Who Are We Trying to Impress?

"Look at me." "I did this." "He is not as good as me." "She is bad, and I deserve your attention."

While phrases along these lines are most often uttered by young children (or politicians in Washington D.C.), we all struggle to some degree with jealously and envy in every sphere of our lives. Contentment is tough. Personally, I realize more and more every day, every hour even, that I need divine help, grace, and protection from erronously striving for recognition from others, and living my best, most comfortable, life now.

As a society, we want what we want when we want it. Some among us have become quite effective at manipulating circumstances and people around us to make us look better or more polished than we are. Many of us seek ways to improve our "optics", without actually improving ourselves. We desire, and actively work to acquire, praise and attention from family members, work colleagues, teachers, supervisors, close friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and others, with the wrong motives in our hearts.

So how can we seek to improve our hearts and do what we should do, for the right motives?

Here are simple suggestions written as much to the author as the reader:

• Strive to seek first the kingdom of God. (See Matthew 6:33 and Romans 14:17-19)

• Accept that everything we have, it all, comes from God and belongs to God. (See the book of Job)

• Trust the Lord. He is with us and loves us. (See Joshua 1:9, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 5:8, and many others)

• Realize there is great gain and peace in contentment. (See Hebrews 13:5)

• Read Colossians 3:19-24 regularly (See Colossians 3:19-24)

• Be still and ponder the Great command to love God and your neighbor (See Matthew 22:38-39, First Corinthians 13:4-13, and Luke 10:33)

Happy Mother's Day to all loving moms and wives out there. What a blessing God gives us with women like you who are patient, kind, faithful, joyful, self-controlled when we mess up and help us get back on track!

Note to Readers: Go out there this weekend and impress that special woman in your life. Just do it with the right motive. Let God be pleased with your gift to His gift to you.

Christian Ponder has been a resident of Lake Wales since 2001. He enjoys living in Lake Wales with his wife and two children.