Contentment

Contentment

I have a confession to make to you. I have been out of sorts for the past couple of days.

I know that may not seem like much of a confession to you. But to a deeply Christian woman, out of sorts is a dangerous place to be. Why? Because when I am out of sorts, Satan has a field day.

You see, Satan loves discontent. When we have a discontented spirit, we are susceptible to all manner of his fiery arrows. Anger, frustration, depression, and self-doubt are among his favorite weapons…anything from annoyances to downright lies. For instance, have you ever thought “maybe I’m pursuing this dream of (insert your dream here) because it’s what I want – maybe it wasn’t God I heard calling me to it, just my own selfish want.”? Or maybe you just have this barely perceptible (or blaring) thought in the back of your mind that you really only want success in a certain area for your own gain, not God’s? Or that God doesn’t want you to get any gain/satisfaction/security from your calling, only further His plan? Or maybe that you have nothing to offer of significance, your life is just wake, work, eat, sleep, repeat.

 

Let me be the first (or the hundredth) to assure you, these thoughts are not from God. Satan is the original expert at making half-truth sound like truth, instead of the lie that it really is. Picture him, all wide-eyed (fake) innocence, in the garden asking Eve, “Did God really say you can’t eat from ANY tree in the garden?” An exaggeration that encourages Eve to reply with an exaggeration of her own…”No, but He DID say we can’t eat from this tree, or even touch it, or we will surely die!”

Sometimes, I’m a little more like Eve than I am comfortable with. I hear Satan twisting God’s good and beneficial truth to make me discontent with all the blessings I have been given. For instance, God’s Word tells me that, while He does not intend me to worship money, He does want me to prosper. Satan tries to convince me that God has no intention of blessing me with good things. Picture him now, still wide-eyed and (fake) innocent, asking me, “Did God really say you can’t serve him and be successful?” To my shame, I sometimes believe this. When I am not focused on Truth.

When I am discontent.

Too many times we expect that if we serve God without focusing on our own needs or desires, that our own needs and desires will not get met.

Let me tell you, beloved of the Lord, nothing could be further from the Truth!

I recently completed a wonderful 23-day devotional by Pastor Rick Warren (rickwarren.org) entitled “What on Earth Am I Here For?” The whole thing was eye-opening, but one particular part grabbed me and hasn’t let go.

He writes:

God has given each of us a unique emotional heartbeat that races when we think about the subjects, activities, or circumstances that interest us. We instinctively care about some things and not about others. These are clues to where you should be serving.

I know…this is a post about contentment, not serving. But I believe the to are inextricably connected. Did you catch the key words here? God has given.

God created you. God made you unique. God has given you your talents and passions! How, then, can we not be fulfilled in our needs and desires if we are serving God using our unique talents and passions? God wants us to serve Him, and He wants us to be content and fulfilled doing so! That’s why he gave us that unique “emotional heartbeat”…so that when we serve Him, we are happy, too!

But wait! There’s more! (Sorry…I couldn’t resist).

Can’t we be generally happy, but have days we are discontent, too?

Sure. We can. We do. But it’s not God’s desire for us! The glitch is that we are ‘generally happy’ and not joy-filled.

We need what Paul had when he wrote to the Philippians:

“…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret to being content in any and every situation…”

I want what Paul’s got! How do I get some of that?!

Well, here is where we apply TRUTH to combat Satan’s lies. Jesus is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life…He is also The WORD of God. So, where else do we turn for Truth, but to the Word!

Paul’s answer to the question of where we find contentment is a verse we probably all know very well:

”I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

 

But beyond that, when the Word says this, it doesn’t just leave us hanging on how to access this strength. It also says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength!”

 

 

To receive His strength, and thus contentment in any situation, we have to know Him; and to know Him, we must know the Word. The more we know, the more we understand the whole Truth, and how it works to enrich our lives fulfill us and bring joy to our souls…making us truly content.