Contentment
By Chip Zachary
3/11/2007
Have you ever found yourself saying, “If only…?” How often do we start our sentences with, “If”? “If I had such and such, then I would be happy.” Or, “If only so and so would do this or that, then my life would be perfect.” Or, “I wish I had , then I’d be satisfied.” Maybe you say these things aloud. Maybe you just think them. We’ve probably all had thoughts like these at some point. I know I have. And we all would probably fill in the blanks differently. I’ve often found myself saying, “If I just had more time, I could get the things done I want to get done and then I would be less anxious.”
Contentment is something all people long for, but so few find. The apostle Paul learned the secret to contentment and, through scripture, has revealed that secret to us. But even among Christians, contentment often eludes us. Why? There could be many reasons. But, I think fundamentally the world misunderstands what contentment is and even in the church their can be misunderstanding of contentment. Even those of us who know what biblical contentment is, don’t always know how to achieve it.
Today, I would like to try to answer three questions and is so doing, I hope the answers will help us all to be content. These questions are: What is contentment and what does it look like in our lives? What’s the difference between biblical contentment and some contentment counterfeits? And finally, what should we do when we feel discontent and can discontentment ever be from God? Before I try to answer these questions, let’s look at today’s text, Philippians 4:2-20.
2I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3Yes, I ask you also, true companion,[b] help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at
hand; 6do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.
8Finally,
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever
is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any
excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9What you have learned and received and heard and seen in
me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
10I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
14Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15And
you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I
left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and
receiving, except you only. 16Even in Thessalonica you
sent me help for my needs once and again. 17Not that I
seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.[c] 18I have received
full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus
the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to
God. 19And my God will supply every need of yours
according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20To
our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Now to the first question.
What is contentment and what does it look like in our lives?
To answer this first question, I’m going to look at three aspects of contentment—what does it look like according to God’s word, how is it learned, and how can we practically achieve it. After answering these questions, we’ll look at contentment counterfeits and how to evaluate discontentment in our lives.
What does contentment look like according to God’s word?
The Bible teaches
that contentment does not depend upon our circumstances. In chapter one of Philippians, we learn
that Paul is writing this letter from prison, probably in
A common belief in our day is that if we just had more money, we could buy all the things that would bring us contentment. In 1 Timothy, Paul tells us that money will not bring us contentment in fact the love of money will ruin us. Instead he admonishes us saying, “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” (1 Tim 6:6-8) The writer of Hebrews echoes, “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have.” (Heb 13:5) Be content with what you have? Now there’s a novel idea. So we see that contentment, for the believer, should have nothing to do with possessions, situations or our circumstances. Well then, what should it depend on? Good question.
To help us further understand the biblical concept of contentment, let’s look at a related word used in the Old Testament. That word is satisfied. Do you know the Mick Jagger song that in part says, “I can’t get no satisfaction, though I try and I try and I try and I try. I can’t get no satisfaction!” This song resonated with people because it so aptly described what all human beings crave—the sense of being satisfied perfectly. The world looks for satisfaction and can’t find it, but we, as believers, have the answer in God’s word. Proverbs 19:23 says, “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied...” Jeremiah 31:14 says, “…my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord.” And David beautifully expresses in Psalm 63:1-8:
1O God, you are my
God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
Now Listen to this:
5My
soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
These OT saints found their satisfaction not in circumstances, but in the Lord. Paul learned from them and we can learn as well. The “secret” to contentment is to find it in God alone.
So far we see that contentment is a state of being that is independent of circumstances, which is possible for believers (as exemplified by Christ and Paul) and is found in God alone. Now a little more on what contentment looks like.
