Stop. Go. Stop! Go. Last night my husband and I drove slowly through traffic for an hour to get to our destination only 30 miles away. We began in the far left lane…you know, the “fast” lane. But of course, the middle lane was going much faster, so my husband cut over into that lane…and then came to a halt. Then, with an inordinate amount of patience and self-control, my husband exclaimed: “This lane sucks!” “I know sweetie, the right lane is going much faster; that’s the lane we need to be in.” I replied. So we cut into the far right lane…only to stop! once again. Needless to say, the “fast” lane picked up speed again. Go figure.
Have you ever noticed that whatever lane YOU are driving in is the slowest lane on the freeway?? And if you were only in that other lane, then your drive would be faster, smoother, better. Isn’t this true of life though? If only we had that house, that job, that car, that spouse, then life would be better. We live in discontentment toward our current situations with false expectations of “the other lane.” And it affects not just our thinking, but our attitude, our desires, our relationships, our way of life.
Shouldn’t we know better? 1st Timothy 6:6-7 reminds us that “godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” And Hebrews 13:5 instructs us to “let {our} conversation be without covetousness; and be content with what you have: for God has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
Truth: the traffic is not always faster in the other lane and life does not guarantee satisfaction in seemingly better situations. Greater truth: one day this world will pass away, but His Word will never pass away. So let us be content in the greater truth: Our God is enough, and He will never leave us.
A Flame in the Dark 