Which “Tent” Do You Live In?

A survey out last week says 60% of Americans are discontent with their jobs. And since another 20% of Americans are un- or under-employed, would you agree that our nation is having a “winter of discontent” (from Shakespeare's Richard III).

God hates discontent in His children. In the Wilderness, the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron—and God effected a plague that caused the death of 14,000 (Nu. 16). Later in the journey, God asked them to go into Canaan, but they were afraid and “complained in their tents” (Deut. 1:27). Consequently, God kept them in the desert for 40 more years until every man from the old generation had died. No complainers got to the Promised Land.

Discontent is really much worse than most of us think! When you complain, you are telling the world your God has not provided what you need, implying that He is not good. What's more, you are in agreement with the devil whose strategy from the very beginning was to question God’s provision and goodness—discontent is born of the devil (Genesis 3). When you complain, your mind becomes a house of negative thoughts, but let me put it another way:

Everyone lives in one of two tents—content or discontent. Which tent do you live in? If you have you been complaining a lot lately, today might be a good day to some “tent-cleaning.” Take a broom (the Word) and sweep away every thought that is trying to captivate you (2 Cor. 10:5). And determine not to live in discontent any longer.