The Greek word translated “content” in Philippians 4:11-13 is autarkes which means self-sufficient. The Stoics, a group of philosophers in Paul’s time, in particular, used this word to mean “being detached from ones outward circumstances and to have the resources within oneself to meet every situation.” (New Bible Commentary) I’m going to touch on the idea of being detached from ones outward circumstances later. For now, I’d like to point out that the secret to contentment does not come from our own resources (as the Stoics thought), but as verse 13 tells us, it comes from Christ who gives us the strength to do all things—in particular, to be content in all circumstances. The power of Christ living in Paul gave him peace and joy even in his sufferings. Look at Phil 4:7 & 9. He knew that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” would guard his heart and mind and that the “God of peace” would be with him. This caused him to rejoice. In the letter of Philippians he uses rejoice or joy 16 times, even in the midst of chains of Roman imprisonment. From Paul we see that an integral part of contentment is experiencing peace and joy. Do we experience joy, peace and contentment in our circumstances?
So to answer the first question (What is contentment and what does it look like), I’ve tried to define contentment according to God’s word. The biblical concept of contentment involves a state of satisfaction, joy and peace stemming from a focus on God and his character. Puritan pastor and author Jeremiah Burroughs eloquently defines Christian contentment as, “that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.” (p 19 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment)
Now to the second aspect of contentment.
How is contentment learned?
The delighting in God’s providence,, that Jeremiah Burroughs defines as being integral to contentment in every condition does not come naturally. It comes through the power and fruit of the Spirit. Paul tells us in Gal 5:22 that joy, peace and patience, or longsuffering, are fruit of the Spirit. Paul also tells us in v12 of chapter 4 that contentment is learned. How did he learn it and how can we learn it?
Paul learned contentment first by Christ’s example. Look at Phil 2:5-11:
5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant,[b] being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Paul tells us to have the mind, or attitude (NIV), of Christ who, although being very God, was content to humble himself, become a man and serve and suffer for us, even to the point of the cruel death on the cross. The writer of Hebrews tells us Christ did this “for the joy set before him.” (Heb 12:2) Paul tells us to be imitators of him as he is of Christ (1 Cor 11:1). Paul learned from Christ and we are to learn from him as well. Paul not only learned contentment from the example of Christ, but also from experiencing God’s character. Paul knew what we should know that God is sovereign and good. Romans 8:28-29 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” In Phil 2:13 Paul wrote, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” and in 1:6 he confidently states, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” God is sovereign over every aspect of our lives and this is good because he is good. We know he has the power to take care of all our needs. This is why Jesus taught in the Sermon on Mount (Mt 6:25-34) that we are not to be anxious about food, drink and clothing; for if God takes care of the birds and the flowers, he will surely take care of us. Paul puts it like this in Phil 4:19, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” If God takes care of our needs then what do we have to be discontent about? Do we know more than God about what we need?
We can also trust in God’s sovereignty and goodness in our sufferings. We see Paul’s example in Phil 1:29, 3:10 and 2 Cor 12:9-10 where Paul again asserts his strength comes from Christ. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Is God sovereign and good in whatever situation we are struggling with? You bet he is! If we doubt this then we are rebelling against the very nature and will of God! He will give us sufficient grace to deal with the situation and use it conform us to the image of his Son.
Paul also experienced God’s faithfulness. Even when we are faithless, God remains faithful (2 Tim 2:13). God promises to provide a way for us to persevere, even in the most difficult situations. In 1 Cor 10:13, Paul writes, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” The writer of Hebrews further explains we can be content with what we have, for God has said, “ ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear, what can man do to me?’” (Heb 13:5-6) God understands our situations. He has allowed them into our lives for his purposes. He is also faithful to provide the way of escape, not from the circumstances, but from sinning in the circumstances. We do not have to sin against him with discontentment and grumbling. Will God help us endure our difficult circumstances? We can confidently say, “Yes! He is faithful to cause me to endure.”
Paul learned contentment by following Christ’s example, by relying on God’s character, and finally by keeping an eternal perspective. Look at Phil 1:21-24, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which shall I choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.” And in Chapter 3:14 he says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” And in v 20-21 “But our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” And he further explains in 2 Cor 4 that even though we are afflicted in every way, we are not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. Why did Paul and why should we not lose heart despite difficult circumstances? Because “though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight and momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison, as we look not to things that are seen but to things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4:8-9, 16-18) Did you catch that? Our present difficulties are only slight and momentary, like a dot on an infinite line, and they prepare us for an eternal weight of glory.
