If you’re anything like me during this quarantine, you’ve missed a few things. One of the biggest things I’ve missed is live sports. Right now we should be in the midst of some of the greatest time that sports has to offer us. March Madness, Opening Day, the NBA playoffs would be quickly approaching. There have been moments when I’ve flipped through ESPN and other sports websites looking for some sort of action, only to be left sorely disappointed. Maybe I’m the only one, but sometimes when my cravings for something becomes too strong it actually inhibits my ability to enjoy other things in life or to look at the bright side of things.
In Numbers 11, the Israelites start to remember and crave the things that they had to eat in Egypt, and they ate it for free too! Free…if you don’t put a price on your freedom, ability to have some modicum to determine when you’ll work and how hard without getting beaten…if you don’t count that then sure you ate for free! Isn’t this exactly how we can be in the midst of a crisis? Or in the midst of just daily life sometimes? Have you ever found your desires and cravings robbing you of the joy that is sitting there ready to be taken? These times are tough. Many people are out of work, others are scrambling to find just everyday items that they need. In the midst of challenges, it can be easy to let our cravings and desires rob us of joy. Let’s not allow our circumstances and desires for things that we don’t have rob us of the joy that God intends for us to have today.
So, how can we have joy and contentment in times like these? May I suggest that we would do well to be actively grateful for the things that we do have instead of focusing on the things that we currently don’t.
LIVE THE STORY: Some simple practices for living this out might be sharing something you are grateful for at dinner with someone. Write a letter of gratitude to a friend, mentor, or someone in your life that has meant a lot to you (they’ll love receiving it!). Next time you wake up and look out the window (or even step outside), thank God for the little things. The birds, the trees, the air, thank God for the things that He’s created and decide to have an attitude of gratitude.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says this, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” We belong to the King, He’s got us! Let’s be thankful for every good gift that we have received from Him.
Seth Redden
High School Pastor