1 Tim. 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.


Contentment has always been one of my biggest struggles. The Holy Spirit within strives against my flesh in a battle for my desires. I know I should be satisfied with my life, but my flesh only wishes for that which I do not possess. For instance, when my husband was longing to pastor a church, it was very hard to be happy for a friend who had just taken a church. When a woman is barren, it is very difficult for her to be happy for another lady who is expecting. We can all fake a smile and a kind word to someone’s face, but to be sincerely happy for them is much harder to do. It’s a matter of the heart.

The Lord looks on the heart. He knows when we are honest in our words, or when we are just “putting on” for others. I remember that, when I finally became content with the place we were living and the job we were doing, the Lord began opening doors that had once been sealed shut. Perhaps He saw that the state of my heart had caught up with my words.

To be content, I had to surrender my will to my Father. I no longer sought to fulfill my own agenda, but I desired to live up to His. I also began counting my blessings daily. This allowed me to see that the Lord was, indeed, very good to me even though my desires were unfulfilled. I have learned, and am still learning, to be genuinely content. 

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One thought on “Genuine Contentment

  1. Unknown's avatar Susan says:

    I've always had discontentment too, especially over the houses we've lived in. I've finally learned to give it all over to the Lord – but it's something that I have to do over and over – it's not a one-time choice, but every day. It's amazing how content we can become when we surrender our hearts to the Lord's will and way. And sometimes He even gives us the desires of our hearts as an extra blessing!

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