Contentment

 

Contentment. Have you ever truly felt content in your life? Are you always running around searching for more, building your future, but missing your life now? Contentment is knowing that right now, we are supposed to be right where we are, that God has us right where He wants us. Right now, I am not supposed to be anywhere else in my life. In spite of my mistakes, or circumstances, I am called by God to be content. To be anything less is a sin. I am then telling God, "what you have given me God is not enough." "You did not give me all the things I wanted right now so I will not rejoice."

  

The human heart always wants to do more, to dream, and to be more. God put this desire for growth in our lives in our hearts and minds. Using our discernment to know how to work toward the future while maintaining contentment in the moment is where we need God's help. I believe we grow in our journey of contentment when we grow in our walk with God. True contentment lies within our hearts, it lies in our love for God and our relationship with Him. Notice I did not say "true contentment will happen when you receive the right job." "True contentment will happen when you get that great house." Contentment is not a state of being where we feel happy with our "stuff." Our stuff will never satisfy.

Contentment is a state of the heart. The heart beats in peace with God. It is a state of satisfaction with knowing God and who He is. True contentment is permanent no matter what stage of life you are in.

We absolutely need to master this skill as Christians. Yes, contentment is a learned skill. What a challenge in this culture of more, more, more. 

If we look back on our lives, we can see our behavior and thought patterns. "Once I get that job God, I"ll be content with my life." "Once I get that dream house God, oh and my dream car, I'll be content." "Once this difficulty in my life is over God, I'll be happy." "Once I get (insert your personal experience here) I'll be happy." Once you achieved those things, were you content? Or did you move on to the next thing? Notice what just happened! You missed being content. You missed being peaceful with where you were. You missed your opportunity to be in peace at that moment in your heart with God communing with Him. A lack of contentment and constantly looking out for the next thing to fulfill is distracting from our relationship with God. Can you see how a lack of contentment is causing you to miss out on the life God has given you? I believe this is why God calls us to be content. To see the abundant life He has given us in Him. In order to realize how to live in the fullness of God's love, we must be at peace in our hearts. In order to fully grow in our lives to the person God calls us to be we must learn contentment.

Life has seasons. It will always have changes and God may bless us with more money, or even a bigger house, or the other things we have in our minds that we desire- or that may not be His plan for your life. He may have something else in mind-something more than you imagined for yourself. You may also experience crisis, illness, unemployment, loss, frustrations and stress.  But life is constant and if we constantly wait to receive our contentment, to "reach" this state we are chasing after, you may never in this life reach it if you don't realize the root of what contentment actually is.

Contentment does not mean we will not continue to pray for our future. It doesn't mean we don't continue to work toward our future, and to work toward the future God speaks to us and directs us towards. Contentment means while we are getting there, we know that right now, what we have is enough from God. Right now, God is filling our hearts. He is enough. Right now we are going to take time to commune with God. We are going to feel peace in our hearts. We feel the fullness of Christ. The external is not all we need. God is all we need, no matter what phase of life we are in and what we are working towards we should always feel content with Christ.

You might be missing out on a lot in your life right now based on your lack of contentment. Are you always spinning around? Are you so much focused on the future and the future that will "make everything better?" On the "next best thing?"  Your lack of contentment is holding you back from your life. You are missing out. You are missing out on time with your children, time with your spouse, your family. Time serving God or time doing whatever else God will put before you. Time worshiping God and growing and learning. Your anxieties and tunnel vision about building your future are not from God. They are taking away from your relationship with God. The moment you are living right now is what God put before you. Live in it. God wants you to live in His abundance, His fullness, His richness, His peace, right now.

Give your control over your future, your worries, your anxieties and discontent to God. Leave them at the foot of the cross. Let God be enough. He already is. The one who was, and is and is to come. He is always enough.

Dear Lord, help me to know how to feel peace and contentment right now in this moment in my life. Give me wisdom and discernment to know how to feel that peace while praying and preparing for the future you have for me, no matter what my current circumstances. Let my heart beat to your rhythm God. Help me to find my peace and contentment in you always Lord.


 I believe that contentment is such a large part of the Christian walk. The Bible is abundant with scripture on contentment. A few are below:

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content"
Phillipians 4:11

"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:10

"Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content."
1 Timothy 6:6-8

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5

"As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness."
Psalm 17:15