I spent several months of my life in gross dissatisfaction. I picked issues with my routine, my career, my church, my husband…everything.
I had two major results.
One: Frustration.
Two: An inability to actually change the things that kept me dissatisfied.
Oh, I jumped right into goal-setting and pursuit, trying to fix everything, but I lost steam very fast. I felt like something was fundamentally wrong. I turned to God for peace and direction and I discovered what was missing: Contentment.
Contentment is the state of being at peace with what you have and where you are. This does not mean that you are not actively working to improve your lot and be all you can be – contentment is not complacency. However, it does mean that you acknowledge that even though you are not where you are supposed to be or where you want to be, you can still be at peace with yourself and your circumstances.
Absence of contentment leads to a lot of frustration and comparison to other people. The truth is that while you may not always think so, you actually have a lot going for you, much more than many people can boast of.
Seek to be content before you become materially prosperous. If you become prosperous before you become content, you may never be content. No matter how rich or influential a person is, there will always be new frontiers to take, new goals to achieve, new things to get. So, when you don’t have contentment, you will be bedfellows with frustration, no matter how much you already have.
So, how do you become content?
- Ask God for it. Contentment is mostly a gift, one that God is able and very willing to give.
- Maintain an attitude of gratitude. You can make daily or weekly lists of things you are grateful for, including the things you take for granted.
When you’re content, you are at peace and your emotions will reduce their rollercoaster moves. You will actually solve a lot of physical health problems. You will reduce relationship and marriage clashes and crises. You can be genuinely happy for other people when they make progress.
Finally, when you are content, you will be able to understand the things you actually have, and know the best way to use what you already have to get to the next level.
O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you on a foundation of sapphires and make the walls of your houses from precious jewels. I will make your towers of sparkling rubies and your gates and walls of shining gems. (Isaiah 54:11-12, NLT)
I pray that God will grant you His precious gift of contentment in Jesus Name.
Seek to be content before you become materially prosperous. If you become prosperous before you become content, you may never be content.
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