What is contentment? It is a state of joy, peace and complete satisfaction, which is learned through the Holy Spirit, as we learn to follow Christ’s example, trust in God’s goodness and sovereign power, and keep our eyes on our eternal hope. If it comes from the Spirit, then why do so many believers at some point in their lives (and I admit I’m one of them) feel discontent? This is the third aspect in defining contentment and what it looks like—contentment is a discipline. It is a discipline that must be cultivated.
How can we practically achieve contentment? –
Remember, Paul tells us that he has learned the secret to contentment and thankfully he doesn’t keep the secret from us. In the book of Philippians, Paul gives us some very practical advice to cultivate contentment.
The first instruction is to rejoice. Phil 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Notice that we are not to rejoice in our circumstances, our money, or things, but in the Lord. And we are to do it always and continually. Everything else in this life can let us down, but “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam 3:22-23) Rejoicing in the Lord is the response to meditating on God’s character. Make it a practice to meditate on God’s character and respond with rejoicing. Find comfort in his omniscience, omnipotence and immutability. Praise him for his love, mercy, faithfulness, goodness, and justice to name a few.
Another discipline that leads to contentment is serving others. In Phil 2:3-4, Paul admonishes us to, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others.” Is there someone in your life who makes you think, “If I didn’t have to deal with him, I would be so much happier?” If so, start looking for ways to serve that person and watch your heart change. When we take our eyes off ourselves and our circumstances and love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves; our problems become much smaller.
Paul also encourages us to pursue the disciplines of prayer and thanksgiving. He tells us not to be anxious or worry about anything, but instead to pray about everything. Look at Phil 4:6-7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We have already talked about Jesus’ teaching us not to be anxious. And in his model prayer, he teaches us to pray that God’s will would be done in our lives, to supply our daily needs, and to deliver us from temptation. We can be confident that God will do these things, because he keeps his promises. Peter tells us to cast our anxieties on him, because he cares for us. (1 Pet 5:7) Do we believe that? And we should bring our supplications to God with thanksgiving, remembering how God has been so good to us and has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies. (Eph 1:3)
Paul also instructs us to do all things without grumbling and complaining. Now I admit that this is something I struggle with. But notice what Paul says in Chapter 2:14-15, “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, or complaining (NIV), that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, or stars in the universe (NIV)” We have no right to grumble or complain. When we grumble we are grumbling against the Lord. Ex 22:28 says we are not to revile the Lord. We do revile the Lord when we complain against him. Do you want to shine like a star at work, school or home? Stop grumbling and complaining and be thankful. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess 5:16-18)
Paul also tells us to be reasonable or gentle (NIV) in v 4:5. This means we are to have a fitting, appropriate, proper or suitable response to our circumstances. We are not to be easily provoked or disturbed by our circumstances. As believers we must thoughtfully respond, not just thoughtlessly react to our trials. Few things witness more clearly to unbelievers than a person who is reasonable and thankful in the midst of a trial. As we do these things and make them our habit, our anxieties will be replaced by peace. A peace, not as the world gives, (Jn 14:27) but as the God of peace gives. And this peace surpasses all understanding and will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Will you give your anxieties about your work, school or relationships to God and receive his peace?
So here’s the list from Paul so far:
1) Rejoice in the Lord and meditate on the Lord through his word.
2) Get our mind off ourselves and serve others.
3) Pray in all situations with thanksgiving.
4) Do all things without grumbling or complaining.
5) And respond to our circumstances thoughtfully and reasonably.
