Journey to Awareness

The last three days of the Journey to Awareness deal with some sort of dependence.

Day 6 dealt with independence from others, Day 7 with dependence on others, and Day 8 challenges us to participate in a traditional fast of abstaining from food and depend on God by spending time in devoted prayer.

Dependence has many layers, but it can be addressed in the context of contentment. Those who are independent are content with doing for themselves, and often have trouble relinquishing control. They struggle with giving control to friends, spouses, parents, co-workers. They struggle with giving control to God over their lives.

Those who are completely dependent on others are content with having others take care of them. They, too, struggle with giving God control over their lives, because it sometimes means that they have to take an active role and follow God's direction.

As Michael Kelley puts it in his article Finding Contentment, "...'content' refers to that independent spirit and free outlook on life that characterizes the wise and self-controlled person. This is the person who doesn't need the flat screen TV because he already has the 12-inch. It's the person who doesn't need to go out for dinner because he has rice in the fridge. She's the one who doesn't need a Saturday shopping trip because the jeans at home still fit. And even further, this is the person who, even though he's sitting in a jail cell, doesn't need anything to feel better, because he's focused on what God's up to."

[The last example refers to the apostle Paul, who spent a duration of his life in a Roman jail.]

The idea here is finding a balance in healthy contentment. Let us not remain content with the state of the world, but in order to change it let's start by being content with the things of the Lord.

So as you're praying for missionaries, Bible translations, homelessness, clean water, people living with disabilities, hunger, orphans, widows, refugees, microfinance organizations, the global church, and the American church, ask God to open your eyes and lead you to make a difference. Be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit lays on your heart and be obedient to His call.

Sources
Michael Kelley. Finding Contentment. http://threadsmedia.com/life/article/finding-contentment/. June 1, 2011.