I would say with great certainty that I struggle with being content. Being in a very cut throat business, I find that contentment often brings complacency, plus if I perform at a high level one year I am expected to perform all the higher the next.
I would say that the same may be true in your own life. If our spouses, children, houses, or bank accounts don't fulfill all the dreams you hoped for, you might feel empty, maybe even slightly cheated, because the world we live in says that this is the way that things are supposed to work. I think that acquiring more and always replacing what I have with something bigger and better is the only way to find contentment in my life. A bigger lie was never perpetrated on the human race.
Don't believe it!
I have found that contentment starts in your life when you live with a thankful and grateful heart. Not some "token" sense of gratitude, but living with the realization that the Lord has blessed you with everything that you will ever need. Notice I didn't say "want." No where in Scripture does it say that God will give me all my wants but He tells me more than once that He will always provide me with what I need.
Notice the difference? The first approach to life says that something is missing in my life and I need to go get it. Maybe I don't own the biggest spread in the county or have a fat bank account. It is tough to be content when all we can think of is what we imagine everyone else has and we don't.
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”
Philippians 4:11-12 ESV
Paul takes a very different approach. He expresses gratitude instead of complaining about his personal issues and losses. This is NOT a natural attitude to have, it is one that is acquired over time and with the help of the Holy Spirit. But when I approach my life in the way Paul teaches me, it all starts to come together and becomes more natural and that is exactly where I find contentment.
Contentment is contagious. Think about all those people that you surround yourself with and ask yourself, "Are they always seeking more? Are they rubbing off on me?" I have to surround myself with people who understand what it means to be content as well as be the kind of person that can be of good influence in this way.
I would say that the same may be true in your own life. If our spouses, children, houses, or bank accounts don't fulfill all the dreams you hoped for, you might feel empty, maybe even slightly cheated, because the world we live in says that this is the way that things are supposed to work. I think that acquiring more and always replacing what I have with something bigger and better is the only way to find contentment in my life. A bigger lie was never perpetrated on the human race.
Don't believe it!
I have found that contentment starts in your life when you live with a thankful and grateful heart. Not some "token" sense of gratitude, but living with the realization that the Lord has blessed you with everything that you will ever need. Notice I didn't say "want." No where in Scripture does it say that God will give me all my wants but He tells me more than once that He will always provide me with what I need.
Notice the difference? The first approach to life says that something is missing in my life and I need to go get it. Maybe I don't own the biggest spread in the county or have a fat bank account. It is tough to be content when all we can think of is what we imagine everyone else has and we don't.
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”
Philippians 4:11-12 ESV
Contentment is contagious. Think about all those people that you surround yourself with and ask yourself, "Are they always seeking more? Are they rubbing off on me?" I have to surround myself with people who understand what it means to be content as well as be the kind of person that can be of good influence in this way.
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