But Paul doesn’t stop there, he tells us there is more we can do to cultivate contentment. Thinking is another discipline Paul commends to us. Look at Phil 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” God’s word has all of these characteristics. Throughout Psalm 119, the psalmist writes he meditates on God’s law. In v 97 he states, “Oh how I love your law! It is my mediation all the day.” Do you love God’s word, are you meditating on it? The nature of God and his works are also worthy of meditation. David says in Psalm 143:5, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands,” and in 145:5, he echoes, “On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.” Focusing on God, remembering his faithfulness and the many wonderful things he has done for us, helps us to experience joy, peace and contentment in our present circumstances.
Thinking about what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise is also a good response in personal conflict. In v 2-3, we see Paul gives these commands in the context of a conflict between Euodia and Syntyche. When we are in conflict, dwelling on the good in our opponent helps us realize how much we stand to lose if our relationship is not reconciled. Is there someone you are in conflict with? Try to think of the good in that person and make every effort to reconcile with them.
Cheerful giving is another discipline Paul gives us that will lead to contentment. Later in chapter 4, Paul expresses gratitude to the Philippian church for their financial support to his ministry, when no other churches would. And they did so multiple times. (v 15-16) In 2 Cor 9:6-8 Paul writes, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” The word translated all sufficiency is autarkeia, a derivative of autarkes, the Greek word for contentment. When we give cheerfully, we acknowledge that all that we have is ultimately from God and we are eager to give back to him. In turn, he gives us more grace and we become more content. How often do we hold back from giving to God because we think it would keep us from having something that will make us happy? In God’s economy, the opposite is true. Purpose to live below your level of income so that you can give willingly and generously and see if God will not “open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” (Mal 3:10)
So adding to the previous list we can add:
6) Thinking on what is good.
7) Giving cheerfully.
Paul’s conclusion in 4:9 is “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Notice that it takes practice. The tense of this verb in the Greek is present active imperative. So it could be translated, keep on practicing. (Nate Wilson commentary) These disciplines are not just something we do once. Just like strong muscles only come by repeated physical training, contentment will not come without ongoing spiritual discipline. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Tim 4:7-8, “…Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” It is our responsibility to pursue contentment, be we can also be assured that God will allow us to learn it, as expressed in Chap 2:12-13, “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” As we practice these disciplines, God graciously gives us his grace, hope, joy, and peace which lead to contentment no matter the circumstances.
Now that we’ve covered what contentment is-- what it looks like according to God’s word, how it’s learned, and how we can practically achieve it. Let’s look at the second half of our first question—what can contentment look like in a modern day trial?
Corrie ten Boom is a modern example of a person who was able to experience contentment, despite horrendous circumstances. She and her sister, Betsie, were imprisoned at Ravensbruk, one of the worst Nazi concentration camps in WWII. The barracks were built to hold 400 women, but housed 1400 women. In addition to these overcrowded conditions, the barracks were infested with fleas and lice. Their living quarters were so bad that even the guards did not want to come into their rooms. At Ravensbruk, the punishment for being caught with a Bible was swift, severe and cruel and often meant death. Despite the squalid conditions and innumerable, painful bites from the lice and fleas, she and her sister came to praise God for the pests. They realized that these conditions were providential in allowing them to keep their Bible which they had smuggled into the camp. Through God’s word, they drew his strength to endure the evil treatment they faced at Ravensbruk.
How about in our lives? What does contentment look like? What does contentment look like when dealing with harsh and demanding superiors at work? What does it look like in the midst of a busy and demanding semester of classes? What does it look like in our school or neighborhood when our neighbors tease or mock or cause conflict with us? What does it look like in a painful relationship with a family member or friend? What does it look like here as we wait on God’s working in the growth of this church? It should look like peace, joy and an unflappable satisfaction. I encourage you to pray, meditate, and practice these disciplines so we can shine like stars to those around us. This world longs for contentment and peace. When others see contentment in us, it opens an opportunity to witness and shine the light of Christ.
Now I would like to turn briefly to the other two questions I posed at the beginning of today’s sermon. What’s the difference between biblical contentment and some contentment counterfeits? And what should we do when we feel discontent and can discontentment ever be from God?
