I missed the deadline for the Carnival of Beauty this week as I’ve been keeping busy with other things. However, when I noticed that the topic was Contentment I decided to look up some verses quickly to see what the Bible had to say. Here’s what I found:
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
1 Timothy 6:5-7
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
Philippians 4:11-12
I am not saying this because I am in need, for 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 of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
Proverbs 19:23
The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
Job 36:11
If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.
As I read these words I felt convicted. I do not have the contentment that I should as a child of God. Not that I lust after riches or don’t appreciate the blessings the Lord has given me, but in my daily life I always seem to be waiting for things to get better. My life always feels like it’s in a transition and I never can settle in and get comfortable.
I realize now that it’s not the circumstances of my life that cause this discontentment, but my own choice not to rest in the Lord. Certainly my life is less chaotic than the Apostle Paul who was always on the move enduring beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, and imprisonments. And yet he had found “the secret” of being content in every situation (Phil 4:12). Now that I know the secret I hope that I can learn to be content also.
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5 comments:
In your defense, Carrie - Paul didn't find the secret to contentment; he learned it. We serve a gracious God whose Spirit lives in us. We can learn it, too. Maybe by the time my earthly life nears its end, I will have learned it, too.
Great post Carrie! Thanks for sharing...
Thank you Carrie for sharing your thoughts on 'contentment'(I am sad that you miss the deadline, but glad that you still posted about it)...
Like like Carol said, Paul learned how to be content. I had to go through a lot of trials in order to know what it means to be content. It brought me closer to God and I can count on Him to see me through - even if I don't 'want' to be content.
I guess I like the word 'like' - sorry about the duplication. :(
Yes, I know that Paul learned the secret to contentment but I still need to learn it. I guess you could say I also have found the secret, I'm just not putting it to action. I'm getting there, though. Luckily the Lord is patient for I'm a long term investment with very small dividends!
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