Wanting to Be Like Everyone Else

Introduction

A. We are constantly pounded with the message that everyone else has it better than we do. We make certain assumptions about others. Those with more money have less problems than others. Other children are obedient and compliant. Other spouses are more romantic and affectionate. Other people have more leisure time. Others do not have the same spiritual struggles that I have. Others have it all together. It can lead us to an attitude of discontent. We can become unappreciative of what we have. Truthfully we believe that we deserve better and that somehow life is supposed to be easy.

B. M. Scott Peck in his book The Road Less Traveled writes in the opening paragraphs these words. “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths…Most do not fully see this truth that life is difficult. Instead they moan more or less incessantly, noisily or subtly, about the enormity of their problems, their burdens, and their difficulties as if life were generally easy, as if life should be easy. They voice their belief, noisily or subtly, that their difficulties represent a unique kind of affliction that should not be and that has somehow been especially visited upon them…and not upon others.” Amen!!

C. Everyone has it better than us and we are treated unfairly. Basic discontent with what we have. Life is supposed to give us the best it can and when it doesn’t happen then we are the receiving end of some divine joke. We need to have the attitude of the Puritan who sat down one night to supper with only a piece of bread and a glass of water. He bowed his head and said, “What — all this, and Jesus too?” As we begin this morning I want to go ahead and give you the point of our lesson this morning. I want you to hear it now and it will be repeated throughout the message, our singing, and our prayers. Here is the point: The belief that we deserve better than what we already have is a rejection of God. When we want to be like everyone else, when we think that everyone else has it better than we do, then we reject God. You see, you cannot in the same breath complain about what you don’t have and be thankful at the same time.

D. We are going to see this point made clearly in 1 Samuel 8 this morning. It is a text which demonstrates that sinful attitudes about what we are supposed to have leads to a rejection of God and his will for our lives. This is a challenging text. It is one which makes us rethink our attitudes and desires, if we are willing to be honest with ourselves and with our God. Our songs this morning and our prayer times will focus on what God has already done for us and expressing our desire to realign ourselves with the truth about this life that life is difficult, but our God knows what we need.

Israel’s Attitudes

A. 1 Samuel 8 is a historical account of the entrance of kingship in Israel. This is not the first time Israel has tried to get a king. In Judges 8 following Gideon’s mighty victory over the Midianites, the people try to make him king. Gideon rejects such a notion stressing that God alone should be their king. Although from Deuteronomy 17:14-17, part of God’s plan was to eventually give them a king, what we find in 1 Samuel 8 is that the people’s desire to have a king is against the plan of God now. But the people force the issue.

B. Samuel is getting old. His sons like Eli’s boys are not the kind of men that will make good leaders. The people see the other nations. They have a central government. They seem to function very well. They seem not to have any problems at all. In fact, they believe that with a king they will have one person in whom they can place their trust. Look carefully at verse 20. They want a king who will lead them, go out before them, and fight their battles. Who will fight their battles? Nothing is said of their fighting the battles or of God’s presence. The king will fight them. Israel has an attitude that the king will make life much easier for them.

C. What is even more surprising is that this attitude is expressed after God through Samuel warns the people of what it will be like with a king. The king will take their sons and make them his servants and will put them in harm’s way. Their daughters will become slaves of the king cooking, cleaning, and perfuming him. Some scholars see a sexual connotation in this word “perfumers.” While that isn’t definite, by the time of Solomon his 1000 wives and concubines proves the point. The king will take over their fields for his own desires. Whatever you have now will be taken from you and conscripted by the king. You will have less with a king than without one. After this dramatic and negative image of a king, the people still want a king.

D. They believe the lie that life will be better with a king than without one. We want to be like the other nations is their motto. They are filled with discontent. Had not God raised up Samuel for them? Had God not provided relief from their enemies? Had God not seen to their political needs in the past? But the cry went up all the more “we want to be like everyone else.” And God sees through all the proposal to the truth. “They have rejected me as their king.” You can’t ask for a king and be thankful for what God has done for you at the same time. The people believed that life would be better with a king. This was a rejection of God and his will for their lives.

