A secret to contentment?

I once heard C.J. Mahaney say that "disappointment occurs when expectations exceed our experience". Basically saying that when we expect something to happen - for whatever reason - and it does not happen the way we expect it to, we become disappointed. Bear with me as my points will probably be a little scatter brained. :) My beloved and I have some friends who are raving about this video that, I believe, they ordered from Pastor Joel Orsteen's church about - and I am paraphrasing here - that in order to find contentment and hapiness we essentially need to think positive. That when we live in self doubt or downing out abilities, lot in life, etc. we handicap ourselves and we are not able to achieve all that God has for us. I have listened to Pastor Orsteen and enjoy his teaching very much. It is obvious that he is being used by God to reach people, not just in his local community, but throughout the U.S. and probably the world. But I think if this message is carried too far it can lead to a misunderstanding of who God is and our relationship with Him. Now I in no way think that is what Pastor Orsteen intends. Anytime we equate our actions to a cause and effect in regards to what God is doing we are in danger of equating our works to our justification. When our works are seen in the light of our ongoing sanctification then I can get on board with it. I am going slightly off track... ok, back on-topic. :) But, in a sense this is true. In order to achieve and get ahead we need to first conquer ourlseves. "The longest journey begins with a single step", but if we are afraid or say we cannot make it we will either never take that first step, or we will stop somewhere along the journey before we reach the finish line. And are we not told to run the race as if to gain the prize? (1 Cor 9:24) We are also to run the race as if we are running a marathon and not a wind sprint. (Hebrews 12:1-2) My father-in-law got me hooked on "The Unit" on CBS, which in turn led me to pick up the book Inside Delta Force by Eric Haney. I have not finished the book yet, but the first part is about Selection process from the author's point of view. Many of those who did not make it simply gave up. (And I am in now way diminishing what they did accomplish because those men were, and probably still are, better soldiers than I ever was.) The thing that has stuck with me, well two things, from the book is this:

"All day long, I crossed that mountain from one side to the other.... I would arrive exhausted and breathless at one RV (check point) only to be sent to the next back on the other side I had just come from. The mountain was too big to contour around, and the lay of the was such that I could never anything approximating a direct approach or maintain the hard-earned high ground for any length of time. Never getting anywhere, back and forth across the same mountain. It was a masterful torture. But then I had a revelation. What difference could it possibly make if I crossed back and forth over this mountain until doomsday? A mountain is a mountian, time was time, and route selection was route selection. The only that that mattered was speed and ground made good.... The frustration and mental torture I had been suffering were completely of my own making - and completely within my power to disregard." (1)

The other quote is;

"I was physically spent and sore in every part of my body, But as I reflected on what I had undergone, I felt a calm sense of satisfaction and contentment. I had not just survived an ordeal, because survival in a sense if passive. No, I had conquered. But conquered what? I had to think about that a while, and then I realized: myself." (2)

In a sense we can never take credit for what we accomplish because the initiative always begins with God (Romans 5:8). And yet there are things we must perform in order to continue along the process of being conformed into the likeness of our Savior. (Romans 8:29) And we can not do that in a passive mode. Sorry for the long winded post today. :) It is something God put on my heart and in many ways I believe He has driven it. I pray that it may be used by the Holy Spirit to bless any who He brings. May the Lord bless each and everyone of you. Verse for today: Romans 8:26-30, ESV Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because [6] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, [7] for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 1. Eric Haney, Inside Delta Force, Delacorte Press, 2006, pg 79 2. pg 100-101