Have you ever wondered why you’re just not happy? Why your heart is so restless? Maybe you keep saying or thinking things
like:
I want a new job. I
want a new spouse. I want more money in
my bank account. I want a bigger
house. I’m so tired of this health sickness. Why can’t I exchange my kids at Wal-mart like
I can a pair of shoes?
It may be that we are miserable because we’ve chosen to
be. I know, you just got upset, because
if I only knew what you’ve been through or are going through. Beloved, I’m not trying to downplay the pain
you’ve been through. Yet, I also believe
some of us are miserable and we don’t have to be but we are because of the
attitudes we have chosen in response to our pain. Life is full of unexpected circumstances,
things far beyond our control. It’s a
choice how we respond to those circumstances and I believe we can actually have
joy and be happy even when we’re experiencing pain and disappointment. It’s called contentment and it comes from
trusting God and not putting our hope in our circumstances—but in His Word.
God has really been teaching me what contentment means
lately. Contentment means that I don’t
have everything I want but I choose
to trust in and thank Him for His sufficiency in my life resting in the fact
that He has given me everything I need
to be completely happy and content.
Do we really believe that God is enough and that His love can truly satisfy? Because if we did, we’d stop striving for
more and we would be much more thankful people.
Thankful even for the painful stuff, because we believe by faith that
God is using all of it to draw us closer to His heart and grow our faith. God always acts of out love for us. Always.
Yep, even in the struggle and in the pain, He’s acting out of love. Don’t believe me, peruse the Scriptures that
talk about suffering and see what God has to say about it. I think you’ll be surprised to see the
element of hope and goodness, which God tells us, comes through it. (Rom. 5:3-5,
James 1:2-4, Gen. 50:20, James 1:12, Heb. 12:5-11, Rom. 8:18)
The more I rest in the Father’s love and complete control
over my life, giving up my restlessness, and choosing to always be thankful the
more satisfied I find my heart to be.
It’s here we find, that we don’t have to keep running and striving
anymore because He is enough—more than enough.