What is the difference between biblical contentment and some
contentment counterfeits?
Sometimes people can look content on the surface, but there is no inner peace. Let’s look at a few counterfeits that look a lot like contentment. One is complacency. Webster defines complacency as “a calm or secure satisfaction with one’s self or lot,” or it could also mean, “unconcern.” I mentioned before that the Stoic philosophers defined contentment as “being detached from ones outward circumstances and to have the resources within oneself to meet every situation.” What the Stoics were actually describing was complacency or unconcern. In our day the word stoic has come to mean “not affected by or showing passion or feeling.” (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary) Forcing ourselves not to be affected by our trials or pretending we don’t care or don’t feel pain in our circumstances is not the same as the biblical concept of contentment. A biblical response to trial does not deny pain, but looks to God to endure it. A biblical response does not pretend there is no trial or trouble, it looks to God for answers. It does not suppress anxiety, but replaces it with peace. Rather than passive complacency, we are able to be active in our trials, pursuing Christ, practicing the disciplines Paul has given us and even looking to change our circumstances if it is possible (as Paul recommends in the case of slavery, 1 Cor 7:20-24).
Besides complacency, there is also the counterfeit of fatalism. When I was very young, Doris Day popularized a famous song with the refrain, “que sera sera, whatever will be will be.” This kind of blind “whatever will be will be” has no place in the life of a Christian whose life is in the hands of personal, compassionate and active God. God is not far off (Ps 139:7-12, Phil 4:5) or capricious (Ez 33:11). He is intimately involved in our lives (Ps 139:1-6, Lk 12:4-7).
A third counterfeit is laziness. Sometimes we are just too lazy to deal with our trials so we ignore them. But, Col 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Stoic indifference, fatalistic attitudes and laziness are not the same as contentment, because we have seen, contentment is a learned, supernatural state of joy, peace and satisfaction that comes from a good and sovereign Lord intimately working in our lives, but also requiring learning, discipline and obedience on our part.
And now the final question.
What should we do when we feel discontent and can discontentment ever
be from God?
I think first, We should ask ourselves, “Where is my focus?” Am I focusing on Christ or am I focused on myself or some other idol such as a possession, relationship or some other thing that I think I must have to be satisfied? Or am I satisfied with Christ alone. When we are feeling discontent, we should also ask, “Is there an area of sin or disobedience in my life, for which God may be trying to get my attention?” If so, confess the sin and God will be “faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1:9) Still feeling discontent? We should ask ourselves, “Do I have a wrong view of God. Have I created a false image of him? Am I denying his power, goodness or faithfulness?” We should also ask, “Do I think because I am a Christian, life should be easy?” Or do I accept Christ’s teaching that in this world we will have tribulation and do I take heart that despite these tribulations I can find comfort in Christ because he has overcome the world? (Jn 16:33) When discontent, we can ask, “Am I submitting to God’s purpose in my life and am I practicing the disciplines of rejoicing, prayer, thanksgiving, and meditation which will lead me to contentment?” We should also ask ourselves, “Am I keeping an eternal perspective?” If not, we need to remind ourselves that our afflictions are light and momentary compared to the eternal glory to come.
Now, if we can, for the most part, say, “I am focusing on Christ, I’m confessing my sin, I’m practicing the disciplines, I’m keeping an eternal perspective”; yet find ourselves discontent with our lives or an aspect of our lives, then I do believe God could be getting our attention. He could be calling us to an action or change that suits his purposes. I think two passages are key in evaluating this situation. Psalm 37:4-5 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust him and he will act.” And Romans 12:1-2 says, “ … present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” If our delight really is in the Lord and doing his will, if we are truly willing to submit to anything he calls us to do, then I believe we can trust our inclinations and desires as coming from God. If we practice the disciplines we have discussed today, transform and renew our minds by Scripture, and delight ourselves in the Lord, we can confidently follow the desires he gives us and be content in whatever God is calling us to do and the circumstances in which we are placed.