I Was Fed Up

"Fed Up” = has had enough of a situation; annoyed with a state of affairs that has persisted for a long time.

A year ago this January, a crown was placed on my back fractured tooth. I was hounded for years by my dentists to get that crown. The only problem I was having were those annoying dentists that kept prodding me to get it done. I gave in but as soon as the temporary crown was placed, that tooth started giving me grief that intensified when the permanent crown was on. I had headaches, and the pain increased when food or water was near that tooth. My dentist assured me within six months the pain would be gone. It wasn’t. She sent me to a specialist and he recommended a root canal or remove the tooth. I put up with it another six months. One year later, I was FED UP with the pain. Two weeks ago, hesitantly, because she didn't want to pull a good tooth (it wasn't good to me), she pulled it. There is a space back there but no more tooth pain and no more headaches! Why did I wait so long? One year of misery instead of taking action sooner than later?

Jesus told the story of the prodigal son who left home with his inheritance, squandered it all on a tawdry lifestyle, and ended up eating in the pig pen. Everything he needed was at his father’s home but he settled for the pain and misery until he got FED UP and went home. "My father’s servants have it so much better than this! I’ll go back and ask to be one of his servants!” Check out the love of the father and his response: “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. The father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s feast and celebrate’” (Luke 15:20-23). All the joy of his father’s love awaited him. He needed to get FED UP enough to go home to him.

Maybe you're FED UP with something in your life. Maybe a job where you're mistreated and overlooked You're ready to find a job where you are esteemed and valued. Maybe you're FED UP with the vices that you thought you had to have to make it through another day. You're ready to seek help from a Christian counselor or pastor. Most of all, if you are FED UP with looking in all the wrong places for hope and love and ready to "go back home", like the prodigal son, to His Father. No matter what we’ve done, when we come home to God, He wraps us in His love. He gives us His best and says, “All is forgiven! Let’s have a feast! My child has returned to me.”

Maybe you’re FED UP today. God sees you. He knows and cares about you. What a comfort to hear those words and to know we don’t have to live without hope any longer. Rather than being FED UP, it’s time to be FILLED UP with God's love, faith, hope, joy, peace, and all the full-meal-deal promises of His Word. Getting fed up is good because it means we go home to a celebration. And, like my freedom from constant tooth pain I let go way too long, you will know freedom from the pain of hopelessness, loneliness, sadness, fear, and regret. When you get fed up and make the change, you'll be celebrated and rejoiced over and your mourning will be turned into dancing.

Psalm 34:19: “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”