The Secret Of Contentment

Contentment and Satisfaction

1 Timothy 6:6  KJV 
 "But godliness with contentment is great gain".

The Bible says that godliness accompanied with contentment is great and abundant gain. What I take from that is, a godly person who is content is in the very best place he can possibly be.

Joy doesn't come from having your circumstances in order and under control; it comes from what's in your heart. For example, the world is full of people who have what they think they want, and they're still not happy. In fact, some of the most unhappy people in the world are people who seem to "have it all."

Contentment is not about fame or being well-known, how much money you have, your position at work or your social circle. It's not found in your level of education or what side of the tracks you were born on. Contentment is a heart attitude.

There's nobody happier than a truly thankful person, a truly content person. The word content means 'being satisfied to the point where nothing disturbs you no matter what's going on, but not satisfied to the point that you never want any change.'

We all want to see things get better. But where you are right this minute doesn't have to disturb you. You can choose to believe that God is working and things are changing, and you will see the result of it in due time.

Life is all about the choices we make, so choose contentment and satisfaction every single day of your life. You won't go wrong when you do.

Christ Who Strengthens You

Philippians 4:13 is a very popular scripture that is often quoted out of context. It says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

That doesn't mean you can just do anything you decide to do because you want to do it. Paul was talking specifically about how he was able, through the power of Christ, to be content no matter what his circumstances were.

I do believe that, by God's grace, we can do whatever we need to do in life. I think that's a mindset we need to have. There's nothing that's too much for you if you're trusting God. You can handle whatever comes your way because God promises that He'll never put more on us than we can bear and deal with.

Keep a positive attitude no matter where you are right now, no matter what's going on in your life. Keep your chin up, God is on your side. Stop being upset about things you can't do anything about.

God wants you to know that He has an individual plan for your life, and He wants you to accept His unique plan for you and not compare your plan with anybody else's. You have to trust God knows more about what you need and what you can handle than you do. After all, He knows you better than you know yourself!

I want my contentment to come from  the Lord. Not from my circumstances, not from my current situation, not from the things that I have or do not have. But just to be content in the Lord where ever I am in this life.

If we keep our eyes open we can see every day that God has a plan for each of our lives in different ways. His way is always the perfect way.

God, Give me the strength to choose to be content every single day. Amen!

The Direction of Your Journey

God Will Direct Your Journey

Psalms 37:23 KJV 
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way".

Growing up in the mountains some of my most enjoyable moments were spent hiking. Every time I would pack up my backpack and set off I felt like I was heading out on some fantastic journey. Without any type of guide I never knew where I might end up.

Sometimes I would go this way and discover an open meadow filled with wild flowers of every color and hue just beyond the tree line. Sometimes I would come to a dead end of nothing more than a sheer rock wall that was impossible to climb. Sometimes I got thirsty because I didn't bring enough water and couldn't find a fresh water source. Sometimes I got a little hungry before I found my way back. Storms come up out of nowhere. You get lost. You get wet. You get cold. You get too hot. All part of starting a journey not knowing where you are going and no one to guide you. Sometimes fun, sometimes scary. Always an adventure.

The Christian life can be likened to a journey. The Holy Spirit is our guide, He leads us daily. And He is always guiding us to what is best for our life. The key to a successful and enjoyable journey is to follow Him.

But what does it mean to follow God?

Basically, it means to obey Him, to follow His lead, and to do what He says.

So many times we get ahead of God. We may think we know the best direction to take or we get impatient with His timing and make a wrong turn because it looks quicker. The problem is, once we realize that road leads to a dead end, we have to go all the way back to where we got off course.

The good news is, God is there, waiting to take the lead again and show us the right way to go.

The Lord has each of our journeys perfectly planned. We need to fully understand that He loves us, that He is good and righteous and that we can trust Him.

We can trust Him to lead us in the direction that is right for us. We can trust Him to correct us when we stray and guide us back to the right place. We can trust Him with others on our path. We can trust Him with our life, period.

Follow the Holy Spirit's lead, because He knows the way and He will always stay with you. Trust Him to lead you into all the good He planned for your life long before you were ever born. And enjoy the journey.