The Easier Position

"'How I long for the months gone by,

for the days when God watched over me,

when his lamp shone on my head

and by his light I walked through darkness!

Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,

when God's intimate friendship blessed my house,

when the Almighty was still with me

and my children were around me,

when my path was drenched with cream

and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.'"

Job 19:2-6

As Job sat pondering his present circumstances, feeling the weight of his friends' judgement and doubting the presence and faithfulness of God, he remembered.  He realized how good he had it before that fateful day when his world was turned upside down by tragedy.  He longed for the days when he was in the position to help those in need.  He wanted to be back where he used to be.

It certainly is easier to be on the giving end, in the position of dispensing grace and mercy.  Being the one that was in need, however, who desperately could use a kind word or some token of compassion and sympathy, made him realize just how cold the world could be.  What can I learn from Job's perspective on the dark side of life?

Generous.  I always thought I'd be generous once we had our debt paid off, or our income reached a higher level, or our family was finished with higher education.  It seemed that generosity was tied to wealth and came from an abundance.  Then God showed me where I was wrong.

Instead, I learned that generosity is an attitude that reflects the heart of God.  He is a generous Father who gives good gifts to His children, lavishes His love upon me, and overflows my cup with blessings beyond comprehension (Matthew 7:11, 1 John 3:1, Psalm 23:5).  As His child who is made in His image, I am to mirror this characteristic of my Father.

Unfortunately, my sin nature often gets in the way.  Greed, fear, and cold-heartedness often block the generosity I inherited from my Father, keeping it from showing through in my day-to-day life.  I think I need more before I can start to give when really I simply need to tap into the spirit of generosity that comes from God's indwelling Spirit.  Or I'm afraid to give away what little I have, wanting instead to preserve my meager resources for myself and my family.  Or I turn a blind eye to the suffering around me, rationalizing to myself that someone else is better suited to help.  

In truth, everyone can give from what little they have because it's not the amount that counts but the heart driving the gift that matters to God.  And He can use whatever offering, no matter how small, to bless those in need.

Generosity is an heart attitude that God uses to bless those in need and to astound this cold world with His kindhearted nature.

Respect.  I think it must be earned.  I only give it to those who treat me well, or live in a way that I agree with, or who reciprocate.  Why should I treat someone with respect unless they deserve it?

As a follower of Christ, I am His ambassador.  The way I treat people reflects on Him.  If I think I'm better than someone else, refusing to spend time with them because I don't agree with their lifestyle, am uncomfortable with their choices, or am appalled by their behavior,  I'm portraying an inaccurate image of Christ as One who is a snobby elitist instead of the friend of sinners He truly is (Romans 12:16).

On the other hand, my willingness to associate with anyone, no matter their station in life, lifestyle or beliefs shows a true portrait of Jesus as One who accepts people as is and receives all, no matter how broken (Romans 5:8).  It also shows my respect for the God in whose image each man and woman is made.

Respect for all people, no matter who they are, reflects the heart of a God who goes toward the suffering, hurting and needy.

Thankfulness.  I'm forward-focused, hopeful things will get better, always striving for more.  In other words, I'm often discontent with what I have, greedy for more, and often unappreciative of what I do have.  

It's easy to develop this kind of negative attitude in a world that promotes materialism and ambitiousness.  The problem is, I then find myself dissatisfied with what God has given me, always wanting more than what He has so generously blessed me with.

The truth is, God is always quite benevolent, giving me so much.  When I start to thank Him for what He has given me, I will develop a heart of thankfulness and will start to notice more and more evidence of His goodness in my life.  

If, instead, I remain ungrateful and thankless, mostly focusing on what I don't have instead of what I do, I will grow angry and bitter, discontent with the position in which God has placed me.  I can never thank God too much!

Cultivating a thankful heart to God will open my eyes to His abundant goodness that overflows all over my life.

Even though I've never had it as bad as Job did, I can relate to his despair and can learn from his perspective as he sunk into the depths of suffering.  I can develop a generous heart that wants to give no matter my circumstances, to respect all people as image-bearers of God, and to cultivate a heart that looks for ways to thank God.  In these ways, Job's suffering won't be in vain but will have produced much kingdom fruit.  After all, no matter how hard I think I have it, my present circumstances could actually be the easier position:  Things could always be worse.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can look for reasons to thank God.

When do I fall into discontent instead of being happy with what God has given me?

How do I compare my circumstances to the lives of others instead of taking it as a gift from a benevolent God?