Finding the Ultimate Blessing
By Kelly Balarie
Bible Reading:
“Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.” – Eccl. 5:19 NIV
Walking around the soccer field, I observed the soccer moms. We looked the same. Puffer jackets. White shoes. Wild.
I bought these clothes hoping to look good. Maybe, they too, wanted to look good. Maybe, they too, saw images of what moms should look like flash up on social media… Apparently, I wasn’t alone. We all clicked the “buy now” button.
The moms walked past me on the concrete sidewalk – did they also unconsciously ask themselves the same thing as me? Namely, am I enough?
One woman’s shoes? They were newer than mine.
Another woman? She had the cutest fleece jacket.
Her car? Newer.
Sure, I knew these women looked good on the outside, but how did they feel on the inside?
I honed in on a woman’s face. Was she happy? Not really..
I knew better than anyone that superficiality breeds insecurity. Why? Because one can never match up; someone else always has something better, is prettier, is richer. What a waste of time…
This endless pursuit of wastefulness is not my inheritance in Christ Jesus.
God has better for me.
Contentment is God’s best portion for me: The resolute knowing that what He gave me is good. The understanding that I already have more than enough in Christ. The realization that competition and striving never end. The joy found in a day well done. The hope gleaned in a relationship worked out. The powerful steadiness of peace that can’t be shaken.
My abundant portion in Christ Jesus is unshakeable and unbreakable. You, my friend, as a believer in Christ, have this same portion too!
Solomon, the wisest man ever, summed up contentment in one sentence. He says, “Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.” (Eccl. 5:19 NIV)
Contentment is a gift. To accept our lo… To be happy… To be able to enjoy…
This is a gift from God that the world can never steal.
Our greatest gift is not having what our neighbor has, nor is it looking the same, or one-upping someone else. It is not getting more, looking better, being wiser, or having something we have always wanted.
God’s truest gift for us? It is the simple things. It is delighting in the face of a child eating a lemon. It is appreciating the car you own and the music it plays. It is relishing in the growth of your own garden. It is knowing He is with you. It is liking and appreciating little, but special things.
It is joy, cultivated. No one can compete against that!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Where might you be striving and working hard to prove your worth? Where do you try to present yourself as more than you are? How do you try to fit in, rather than allow yourself to stand out?
Striving is hard work; resting is contentment.
What would it look like for you to give up all this striving in exchange for true, joyful resting in Christ Jesus?
How did today’s devotional speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Crosswalk Devotional discussion.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Hakase_
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Stop Overthinking Your Marriage: The C.A.R.E. Method that Builds Consistency
We're celebrating our 400th episode and tackling one of the most important topics in marriage—consistency. If you’ve ever struggled with feeling like your efforts to improve your marriage aren’t working or wondered if all those small daily actions really matter, this episode is for you.
Today, I’m sharing my personal journey and my not-so-secret struggle with staying consistent—not just in my marriage, but in life! I’ll walk you through a simple, actionable framework that I created called the CARE acronym (Check-in, Affection, Reassurance, Encouragement) to help you build trust, commitment, and affection in your relationship. I’ll also give practical tips for daily connection, show you how to stay motivated when you don’t see instant results, and explain why the little things you do will eventually transform your marriage.
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