Do you feel at times like the people around you are discontented, unsatisfied, empty and looking for fulfillment in some temporary way? Their life is typified by occasional bouts of frustration and anger, because things aren’t going their way. Love, lust, fashion, food — being with the in-crowd – these things are very important to them. Have you ever wondered why some people become so obsessed with material pleasures and have such a difficult time living a joyful life?
There are a couple of cliché’s out there that are quite aprapos to this discussion, such as: “What you sow is what you reap;” and, “Garbage in, garbage out.” These clichés are true. Let’s look at the example of someone who gives themselves to watching soap operas, day in and day out. These shoddy shows are filled with drama, problems, unfaithfulness, lying, cheating, adultery, sexual sin, murder … the list goes on that fills the plot of these daytime addictions. If a woman spends her time indulging in these programs they will eventually affect her thinking and the way she speaks and treats others. The frustration and boredom within her own life is most likely quite different than the ease and romance of life that these soap operas portray, and can become a subconscious torment to her.
Conversely, someone who begins their day giving time and attention to God’s Word will enjoy the fruit and benefits of growing in the wisdom and knowledge that comes from our Creator. His design and plan for us is a joyful life in the midst of a sinful, pain-filled world. Faithfulness, family, truth, safety and love; how does one compare these Godly traits to the world’s pleasures? You don’t. There is no comparison. In order for someone to desire and enjoy God’s delights over the world’s menu the person needs to choose wisely. Look down the road and see where
each choice will end. Deciding to put our desire and attention into God’s Word each day will produce the fruit of right living. Reading a chapter from Proverbs each day will provide wisdom and guidance. If you do these things, your life will change and soon begin to reflect what has been taken in.
I have noticed that the lives of many people are governed by the trends and fashions of the world. The superficial behavior exhibited by them would fit nicely into a soap opera or a bachelor/bachelorette program. The primary focus being on the external, so-called beauty, is all very topical and sexually alluring. The quality of a person’s character is secondary; the depth of fidelity and faithfulness is viewed as old-fashioned. When I see comments on Face Book about beauty and realize some of the people commenting don’t personally know the individual, and often are commenting simply by having seen a photo, it causes me to realize how truly shallow people can be. We must decide if we will allow the deceptiveness of the world’s allurements to gain our heart, or choose instead, the reality of a truly beautiful and wonderful Savior.
To find true beauty and happiness we need the Prince to change us from a “frogette” into a princess! Imagine how different a woman can be when she surrenders the natural woman — earthly, carnal, sensual (the Bible says) and turns her entire focus from those things to her Prince, desiring to give herself completely to Him. The “princess” transformation happens over time and is a truly beautiful thing to behold. Let’s face it, frogs marry frogs; however, princesses marry into the King’s 
family. Each person tends to find and gravitate toward his or her own kind. We cannot live in the world’s Kingdom, feeding upon its lusts and expect to marry into the King’s Kingdom. Nor should we! We were born for the Kingdom of God. Do not feed upon the crumbs of this world… if you do, you may end up spending the rest of your life in a marsh with a frog.
P.S. Don’t lose heart in any season… God is always wanting to change frogs and frogettes into what He originally designed us to be!
Photo credit: Pixabay
January 11, 1999
“A ministry in Kathmandu asked if I would travel to western Nepal to help deliver a load of Bibles to a rural community of new believers. I jumped at the opportunity, and a few days later I joined a Nepali Christian named Ramesh on a seventeen- hour bus ride to the west side of the country. It was the first stage of an arduous journey that almost ended my life.” – from Paul Hattaway’s new book An Asian Harvest.
Dale and I both have always had a heart for world missions and much of our visionary travels internationally up to this point had been through missions magazines, listening to guest missionaries in church and in our prayers. So, after our adoption discussion with the social worker, we felt that making ourselves available to whatever kind of adoption God had in store for us was a good idea.
Nancy Demary 