For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.
Week Seven: Friday
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23
“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
Theodore Roosevelt
“Jealousy comes from counting others’ blessings
instead of our own.”
Unknown
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23
Today, I want to share a word of caution about perfectionism and comparison. I heard these wonderful quotes about comparing the other day:
“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
Theodore Roosevelt
“Jealousy comes from counting others’ blessings
instead of our own.”
Unknown
In our world, we are inundated with images of people living what look like perfect lives. With social media, Pinterest, HGTV and magazines, we are always seeing people that appear to be living better lives than us. This is simply not true. God has blessed each one of us with different talents and people who we love and love us. It’s time for us to start cherishing what we have been given and stop always wanting more or better.
God really used the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp to wake me up to many of the blessings in my life that are happening all around me every day from moment to moment. If you are feeling dissatisfied with your life, or if you just want a great read, I highly recommend this book.
As far as perfect goes. We lost perfection in the garden of eden with the fall of man. It’s not here on this earth for us now, but for those of us who are in Christ will some day know what perfect looks like. So, remember this is our temporary home and yes it is important for us to do our job and make our home a lovely place, but it will never be perfect. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this imperfect life and this imperfect home, you may just need to lower your expectations a little bit.
I know too many people who put themselves into a bad financial position chasing what they think will be the perfect home, the perfect neighborhood and the perfect life only to find that it falls short once again. Friends, what you are seeking can only be found in a close relationship with God, He is the one who fills you up and gives you an overflowing joy. That joy is not found in things!
I know too many people who put themselves into a bad financial position chasing what they think will be the perfect home, the perfect neighborhood and the perfect life only to find that it falls short once again. Friends, what you are seeking can only be found in a close relationship with God, He is the one who fills you up and gives you an overflowing joy. That joy is not found in things!
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