March 2024 Musings and More

On Discontentment, Co-Creating, and Singing the Song God Gave You

Happy April, everyone! I don’t know what March was like for you, but for us, it was packed (which may be evident since the March email is arriving in April)! 

Have you ever heard or read something that struck you at a core level? Something that puts its finger on a pain or desire or need and acts as a catalyst toward you becoming more wholehearted? That happened for me recently when I read Amy Baik Lee's book This Homeward Ache. One phrase she used resonated with me: “Sing the song God gave you.” It is such a simple yet profound sentence that has grown legs in my life—leading me toward more freedom as a writer and, more importantly, as a follower of Christ.

Lee’s words reminded me of another quote I once heard, which, to my dismay, I can’t seem to locate. It was either from Flannery O’Connor or Jonathan Rogers, who taught a class I attended about O’Connor’s life and writing. The idea was to “tend the patch of land you’ve been given.” 

These two quotes have illuminated a struggle I often face as a writer, a person, and a believer. It’s all too easy to compare my plot of land or the song I'm singing to that of others, leading to discontentment with my own circumstances. This is especially prevalent in the age of social media, where followers are mistakenly equated with fruitfulness. 

This past month, these two quotes have me pondering the pitfalls of discontentment and the benefits of singing the song God gave you. 

Five Pitfalls of Discontentment

Discontentment distracts: Discontentment occurs when you focus on what others have or are doing, which distracts you from what God has provided you. 

The enemy’s first and best tactic is distraction, calling our attention away from all God has provided. He lured Eve’s eyes to the forbidden fruit, to the one thing she lacked, and when she lost sight of God’s good and abundant creation surrounding her, she grew discontent and reached for more (Genesis 3). 

Jesus redirects our gaze, reminding us not to be distracted. He said, “The eyes are the light for the body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body is filled with light, and your whole life will be radiant” (Luke 11:34-38). The word “healthy” in the original Greek implies clarity, singular focus, and a lack of needless distraction. This underscores the importance of keeping our eyes on him.

Jesus’ words warn us: What we focus on plays a role in determining what we become. When we are focused on what is in our neighbor's yard, we become distracted and lose sight of God’s grace in our lives. When we lose sight of God’s grace in our lives, we lose spirit. But when we redirect our gaze toward Christ and focus on our patch of land, we can see more clearly what is ours to do, and we become radiant reflections of his grace in our lives.

Discontentment diminishes: Discontentment diminishes your unique contributions by leading you to channel your energy in the wrong places and in the wrong ways. 

Instead of focusing on doing what is in front of us, we attempt to sing someone else’s song, and in doing so, we become ineffective at the work God has for us specifically. And when we aren’t singing our song in the way God purposed us to sing it, the whole body of Christ misses out on something vital and life-giving. 

There are people in your life whose ears are tuned to the melody you have. Your song matters. Only you can sing it the way you do.

Discontentment dishonors: When we attempt to sing a song not meant for us, we may fail to honor our limitations.

We are finite creatures with limited resources. We each have an allotment of time, energy, and talent to steward. When we try to live according to another’s gifts, skills, and resources, we may be tempted to stretch beyond our means—financially, vocationally, relationally, and even spiritually. Stretching isn’t bad when we are learning to exercise our own voice and utilize our own talents. That’s part of growing into who God created you to be. But when we are stretching beyond the boundaries of who God created us to be, it becomes an exhausting exercise in futility that dishonors God and ourselves as his creation.

Discontentment drives: Discontentment is a vicious taskmaster.

The author of Ecclesiastes discerned this when he wrote,  “Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content” Ecclesiastes 1:8, NLT.

No amount of energy spent attempting to be like someone else will satisfy. It is a bottomless pit that will drive you to an early grave spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. The path to freedom and rest doesn’t lie in getting what you want or becoming someone different but in being content with who God intends you to be and what he entrusted you.

Discontentment divides: Discontentment breeds envy, jealousy, and division in the body.

There is perhaps no better example of this than in the Corinthian church. Members of the church elevated certain spiritual gifts over others, fought over which gift was more important to the body, and undervalued simple acts of humble service, spurring envy, jealousy, and quarreling among them (1 Corinthians 12).

Envy and jealousy are cancers to the body of Christ. At its core, envy not only means that I want what my neighbor has; it also means that I don’t want them to have it. Instead of enjoying and celebrating the unique song God gave my brother or sister to sing, I turn the volume down, judging and dismissing not just their gifts but their personhood, even to the point of being willing to deprive the body of Christ of their unique contribution.

