Almost every day I hear someone talk about their “bucket list”. Do you have a bucket list?
People have bucket lists for all sorts of things they want; to have, to eat, to buy, to do, and places they’d like to visit. I’ve got a few things in my bucket, as well.
What if you could have anything and everything you wanted, when you wanted it?
Wouldn’t that be a glorious life? Or would it?
It’s great to dream! But I’ve known people who refuse to be happy unless they always get what they want, or have their own way.
Are you that kind of person?
Okay, so you know what you want, your bucket list is full; but do you REALLY know what’s good for you?
“Oh, if I could just win the Lottery!” Would that make your life glorious?
Who really has the perspective and wisdom to know what one “needs”, other than God?
“Your Heavenly Father knows what you have need of, before you ask.” Matthew 6
I’m convinced that the biggest problem, the greatest sin, is not drinking alcohol, viewing pornography, gluttony, cussing, skipping church, or spitting on the sidewalk! No, there’s something much more prevalent and deadly.
Discontentment. Always wanting, “needing”, something more than we have, in order to make us happy and content.
Discontentment actually is a slap in God’s face! It declares to the One Who loves us and promises to us His everlasting care, “You aren’t living up to Your Word! You are not satisfying all my cravings! You aren’t enough for me!”
Discontentment robs us of joy, faith, love, peace, meekness, etc. Discontentment continually hacks at the roots of the Fruit of the Spirit “tree”; and will eventually bring it down.
Bucket lists are worthless to those who haven’t learned to be content.
Do you remember the older style of minnow buckets? They were made out of metal, and consisted of 2 parts; the inner part with holes allowing water in and out, and the solid outer part, which kept the water in when transporting the minnows.
No matter how hard a person tried to get all the minnows out of the bucket, invariably one or two would remain hidden in it. Hidden until a day or two later; then the smell of rotting minnows seemed to contaminate everything within 20 feet! I mention the minnow bucket because the discontented person is kind of like that old bucket. They don’t know what they really have until it begins to rot.
Malcontents and ungrateful people have rotten attitudes and stinky dispositions. I’d rather smell rotten minnows than have to be around those who are never satisfied or thankful.
The next time you hear someone talk about a bucket list, take a moment and thank God for all you have. Remind yourself, like David did, of all the Lord’s benefits and blessings.
And be content with what you have.
“Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me.” (Hebrews 13:5 – 13:6 NLT)
Be content, or you may wind up smelling like a rotten minnow decaying under the lid of an old minnow bucket.
Jan Grace 