The Secret to Finding Contentment
“I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13 CSB
Hey mama!
I want to invite you into a place that you probably normally don’t get invited into it. I want to invite you into my bathroom. I know, sounds a little crazy, right? I promise that I’m not being weird! But there is a reason why I chose the bathroom of all places to invite you into. As weird as it sounds, my bathroom is one of the places I go to when I need to be alone for a few minutes. It’s a safe place where I can let my guard down, process my thoughts, untangle my emotions, and talk to my Savior.
I’m guessing you have a place like this as well. Your place may be the bathroom also or in another room in your home – wherever it is – it’s a place where you can be alone for a few minutes to deal with whatever is on your heart and mind.
A few weeks back, I noticed that my heart was a little heavier than normal and it sent me retreating to my bathroom to process my thoughts and emotions. I couldn’t for the life of me understand why I was so upset and I couldn’t stop the tears that were falling, so I grabbed a washcloth to wash my face real quick and try to pull myself back together. Suddenly, my gaze fell upon a picture that hangs right above my towel rack beside my bathroom sink.
You should know that I look at this picture every single day and can recite the words by heart, but this time was different. This time it was as if the words jumped right off the wall and smacked me in the face. And that’s when God spoke to my heart and revealed my problem to me. My problem - I was starting to focus on what other people had and what other people were doing, and in doing so I was becoming very discontent. Do you find yourself struggling with discontentment?
Sweet friend, discontentment is a thief. It steals our joy and robs us of God’s blessings. The apostle Paul knew this which is why he says in Philippians 4:12-13, “I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” If we continue to see our blessings through the lens of what we don’t have in comparison to what someone else has, we will never experience the life that God designed for us.
Don’t let the enemy trick you into thinking that what you have isn’t enough – because that is exactly what he wants to do friend. One way to combat the enemy and the thief of discontentment is to focus on what is true, noble, and pure just like Philippians 4:8-9 tells us to. When we put that kind of thinking into practice, we take back control over our minds. This puts the ball back into our court and out of the enemies’ hands.
So, friend, I’m extending you an invitation into my safe place –even if it is my bathroom. You see, God reminded me through some beautiful, flowy words written on a pretty sign from Hobby Lobby that I needed to be content– and it’s my prayer that it helps you too.
The ultimate secret to finding contentment is in Jesus. He alone provides us with everything we need. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of that truth. Once we establish that He is our ultimate source for everything we need - then the other secret is just what the sign says – The secret to having it all is knowing you already do! Oh, sweet mama, our Savior supplies us with everything we need – He has richly and abundantly given us more than we could ask or even think of - sometimes it just takes opening our eyes to see what we already have!
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for your abundant blessings in my life. Thank you for helping me recognize that the sour feeling that I was experiencing was discontentment. It really and truly is a thief. It robbed me of so many things in such a small amount of time. Thank you for reminding me of your goodness in my life. Help to focus on the blessings – keep my eyes on you. I love you Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Dig Deeper:
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:25-26