Settle but don't Settle

“Settle on what is real so you don’t settle for what’s not.”

Loren Thornburg

A young boy on the plane would not stop crying. He was offered food, comfort, toys, and everything the dad and grandmother could think to do. The only thing that would satisfy him it seemed was going to be his mom who was absent. I was struck by how the young boy would not settle for anything except his mom. Even the grandmother, although having incredibly motherly qualities, was not going to satisfy his need. I was reminded that we need to be a little more like this boy. I don’t mean we should cry until we get what we want, but that we should not settle for anything less than the real thing. So often we look for comfort in places that are only temporary fixes, leaving us with no other option but to continually be dependent for more, because it is never enough. Instead, we can look deeper, beyond the surface or the instant comfort to that which we are truly longing to find. First you have to know what that longing is to be willing to search and wait for it. Don’t miss the real thing. Settle on it and don’t settle for anything less.

“You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.”

1 Peter 2:2-5 NLT

The Lord is the real thing. He gives us the “pure spiritual milk” we are longing to find. Peter is encouraging us to cry out for the real thing now that the people have tasted of the Lord’s kindness and know how good it is. Although they faced different times, we face similar temptations; to find satisfaction in places other than the Lord. We look to food, friends, TV, music, success, accomplishments, anywhere and everywhere to find purpose, satisfaction and comfort. These things are not bad things. The Lord can use all of these things. However, they were never meant to be what we often look to them to be...everything. Only the Lord can fill that place in us, that place that is crying out for fullness. Look to the Lord, cry out to the Lord, settle for nothing less than the kindness of the Lord. Taste of it again and again. It will always be enough. Settle on the Lord for He is settled on you. He is settled on bringing you to fullness of salvation and abundant life now and forever.