Wisdom When I Whine
Today I read Psalm 39. In it, an adversary must be taunting David. He wants to lash out, and the more he tries to restrain himself, the worse it gets...
Psalm 39:2–3 (ESV) I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse. 3 My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:
Psalm 39:7 (ESV) “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.
We American Christians tend to live without a great deal of perspective. While we have a ton of knowledge and technological advancement, our souls lack wisdom and insight. Those without perspective tend to let the small stuff bother them way too much. And they are the ones who ultimately pay the price.
We need to understand who we are in the grand scheme of life and let His hope work out in us. We need our lives to be measured by things that aren't centered around us. That is what true Gospel-humility is all about.
Tonight I heard from a missionary to Haiti. Her and her husband spent 30 years starting from scratch to help starving orphans find food and Christ. She spoke about their beginnings in the mission. They bought a plot of land and lived in tents to get things going. The nearest water source was 8 miles away. Then she said the words I hope never to forget... She said, "We were so excited to tell people about Jesus we forgot how uncomfortable we were."
I was humbled and convicted. How often I whine about mild issues in my life. And yet I have the awesome privilege to preach Christ to people every week. That is truly exciting. But honestly, sometimes (too many times) I let that excitement get squeezed out by such small issues.
I need perspective. I can whine or I can ask for wisdom.
Lord, give me wisdom.
Psalm 39:2–3 (ESV) I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse. 3 My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:
When he finally spoke, instead of lashing out toward his enemy, he prayed for perspective...
Psalm 39:4 (ESV) “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!
And later...
Psalm 39:7 (ESV) “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.
We American Christians tend to live without a great deal of perspective. While we have a ton of knowledge and technological advancement, our souls lack wisdom and insight. Those without perspective tend to let the small stuff bother them way too much. And they are the ones who ultimately pay the price.
We need to understand who we are in the grand scheme of life and let His hope work out in us. We need our lives to be measured by things that aren't centered around us. That is what true Gospel-humility is all about.
Tonight I heard from a missionary to Haiti. Her and her husband spent 30 years starting from scratch to help starving orphans find food and Christ. She spoke about their beginnings in the mission. They bought a plot of land and lived in tents to get things going. The nearest water source was 8 miles away. Then she said the words I hope never to forget... She said, "We were so excited to tell people about Jesus we forgot how uncomfortable we were."
I was humbled and convicted. How often I whine about mild issues in my life. And yet I have the awesome privilege to preach Christ to people every week. That is truly exciting. But honestly, sometimes (too many times) I let that excitement get squeezed out by such small issues.
I need perspective. I can whine or I can ask for wisdom.
Lord, give me wisdom.
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