Paul attempted to correct the Corinthians' faulty vision not by affirming or elevating specific gifts but by instead elevating the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and love—the greatest of which, Paul said, is love (1 Corinthians 13).

I cannot love and serve my neighbor when I envy what they have.

Four Benefits of Singing The Song God Gave You

Frees You: Whereas discontentment is a vicious taskmaster, singing the song God gave you frees you from false and unrealistic expectations of yourself, God, and others.

Focuses You: When you are content with and focus on who God created you specifically to be, you have more energy to direct toward what God has for you specifically to do.

Feeds Others: When you sing the song God gave you, when you tend your specific patch of land, you strengthen and nourish the body of Christ.

Fulfills God’s Purpose For You: Living fully into who God created you to be fulfills God’s purpose for you. Ultimately, it’s about doing what God has for you, not what God has for your neighbor.

Three Things About Co-Creating with God

From the beginning, God invited us to collaborate with him in the work of creation—empowering us to be fruitful and multiply and to rule and reign over his creation (Genesis 1:26-28). He formed and fashioned each of us intimately, specifically, and uniquely (Psalm 139:13-16). And he entrusted us with specific gifts through his Spirit. (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12). In light of all of this, Peter encourages us to sing the song God has given us to sing:

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 4:10-11, ESV

While other passages have much to offer regarding how God has uniquely equipped us, this passage in 1 Peter teaches us three important truths about co-creating.

We are stewards of grace: A steward is a manager of something allotted to him or her.

We are not self-determined or self-made. We may be able to hone the skills we have been given, but there is nothing we possess—no gift, talent, resource, passion, or opportunity—that we did not receive as a gift of God’s abundant grace toward us.

Our charge is to tend our plot of land in the owner’s best interest.

We are servants of one another: What God has entrusted us is not necessarily for us. We may want to be firefighters, but instead, we are instructors. We may not be the ones who get to run into the fire, but we get to equip those who do. The instructor serves those on the front line, and those on the front line serve those in burning buildings. Which is more important? Which gets more glory? Are not both serving toward the same end?

The song God has given us to sing is not for us. It is not to fill the cavernous void within our own souls and bolster our fragile identities. It is to feed and serve those around us in ways only we can, whether on the front lines or behind the scenes, whether overlooked and undervalued or acknowledged and appreciated, whether in relative obscurity or positions of significant influence. Our unifying purpose is to serve one another in love for the common good.

Singing the song God gave you glorifies God: The end goal of your song is worship.

The early church father, Irenaeus, famously said, “The glory of God is man fully alive, but the life of man is the vision of God.” I have often heard the first part of that quote but not the second half. Yet, the second half brings much-needed clarity to the first. God envisioned you in the hidden places before you were ever a thought. The great artisan crafted you with great skill and masterful workmanship. And when you live according to his vision for you, not only are you most fully alive, but your life brings glory to God—whether that is changing a diaper or changing a life, whether it is mowing your elderly neighbor’s lawn or leading someone to Christ, whether it means creating masterful works of art celebrated by the art community or teaching art to a group of kindergartners.

This is what it means to co-create with God and others. This is what it means to sing the song God gave you. It doesn’t mean it won’t be hard. There will be times when it feels futile, unfulfilling, and fruitless, times when you will question what you are doing and if it matters to the kingdom. Sometimes, you may wish God gave you a different song to sing. And, in these moments, it's crucial not to get distracted. The body of Christ needs to hear your song. The world needs to hear your song. Your neighbors need to hear your song. I need to hear your song.    

So I say this to you, just as I say it to myself: Sing the song God gave you. Tend your patch of land. No one else can.

A Resource To Help You:

Sometimes, we need help learning about the song God has given us to sing. A few years ago, while on staff at my church, I created a resource called Understanding Spiritual Gifts. This guide helps you understand where your passions and gifts intersect, which can provide insight into the song God has given you to sing.

To download this resource, click below:

One more thing: A huge thank you!

Last month, one of you generously donated to The Wholehearted Project. I cannot see who it was so that I can thank you personally. Please allow me to thank you in the only way I know now. Your generosity was a great kindness that deeply encouraged me personally and professionally; I am tremendously grateful for that! Your donation will help me fund additional resources I am working on that require hiring professional services for editing, graphic design, and interior layouts. Thank you!!

That’s it for now!

Love you guys!

CC

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You can find me on Facebook and Instagram or email me at ccole@chrystiecole.com.