“Boy, I wish…”
How many times do you find yourself thinking or saying this? It’s so natural to think life would be easier, better if only……”
The truth is, God has given us everything right now that we need to be content. Contentedness doesn’t depend on outward circumstances. Contentedness is a matter of the heart and is dependent on our trust in the Lord.
Philippians 4 tells us, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Truth is, we can’t do it on our own, but we can choose to let Christ do it through us. Or we can complain, wish, covet, make excuses and reap the result of making ourselves and those around us miserable.
Life is too short to allow ourselves to focus on what we don’t have or how rough our walk may be when others have it so much easier.
Psalm 138:8 has been one of my favorites, “The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.”
God will accomplish what concerns me. Even if I can’t see what He’s doing right now. It helps me tremendously to look at things that I thought were so bad when they were happening, and see how God has brought good from bad, given beauty for ashes. That’s what God does.
Satan wants us to look around us, give in to discontent, and become bitter. We think; “I deserve better than this, I’ve earned it, I have a right to it”, instead of realizing God ONLY gives us what HE knows is good for us and His timetable for accomplishing what concerns us is RIGHT. God never makes mistakes.
I always told my kids that they needed to obey the first time mom or dad told them to do or not do something. If they wanted to know why, I would be glad to tell them, AFTER they obeyed. Reason being, mom and dad can see a bigger picture than a child. They can see the car coming down the road when the child is walking out between two parked cars. They can foresee danger the child never dreamed even existed.
I think that’s kind of the way God deals with us. We need to trust Him to work things out to accomplish what concerns us. He truly knows what is best for us. We sure don’t. There are many times I thought something was exactly what I needed; in retrospect, I see what God provided was exactly what I needed, and what I thought I needed would have been a disaster.
Contentedness is a choice. As mothers, we are the key to the atmosphere of our home. Make it a matter of prayer. “Lord, help me CHOOSE contentedness. Help me model contentedness and help me to confess it when I blow it, so my family will see that God’s way really is best.”
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