When Discontentment Settles In?

Contentment. What is it that we picture? Do we picture sitting out on the beach, being home with our family and friends, getting married or living out our dreams and expectations for life? We tie our contentment to so many different things. Most of the time we think about our contentment in connection to a feeling or circumstance. But what happens when our expectations are not being met? When life is not turning out the way we expected? We so easily start to allow discontentment to fill our hearts and lives. Discontentment is so easy to let slip into our everyday lives and control our thinking and direct us to ungrateful spirits and out of control thinking. We start to ask the question. If this would happen then I would be happy? Or if I had this then I would be happy.  

How do we recognize discontentment in our lives?  

1) Watch out for a complaining spirit. It is very easy for us to complain and grumble about our circumstances. We must always be on alert and watch our hearts and mouths and question what is coming out of them. Seek to not even allow yourselves to complain out the littlest of things. When we complain we are refusing to see the goodness of God. Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.”  

2) Watch who you are serving. Are you seeking to serve others and have their best interest in mind or are you seeking to serve yourself and your own purposes? When we are discontent, we are looking to ourselves and wanting to serve our own interests and always seeking to serve ourselves leads us in our direction that can leave little time for serving and loving others like we are called too.  Philippians 2: 3-5 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” 

I don’t remember the first time I saw discontentment as a sin and to be honest it was a hard lesson to learn. The Lord started showing me that in my discontent spirit I was refusing to see God’s goodness in my life. I was choosing not to see all the blessings he had given me but choosing to focus on my own selfish heart and my idols/ And although this life is crazy and has its ups and downs, God has blessed me in so many ways and I can always choose to be thankful.  

Why is discontentment one of those things that we can never seem to get a handle on? Maybe you are more prone to think like me and wonder, “Why is this such a big deal?” I mean, I am going through this rough time and I want to feel bad for myself and I want the whole world to know it. Where is my focus in those moments? Is it on the One who brings me through the wilderness? The Israelites constantly forgot what the Lord had brought them through. He kept reminding them, “Just remember what I have done.” Time and time again, they forgot. Judges 8:34 “And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side.”  

We see all that we think God is NOT doing but what has He done? 

What is the goodness He is a blessing you with right now? What promises of God can we hold onto?  

 

 

1) The Lord Promises us that everything he brings into our lives is for our good and his glory. This good is that he is continually growing us into the image of his son, as we walk with the Lord, he promises that he will use all things both good and bad to make us more like Jesus Christ. No situation is out of the hands of God, he sees everything and he chooses to us it for us to change and grow. We can look at any situation and ask ourselves how is God growing and shaping us to be more like Jesus in this? What is he trying to teach me or grow in me? Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  

2) God promises that as we go through life, he will always be with us. God will never leave us. This is one of the most comforting promises in scripture, that the God of this universe, the God who holds the world in his hands is with us. His presence is there with us in whatever we are going through, whether we are walking through the darkest valley or walking through the wilderness. God is with us and he will never leave us.  Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."  

3) He has saved you from condemnation for your sin by taking his perfect Son and sacrificing Him for us. When life seems upside down and it may seem like there is nothing to be thankful for. We can remember and be thankful that our biggest problem has been solved, by Jesus Christ. We can be thankful for that no matter the situation. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” We have been declared righteous because Christ’s righteousness now rests on us. We have a lot to be thankful for in Jesus Christ.  

I am nowhere near to having contentment in my life perfect right now and I don’t think I ever will perfect it. It is a daily struggle to choose to be content. What am I really doing? I am doing what Eve did in the Garden. I am choosing to believe Satan’s lie that God’s goodness is not enough. I am choosing not to be content with the many things God has given me?  

We sometimes look at Eve’s life and wonder why in the world she couldn’t be content. God gave her everything. He only said no to one thing. The tree. She clearly did not appreciate our great God. But how many times a day do I do the same thing?  

Philippians 4:11-13 Paul says “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. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” 

Paul says he has learned the secret to being content. If anyone had a right, not to be content, it was Paul. He wrote this from prison, and he could still say that he had learned to be content in every situation. What is that secret? Christ in me. We need to refuse to follow our feelings and choose to reflect and be thankful. Remember the promises of God and praise the Lord for those things. Choose to have gratitude in your heart and let that change your perspective each and every day.