Do We Have to Always Be Content?
When God tells us to be content, does that include being content with disgusting things?
"Yes, at least when your mom is around. It's rude to tell your mom you don't like something she cooked," says Jessica, age 9.
Complain about Mom's cooking, and you may find the only thing that gets cooked is your goose.
Now that we're on the topic of food, let's hear from Miriam, 11, on spinach: "Yes, I think spinach is disgusting. I still need to eat it to grow strong."
Oysters Rockefeller or spinach quiche might give you a new perspective on the slimy green stuff, but so could a word from Alexa, 10: "Suppose you didn't want to eat food like spinach. Well, there are people starving all around the world. There are three really skinny kids who are living across the street from me right now."
Most Americans can only imagine a food shortage, but a little journey to a developing country will quickly change our perspective. While promoting Habitat for Humanity's work, President Jimmy Carter said, "Most Americans don't even know a poor person."
I couldn't agree more. How can we show the love of Christ unless we're willing to step outside our comfort zone?
Now, let's go to Holly, 9, for her take on this subject: "Disgusting things are like if you have a baby brother or sister. They sometimes do disgusting things. Another disgusting thing is when your dog drools."
There are few things more embarrassing or disgusting than a drooling dog. We expect drooling from baby sisters and brothers, but not a dog. We look to dogs for protection. They guard our houses with the fiercest barks and growls. But when they drool between barks, it's a pathetic sight.
"God wants us to enjoy everything that we own, but if you have something disgusting, I mean really disgusting, you should probably throw it away fast," says Angela, 8.
Not so fast, says Taylor, 7: "I have a dog, and it looks ugly. I still love my dog."
Taylor, you probably would love your dog even if it drooled.
Yes, we should be content with everything we have, says Stefan, 11: "If we didn't have bees, all the flowers would die, and people think bees are disgusting."
Stefan, thanks for the great example. The eye of the be(e)holder often determines whether something is disgusting. People who've had allergic reactions to bee stings probably wouldn't give bees a high rating in a Gallup opinion poll. However, everyone enjoys honey.
The answer to this question is both yes and no, says Mallorie, 11: "Some things are disgusting in our eyes, but some things are disgusting in God's eyes. So the things that are disgusting in God's eyes, he doesn't want us to be content with."
"If it is disgusting in God's eyes, then maybe you should get rid of it," says Kristen, 11. Furthermore, "God wants us to be thankful for things that aren't sinful, bad and against God," adds Jason, 11.
Every Christian faces the challenge to put on God's eyes of compassion. However, this doesn't mean we must close our eyes to evil. While Jesus healed those who came to him in humility, he resisted evil, especially in the form of religious pomposity. Jesus showed his disgust with those who took something holy like the temple and converted it into a moneymaking operation. With a whip, he drove the money- changers out of the temple area (Matthew 21:12).
In the ultimate act of love and sacrifice, Jesus identified with our disgust. He was arrested, slapped around, spit upon, whipped and nailed to a cross. He purposely took on himself all the disgusting things we've done that offended God and paid for them by being tortured to death in our place.
Will you humble yourself before God to accept his payment for your sins?
Carey Kinsolving is a syndicated columnist, producer, author, speaker and website developer. To see more material like this, visit www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. The Kids Talk About God website contains free, online content for children and families. See Carey’s Kid TV Interviews. Hear a book talk. Print free lessons from the "Kids Color Me Bible" and make your own book. Let an 11-year-old girl take you on a trip around the world in the Mission Explorers Streaming Video. Print Scripture verses illustrated by child artists. Receive a complimentary, weekly e-mail subscription to our Devotional Bible Lessons.
Bible quotations in this Bible lesson are from the New King James Version.
Copyright 2007 Carey Kinsolving