. Read the four chapters of the book of Jonah. Do you see yourself in this story? Where?
- How can you partner with God to take just one step in repentance today? How would the opening lines of your own “chapter five” read? Consider writing it out.
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