E. The people viewed the king as the end of their problems. He would be a central figure to lead. He would be a central figure for making decisions and fighting battles. Their attitudes were wrong and their request was wrong. But God will give them a king in spite of their rejection of him. He will bring a king to them even though they have rejected his sovereignty and rule. Wrong attitudes lead to wrong decisions. We cannot reject and be thankful at the same time.

Application

A. The sin of discontentment may be so rampant in our lives that we just assume that it is supposed to be there. I find a number of parallels in this passage and our current situation in that we are without elders. What we need to do is go back to some truths that must not leave our minds.

First, just as in Israel, God is King. God had brought Israel from Egypt into a promised land. He had constantly and consistently provided for them. But they forgot who was truly in charge. They looked for someone to be over them when they already had the God of the universe as their leader. Sometimes we can place our trust in a group of men rather than the God behind the men. It is disturbing to hear comments that without an eldership we might fold as a congregation. If God was with us when we had elders why would he suddenly stop being with us when we don’t. God is still King. We can fall apart with elders just like we can without them. We cannot reject God and be thankful at the same time.
The second truth: when we focus on what we don’t have it magnifies our discontent. Israel was looking at the other nations. They saw their structure and thought that they would be better if they were just like them. They became extremely discontented with what they already had. Samuel is old in this passage. But he isn’t through as judge and prophet. In fact, he will continue at least another 50 years. He will watch their first attempt to follow a king end in dismal failure. We don’t have elders. We have a choice to focus on what we don’t have or to praise God for what we do have.

a. We have a spirit of love which is extremely strong.

b. We have numerous servants who continue to lead our ministries.

c. We have a strong financial base which keeps us current on bills.

d. We have a strong commitment to mission work in Japan.

e. We have a consistent work in the Sea Isle neighborhood.

f. We have a full crew of good Bible teachers and the need for more.

g. We have no doctrinal discord.

h. We have a youth program that goes and blows.

i. We have two ministers who have shared this pulpit for over ten years without jealousy or strife.

j. We have people who stay after our assembly time for up to an hour because they really like each other.

k. We have a strong ministry in the Midtown area with children and their families.

l. We have a Bible Hour for children where they learn about God and that God is good.

m. There is more to say but if you don’t get the picture then your sinful attitude needs to change. If you focus on what you don’t have you can’t be thankful at the same time.
Finally, Israel thought a king would the answer to all their problems and worries. Samuel tried to help them understand that new problems and new worries would come. I do not want to be misunderstood. Elders are part of God’s plan for his church. They are vital and necessary. As soon as God makes it possible for us to have elders we should have them. But elders will not be the answer to all our problems or worries. Can I tell you a secret? Park Avenue has had problems when we had elders. Did you know that? In fact, this congregation has divided at least once because of elders. Like Israel we need to change our attitudes about elders. They will not be perfect and they will not bring perfection to us. The truth is that new problems will probably surface when we have them.

B. When we look around and see what others have, we may begin to think that we are lacking. We may become discontent with what God has already given us. An attitude of discontentment whether with our personal lives or in congregational life can lead to sin. We can’t think that God is not enough without sinning. We can’t ignore what we have without sinning. Discontent leads us to sin.

C. We need to change some attitudes. There needs to be a new appreciation for God as King and Provider. That he is carefully planning our direction and our course and that he will provide in his own time for our every need. While I have focused much attention this morning on parallels between Israel and our present situation, the truth is that we can be discontent in any area of life. We cannot in the same breath complain about what we don’t have and be thankful at the same time. When we complain about our lack we in essence reject God. What needs to be done is to turn back to praise. Praise God for what he has already done and provided. We can’t complain and be thankful at the same time. Let’s change our attitudes and let’s start today.

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