This Aggression Will Not Stand, Man!

*The following is an article that will debut this week in the Wylie News and the Murphy Monitor.*



This Aggression Will Not Stand, Man!

Before school began we had a church outing to Hawaiian Falls. It was a great time for the kids, but the wave pool was their favorite.

Though my older girls can swim, they wore precautionary life vests just to be on the safe side. Also provided were a few tubes in which folks could sit or hang on. A lady was done with hers, so she offered it to me. Eventually, I managed to get one for Sarah and Rachel.

Rachel was thrown off by a wave at one point and before you could say “Hang Ten” a pre-teen boy snatched it away.

Of course, being the good father I am I hunted him down and grabbed the tube. I sternly told him, “This aggression will not stand, man! You can’t go taking a tube away from a little girl. What’s the matter with you?”

I encouraged him to run along and tell his parents of his shenanigans, though I doubt he did.

Of course, I knew what was the matter, it’s the same problem we all share. We covet that which we don’t have. Due to our depravity we try to meet our desire to be happy by assuming the accumulation of things will satisfy us.

However, our true joy is found only in Christ. In fact, nothing else satisfies. This is why Paul could confidently say that could do all things through Christ who strengthened him (Phil 4:13). He had learned to be content in want or in plenty. Why? Because he had Christ and in Christ there is a joy that transcends whether or not we have a fancy car, a big house, or an inner tube.

When we find our joy in God, He is glorified and we are satisfied, regardless of circumstances. In fact, as John Piper said, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

In the end a good time was had by all at the water park, but I was reminded of the problem we all face when we’re quick to turn to aggression when we are discontent in our relationship with God. The good news is that He is enough for us and that He alone can satisfy our needs.