The Secret Of Contentment
“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” ( Philippians 4:11-12)
Many of us have some mixed-up ideas about being contentment. We think that if we can ever have this good thing, our life will be better. If we can avoid the bad thing, then we’ll be happy. If we thought about it more we’d realize that we know plenty of people who have this or who have successfully avoided that but still aren’t any happier than we are. Possessions, fame, beauty, and other earthly things can be pleasant for a while but they can never produce genuine contentment. There must be a secret we haven’t discovered yet. We experience contentment when external things lose their grip on our hearts and don’t matter much anymore. Some of us get bent out of shape when we realize our favorite shirt is still at the laundry or when we can’t find the perfect pair of shoes. True contentment is when you practice gratitude, learn to enjoy simple things, Contentment must be learned. Contentment comes from knowing God and delighting in his sovereign goodness and fatherly care. Happiness isn’t having what you want, it is wanting what you have. Jealousy, envy, and greed suck the life and any sense of contentment. Replace those joy killers with gratitude for what you have, and listen to your heart.
