Cultivating Contentment
â…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.â Philippians 4:12-13 (CSB)

Five-year-old Ryan was our next door neighbor. A blond-haired, brown-eyed spitfire whose favorite past time was to ride his bike. His rickety, red, girlâs Schwin bicycle had been handed down through several cousins before making its way into Ryanâs garage and heart. Badly in need of repair, it didnât matter to Ryan. He proudly paraded that contraption up and down our block each afternoon. So imagine my surprise when one day, I happened upon Ryan kicking his beloved bike as it lay on the ground.
âWhat are you doing, buddy?â I questioned.â Stupid bike,â he murmured still striking it with the toe of his tennis shoe. âCool kids have a bright blue, mud puppy dirt bike, not some dumb old, girlâs bike from their cousin.â And then, it dawned on me what day it was. It was Ryanâs first day of kindergarten. And sure enough, at recess the kids discussed what bikes they owned and in Ryanâs eyes his prized possession had suddenly turned stupid. His contentment had vanished. Why?
Comparisons. Comparisons deal a fatal blow to our contentment. My house is just fineâŚ.until my sister builds one larger and more functional. My clothes are satisfactoryâŚ.until I see the latest new must-haves of the season. Why even my husbandâs not bad of a guyâŚ. until I think of my friendâs handy hubby who can build an addition on their house, while mine can barely fling a paintbrush. You see, weâre usually content with our own red Schwin hand-me-down until we spy our neighbor with her new, bright blue mud puppy.
The great playwright William Shakespeare said it fittingly in his work Much Ado About Nothing, âComparisons are odious.â Thatâs right, they stink!! And if we wallow in comparisons long enough ⌠we begin to stink.
The apostle Paul penned todayâs verses from a dark, lonely, first century prison, with no internet access or air-conditioned exercise room. Yet just when did Paul say we should be content? When life is clipping along, with circumstances going our way? When weâve just told Howie weâll take the deal? No it says in any and every situation.
The Greek word rendered âcontentâ in this passage denotes more than just a throwing up of arms in reluctant acceptance. It means literally âto be satisfied to the point where I am no longer disturbed or disquieted.â This is the calm place God has prepared for us in the midst of lifeâs storms. Heâs waiting for us to lift our eyes off of our circumstances and instead, fix them solely upon Him; to look to our position in Christ for our worth, not our position in society.
We must stop struggling to change our circumstances. What will make the difference is the peace of Christ living in us, not us living with someone elseâs circumstances. Donât our human minds reason that the opposite is true? You know the audio reels that play through your mind: âIf only I had a bigger house ⌠a little more money ⌠mild-mannered children ⌠a kinder, gentler husband.â
Not available in microwave form, godly contentment needs to be patiently cultivated. We must cease comparing and instead embrace our current lot in life, welcoming all that God will teach us through it. Only then we will discover the secret Paul knew; that true contentment is not having what you want; but wanting nothing more than what you already have.
Dear Lord, help me to take my eyes off of others and fix them instead upon you. May I discover the peace You graciously offer me, no matter the circumstances of my life at this moment. I praise You for the good times and I thank You for what you teach me during the not-so-wonderful times. Use all of them to make me what You want me to be. In Jesusâ Name, Amen.
Who, What , Where, When and Why? If any of these trouble you and you feel the Lord wants you to pursue…what to do? Pray, Pray and find anyone to pray with you. Do not discount the odd thought, but consider the above investigative words to get at the crux. There are no completely normals or normal days. Your input is needed whatever the outcome up ahead. Pray. I would be honored to pray with you.
Karen, youâll never know how much I needed this!! Thank you for being obedient to the word of God. ???
That definition of contentment is just a “WOW.” Thanks so much for sharing it!