Contentment
While I was at work yesterday, taking a break, I checked my emails and received an email from someone I hadn’t even realized had my email address. She was a long time client of mine. I guess we had exchanged emails at some point. I had never received anything from her via email, so I opened it up. The title of the message was something along the lines of “What is your word for 2017?” As I continued to read, the first thing that I saw was Philippians 4:11. Paul is talking about contentment. “I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances.” The thing that I took home from this devotion was that contentment is not something natural. It’s learned. Paul is saying here that he had to learn contentment. It’s not a gift that you just wake up one day and have because you have grown to that level as a christian. It’s something that we must intentionally strive for, and pursue, day after day.
10 years ago, I did not have a relationship with God. I believed in God, like most. But, I did not know who God was. I remember vividly a conversation between me and my boyfriend at the time about contentment. We were on a road trip, and it was just the two of us, and we were having one of our “deep” conversations. I thought I had life all figured out at the time (as most 22 year old’s do), and remember saying to him, “I don’t ever want to be content, I want more then that.” OUCH! Just writing that makes me cringe. I can just imagine God watching this conversation, laughing, and shaking his head. Maybe even saying under his breath quietly “Child, how little you know.” And then I picture his next move. He stamps this memory in my mind so that I would not forget it. Because, I didn’t forget it. I remember this conversation like it was 2 hours ago. I was lost, I was living a life far from God. But he wasn’t far from me. I believe that true contentment is a Godly quality. Like patience. Because without Jesus, there will always be something missing. Something BIG. And how can one be content with this huge thing missing from their lives? I was missing Jesus from my life back then. I was living for the world, in the world, and up to the worlds standards. So naturally, contentment felt like settling to me back then. I was chasing the wind, exhausting myself trying to get more out of this life. Something was missing, and I felt it. I just hadn’t identified what that thing was at that point in my life.
Today I look at my spiritual journey since that moment 10 years ago. It wasn’t for 3 more years that I surrendered my life to Jesus. Surrender, that is a tough one for us as humans as well. From what I have learned, contentment comes after surrender. How can one find true contentment without first letting go of the worldly things we cling to. I couldn’t experience the joys of contentment until I got to a genuine place of surrender. I’ve pursued Jesus for 7 years, and I’ve fallen in love with him over, and over again. I’ve felt his presence deeply over the past 7 years. But looking back, I see that there was a wrestling going on. If you are tired spiritually, emotionally, even physically, I would consider your surrender. Get quiet before the Lord, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you surrender. Ask for help releasing the things that you are holding onto, that may be exhausting you. God does not expect us to do it on our own. In fact, we can’t do any of this in our own strength. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. And we are weak. Acknowledge that, even the strongest of women out there. You are weak. You need Jesus. Stop fighting him and his power in your life. He is a well that NEVER runs dry. Surrender it all today, and step into the freedom, joy, and peace, that comes with a life of contentment. Getting to this place doesn’t change your circumstances around you. You will still have to go through things in this life that are painful, disappointing, and out of your control. But, going through them knowing God is bigger then all of it, and finding contentment in Him alone, makes it a whole lot easier.
With Love and Blessings,
KC