Just lately, the word ‘content’ has been on my mind. I guess I have been wrestling with whether or not this truly wonderful word could describe me.
If I am being honest, a post about living in contentment won’t be the most riveting thing you could read today. It’s just not the way of this world. Many would say that being content means remaining stagnant or living in status quo.
How often do you purposefully step back to assess how content you are with your life’s current circumstances? For myself? Not often enough. I may be genuinely thankful and even say so in my prayers, but to live a life of contentment hasn’t always been a goal until recently.
The adjective ‘content’, according to Merriam-Webster, means “pleased or satisfied with what one has or is.” I also researched to see if this word has ever been declared a “Word of the Year.” It hasn’t. 🫤
We can’t be too surprised by that. After all, most influencers are swaying us to redo our kitchens or shop the newest trend in wardrobes and reinvent ourselves in many ways. Your friends are posting their beautiful, tropical vacation photos, and every accolade in their children’s sports journeys.
It may be tougher than ever to sit in contentment!
My unpopular opinion is this: A content spirit is the richest way to live, and proves your trust in God.
To be content means refusing to be influenced so easily or maybe living a wider life outside of social media altogether.
It’s a resting in the provision of God, our gratitude abounding.
It’s knowing that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.
Contentment is looking at the world through a more mature, wiser filter… and peace is its byproduct!
There’s a number of verses in scripture that point to this truth.
“Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5
“I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little.”
Philippians 4:12
“Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.”
Proverbs 14:30
“Instead, I am content and at peace. As a child lies quietly in its mother's arms, so my heart is quiet within me.” Psalm 131:2
Likely, the above verses were written in war, from jail, and during persecution, and yet, contentment even in those circumstances is possible! Comfort is not equal to contentment.
I observed my own sister this past summer. She was a near-perfect example of living in contentment. Just 2 days in to her North Carolina vacation, she had a mishap on the steps of the beach house, and found herself in the ER with some nasty fractures to her right tibia and fibula. Not long after, surgery came, and as she was in the process of healing (with lots of hardware now affixed inside), summer was rolling by. It was months of rest and no weight bearing. She couldn’t drive. Her adventurous spirit was now bound by the immobility of this leg. But, each time we chatted, she was not in the frame of mind to complain. She accepted the damage and prayed for healing. She was patient and her spirit was content in the circumstance. This is not to say she wasn’t frustrated or didn’t have bad days. I admired her steadfastness in the whole process.
It’s true- life doesn’t stop coming, whether it’s illness or injury, grief or disappointment, parenting or aging parents.
So, Christians, let’s appreciate the privilege of being human. Giving thanks for the sneakers on our feet, the stars of a night time sky and everything in between. Isn’t it true that we can find ourselves content just about anywhere we choose to be?
Right now, the heat has kicked on in our home. The dishwasher is humming. My family is safe, dogs included- as they are both snuggled tight against me.
I hope you, friend, find yourself content in many moments today, tomorrow, & always. Maybe this truly wonderful word can describe you, too. Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁
Photo by Michał Franczak on Unsplash
