This is so, SO true! Anything we pursue to fill the longing of our souls, other than God Himself, will never satisfy.
May I know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.
Finding the Simple Life with Meaning
We’ve been talking about decluttering, not to get rid of junk for the sake of junk, but to better focus on what is important.
We often substitute temporary for eternal;
Wood, hay and stubble, for gold, and precious stones;
Busy-ness for what is important;
We buy to fill our inner soul yet aren’t satisfied.
Our soul yearns for more.
Some would substitute de-cluttering and minimizing for seeking adventures and life. These actions alone will not bring what they want.
They are left empty and hollow.
Decluttering helps with cleaning, and eliminating stress and depression.
We can control something when problems are beyond our control. We can throw something out.
But that doesn’t give us meaning.
Those empty spaces will fill again with something else.
Something harder to get rid of.
The man who had a demon cast out, merely cleaned his house for seven more demons to enter and stay.
His bondage was greater.
The problem is Who do we trust.
The atheist did not become an atheist overnight. He felt the pressure to trust. But instead he wanted control.
He refused to submit and instead turned to what he could do.
His heart was hardened. He did this again and again.
He know longer would believe.
Happiness is not found in a simple life, more adventure or pursuing life, any more than it ends with buying more stuff.
Substitutes for what is real does not complete the soul.
Searching for ourselves.
Fulfilling our needs.
Telling ourselves we are worth more.
Looking out for what is good for me.
These things don’t satisfy.
They only show a bigger hole.
Because we were made for something more.
Our incompleteness can only be made right by the One Who created us and made us for Him.
Only through submitting to Him will our soul find rest.
Only in seeking Him will meaning be found.
That is the simple, whole life.
Not easy. But simple. With meaning.
This prayer, I wrote, to help me focus on what is the simple life with meaning:
May I trust the Hand that only gives good when the pain is great.
May I rest on the Rock that does not move when I don’t understand.
May I obey because it is right when it offers no reward.
May I wait for His promise when cheap substitutes are offered.
May I listen for His Word, instead of speaking my own.
May I weep at what brings tears to Him.
May I see Him clearly, though my eyes loose their sight.
May I know the peace only His nearness brings.
May I feel the fullness of joy that comes by His presence.
May I desire nothing but Him and His pleasure.
How do you keep your focus?
Titania
September 25, 2019
Love this....."Those empty spaces will fill again with something else.
Something harder to get rid of.
The man who had a demon cast out, merely cleaned his house for seven more demons to enter and stay.
His bondage was greater." Truth rings true, and this article is ringing, ringing, ringing true! So needed in my own heart! Thank you Sonya! You are such a blessing! xoxoxo
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I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
And let go of those things that mattered to you, but not to Him.
I write about what matters...to Him.
Sonya Contreras
Faith
Find more articles about faith here:
Looking for God in Every Moment
Are You Receptive to God's Blessings?
Tell the Senate: Mothers Aren't Birthing People
Is Your Life Complicated?
How Do We Fight Evil?
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Giving Up or Taking Away
the Bible is simple
Are You a Dripping Faucet?
What's Your Testimony?
The Final Move
Be Careful What You Wish For!
Are Your Prayers Answered?
I Choose Joy
What Have You Learned from Your Hardship?
Who Are You Trying to Change?
What's Your Five-Year Plan?
The Danger of "Aloneness"
My Colors
Are You a Whiner?
Are Your Works Approved?
Do You Think You're Stressed?
Is Your Soul Feeling Ragged?
God Speaks to the Heart of the King
What about the Details?
Have You Felt the Long-Suffering of God?
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Don't Carry More than You Need
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God Is Faithful
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Are You Safe?
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Does the World Make Sense?
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Do You Feel Judged?
If You Only Had One More Day To Live
Are You Understood?
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Our Heritage Is Bought by Blood
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Finding the Simple Life with Meaning
The Simple Life
Do You Have the Right Words?
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Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence
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Are You a Protector or a Ruler?
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Are You a Watchman?
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The Lamb of God as Told by a Scribe
What Love Is This?
Remember: The Symbols of Passover Explained
Tea and Rest
Do You Have Peace?
What Makes a Marriage Work?
When Life Is Awful
Are You Strong Enough?
Rules
Seasons
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Do You Know the Word?
Wake Up! Strengthen What Remains
Are You Spit in God's Mouth?
Is Jezebel in Your Midst?
Do You Stand Against Satan Himself?
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What in the World Is Happening?
It's Not My Story
How Would Your Faith Compare?
Are You Sinking?
Are You a Rule Follower?
Useful for Him
An Intimate Moment with Mary
The Worldview that Makes the
Underclass
Thoughts to Ponder
What Does It Take To Know the
Heart of God?
See the Story in the Stars
Do the Scriptures Burn You?
Being in His Presence
Contentment: It's Not for the Timid
How Secure Are You?
How Do You Respond To Stupid People?
The Earthworm Is My Hero
Heart Issues or Issues of the Heart
Things Aren't Always What They Seem
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Or here:
under the Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Articles on Suffering can be found here,
under Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
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Author of Biblical fiction, married to my best friend, and challenged by eight sons’ growing pains as I write about what matters.
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Lots to think about and really appreciate your poem. I've been browsing through a book about happiness right now, and one thought really struck me. Many look back on different times of their lives and think about how happy they were then, yet at the time they didn't realize it. We need to pay attention to now and what God has blessed us with every day. We will never find happiness by seeking after it, it a a by-product of our relation with God and with others.