A Godly Perspective to Enjoy Each Moment of Life

Have you ever watched the TV show Ugly Betty? I’m currently binge watching while I create cards. Betty is an ordinary twenty-something girl from Queens who gets a job with a fashion magazine. Betty doesn’t fit in with the fashion crowd; her fellow employees look down on her and make fun of her. They believe they have an abundance of taste and style and so they judge her.

Abundance Can Lead to Arrogance

Sadly, for each of us in areas where we feel “rich,” we tend to look down on others. For example, people who have a wealth of knowledge, criticize others who aren’t as bright. Those who have a broad vocabulary and speak well, look down their noses at others who use slang, cuss too much, or use words incorrectly. Parents with well-behaved enviable children judge parents whose children act out in public, and how they manage the situation.

In our personal areas of abundance, where we are better than most, or have more of something than most, we tend toward arrogance. Our human nature takes on the attitude that we know better, we have accomplished more, and we are therefore superior.

“Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.”

1 Timothy 6:17 CSB

Combating Arrogance

Paul provides Timothy and us with an alternative to arrogantly relying on self. Paul says we are to rely “…on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.” The New Living Translation says it this way, “… [our] trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.”

Trust God

For years I have celebrated my “birthday month,” because I figured one day wasn’t enough. I remind my family that my birthday month is approaching, and then once July hits, I am in full birthday mode. For instance, I will say, ‘it’s my birthday month, will you get me some ice cream?’ ‘I don’t want to cook, you should cook, it’s my birthday month you know.’ ‘Oooh! Those shoes are cute! It’s my birthday month…’

I milk the month of July for all it’s worth!

My birthday month is a silly example, but it shows the lengths I will go to create enjoyable moments. In contrast, Paul states that we are to trust God to provide an enjoyable life. That doesn’t mean we don’t plan parties or vacations, nor never choose to treat ourselves to a new pair of jeans or a movie. He is declaring that we are to see God as the creator and provider of our good and enjoyable life, not ourselves.

God’s Provision and Perspective

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians he says, “Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]. For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2-3 Amplified Version) Instead of focusing on what we think we can accomplish or acquire, or how we perceive life should be, we are to create a habit of intentionally looking for the ways God brings heaven to earth in our lives. We are to search out what God provides for our enjoyment.

I came across an entry in my journal when I was studying Romans 5:3-8 where Paul says we are to rejoice in our afflictions. I listed out what I considered my current afflictions. My difficulties included that my sweet Pastor husband was quarantined in our trailer while he waited for a Covid test result. In addition, I was feeling the stress of working more hours than I wanted, and my weight was fluctuating high instead of low, so I was struggling with how I viewed myself. I also realized I had adapted too easily to being by myself during Covid restrictions and was finding it difficult to allow people back into my personal space.

Later in that same entry I wrote out answers to this question: How can I open the door to allow God to use my afflictions for my good?

• Tim’s quarantine offers me the opportunity to serve him
• It also reveals to me how rich Tim makes my life with his presence
• Working more hours is God providing a stockpile of resources
• The more I work, the more I weed out insignificant, time-monopolizing activities
• My struggle with my self-image is providing me with a desperation to seek how God values me; I’m learning to rely on what His Word says about me
• My weight gain provides me an opportunity to practice trusting God for small, everyday choices like what I should snack on
• God calls us into relationship, which is His plan for the body of Christ. He is making me aware that I am isolating myself to my detriment and challenging me to invite someone into my space.
• I must initiate concern for others and what they are currently experiencing. Make a list of names to text, send a card, or invite over to chit-chat out on our deck.

My journal entry shows practical ways I was retraining my thinking. God was moving in my life to teach me how to see this earthly life from His perspective. My circumstances weren’t great, but God was providing fresh perspective so that I could learn how to enjoy the life He gave me to live.

God’s Presence

I do not have this process down. For each of us, this re-learning of what makes life enjoyable is a lifelong battle. The world is constantly telling us to think this way, act that way, gain this thing, or work toward that thing. We must remember Paul’s instructions to Timothy: don’t be arrogant and think you can do this in your own abilities and strength.

The Psalmist David directs us to seek out and recognize the value of being in God’s presence.

“You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.”

Psalm 16:11 CSB

We discover all the things God provides for us to enjoy when we intentionally seek God’s presence, every day, all day. This is more than sitting with Jesus every morning. The practice of having a daily quiet time is good and beneficial, I would even say it’s necessary. But too often we sit with Christ in the morning and then venture out into our daily lives without fully integrating Him into the moments we live.

Living and Enjoying Each Moment

Allow me to challenge you with these three things:

1. List out the elements of your current situation: good and bad. Then prayerfully list out how you can open the door to see what God is providing you in each element.
2. Seek to see God in the in-between moments of your day. Perhaps you will use the time spent driving to pray over every person and/or business you see. If you are a post-it-note girl, scatter notes to yourself around your house to remind you to see life with gratitude. Choose to memorize a verse and practice it every time you change a diaper or grab a snack or walk through a particular door.
3. Spend some time evaluating what forms most of your self-talk and attitudes throughout the day. Is it music you listen to, or TV talk shows? Are you affected by social media or magazines or podcasts? Allow God to speak His wisdom over your choices, then reduce, or eliminate entirely, anything that is counteracting what God wants you to dwell on.

Ugly Betty Photo found on https://www.fashionismo.com.br/2010/05/for-the-love-of-ugly-betty/