The reasons for your discontent

“They have dug…cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” Jer 2:13 NLT

Let’s take a moment and try to understand some of the reasons for our discontent: (1) Looking for happiness in the wrong places. God said: “My people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And…dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” (v. 13 NLT). There is an emptiness inside you that only God can fill, and He will, if you invite Him in. (2) Failure to serve others. How we treat others is often a reflection of how we feel about ourselves. Philosopher-poet Eric Hoffer said: “The remarkable thing is that when we really love our neighbor as ourselves: we do unto others as we do unto ourselves. We hate others when we hate ourselves. We are tolerant toward others when we tolerate ourselves. We forgive others when we forgive ourselves. We are prone to sacrifice for others when we are ready to sacrifice ourselves. It is not only love of self but hatred of self which is at the root of the troubles that afflict our world.” (3) Comparing ourselves with others. Paul writes, “Rejoice with those who rejoice” (Ro 12:15 NIV). When you resent someone else’s achievements or level of blessing, joy drains out of your life like a sieve. The Bible says: “We are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around…So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves…or trying to be something we aren’t” (Ro 12:4-6 MSG).

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