change

I am surrounded by people and things that are not just the way I want them. I have friends who aren't perfect, family that isn't perfect, I work with imperfect people, and I go to an imperfect church. There is room for improvement everywhere around me, but the Bible says that before I look at the speck in my brothers eye, I ought to remove the log from my own eye.

The problem is not that I am surrounded by imperfection. That cannot be the problem, because that is not going to change on this side of heaven. I can look forward to a lifetime surrounded by imperfection. That is my lot, and yous. everything, except God, is always going to need change. Everything, except God, is always going to be imperfect...until Heaven.

The bigger issue is the log in my own eye. The fact that I cannot see clearly, even if I want to. As long as I am on earth, with everyone else that is imperfect, I will be imperfect as well. That means that as long as I am alive to complain about everyone else's imperfections, I will have my own to deal with. Not only that, but I am supposed to deal with mine before I look at anyone else's. ouch.

What is the good news? How is this accomplished? What am I supposed to do now? I think one word sums it up. This word could have days of dialogue and never fully be explained. It could be taught for years and never experienced, but rest assured, this one word is our only escape from the criticism and questions that surround our imperfect world: contentment.

I used to know a girl whose middle name was Content. That is a far cry from me wanting to name my daughter Mara, which means bitter. Either way, that is the word, content. To be content is what we need to overcome the imperfections all around us.

I just biblegateway.com-ed "content" in the NIV. wow! Philippians 4:11-2; 1 Timothy 6:6,8; Hebrews 13:5. Take a minute and see what God has to say about being content! Then do it!