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(Presented by Lisa Bishop)
The Apostle Paul penned in Philippians this about contentment: “I can do all things through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
To achieve contentment Paul knew he needed the strength of Christ. To achieve contentment, you and I need the strength of Christ. But our natural inclination is often not to make Jesus our go to. In our humanness we forget we have God’s strength and the power of his Holy Spirit to help us. We neglect to delight ourselves in the Lord.
The concept of delighting in God is closely connected with intimacy with God. A desire for more of his presence. A depth of relationship where we want to know Jesus more, experience him more, worship him more, converse with him more, and find growing freedom in him. This requires making time to be with God. Daily being in his Word, in prayer and simply being still and delighting in his presence. This also reminds me of John 15:5,
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Remain in God. Abide in Jesus. And in every situation believe and remember that your secret to contentment is calling on Jesus who gives you the strength to be content and to be truly satisfied in him.
This side of heaven you will battle with discontentment. It will never go away, and you will never be fully satisfied until you are in heaven with Jesus. But it is possible and a necessity that you pursue contentment in Jesus while on earth. There is great satisfaction to be found in Christ. God wants you to experience joy, gratitude and inner peace in the here and now. Just remember, it will take an earnest attempt on your part, and intention to delight yourself in him.
