In a world that tells us to buy the next best thing and we will be happy; we have a promise from God that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). As we meditate on this truth and allow it to take root in our hearts, we might just discover that we already have everything we could ever need. (God Has Said – Lucy Weil)
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Day 1
Scripture: 1 Peter 5:5-11
Come what may
At the end of Peter’s first of two letters in the New Testament, he continues with a constant thread of what’s come before. Writing to a dispersed group of Jesus’ fledgling followers, Peter keeps returning to the hard truth of suffering as a Christian. Without specifying the ‘various trials’ that his original readers might be going through (1 Peter 1:6), Peter explains how joy can be found in such dire straits. Among the available benefits of suffering is the increased reliance upon the care and strength of God.
As our passage in chapter 5 indicates, contentment is actually possible amid the anxieties and ‘prowling’ attacks of the devil. In Christ, and in humility ‘under God’s mighty hand’ (1 Peter 5:6), we can cast all our cares on the Almighty who cares for us.
How stabilising and constant. Such an opportunity for stress relief provides a ‘strong, firm and steadfast’ foundation (1 Peter 5:10) for life. Come what may.
Day 2
Scripture: Hebrews 13:5
Choosing today over grasping for tomorrow
Seeing the fisherman kneeling beside his upturned boat building sandcastles with his young son, angered the passing businessman.
‘Why aren’t you out fishing in your boat?’ asked the agitated passerby.
‘Because I’ve caught enough fish for one day,’ replied the fisherman.
‘So why not catch more?’
‘And what would I do with them?’ replied the still smiling fisherman now digging a moat around their lopsided sandcastle.
‘You could earn more money, and then you could buy a bigger boat, fish further out and catch more fish. Then you’d afford better nets and own more boats. Then buy a fleet and be rich like me!’
‘Then what would I do?’ asked the fisherman.
‘Well, enjoy life.’
The now confused fisherman rustled his son’s hair and stood before the businessman. ‘What do you think I’m doing now?’
Hebrews 13:5 reminds us that contentment is not found in the grasping of things, but in choosing to be present, aware, and grateful for our place in God’s heart. Being filled with the understanding that God is supreme, His capacity limitless and His love for us so profound that He allowed His Son to leave His side to be by ours.
Today, we have a choice: to fall prey to pursuing what we do not yet have – or to live in the presence of what we do. To find contentment in the blessings of God.
Day 3
Scripture: Psalms 46:1-11
Be still, and know that I am God
Listen to the song Be Still and Know by Sam Wilson
As much as contentment can be described as a state of happiness, satisfaction, peace and ease, I’m coming to appreciate that contentment is as much a ‘journey’ as it is a ‘destination’.
While it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that once you have the dream car, the house, the partner, the job, the kids, do the dream trip… etc… that you’ll be satisfied. Yet life will always offer up the next thing to chase.
Hear me – I’m not saying that any of these dreams are ‘bad’, or not worth pursuit and working hard to achieve, BUT what is the ‘chase’ of the dream costing you?
Count your costs.
When did you last truly feel content?
If you find you’re struggling in the ‘hustle’, struggling to find or experience contentment, pause today. Find time to stop and spend with God. Allow Him the opportunity to bring peace and ease to the noise surrounding you.
Day 4
Scripture: Philippians 4:11-12
True and false contentment
A false sort of contentment is a lazy complacency. No ambition to improve; no appetite for fruitful change. Settle back in our armchairs and wait for heaven. That sort of ‘contentment’ is not the sort being taught in the scriptures.
True contentment can be ambitious for improvement. William Wilberforce was not content with the slave trade. Mother Teresa was not content with urban poverty. None of us need be content with our maturity or love of God and others. True contentment means that while we live for God how and where we are, that we are open to new seasons, new opportunities, new ways to live for Him. True contentment involves openness to change, while at the same time, not succumbing to frantic restlessness. It means we are thankful to God for who we are and what we have, even as we seek to discern the possibility and even desirability of change.
We need to be open to serving God and others right where we are and not assume things must change in order for us to serve. True contentment recognises that the grass is not always greener elsewhere. We are free to consider looking for treasures in different situations, but all the time remembering that the treasure we seek may be buried right beneath our feet where we are. Contentment will have us focus not on our external circumstances but on the presence of God no matter what the circumstances.
Day 5
Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-7
Contentment is great gain
Contentment is rarely the goal in this world. Advertising is specifically marketed towards our discontentment. This is the generation with the least contentment in their jobs, the least contentment in their relationships, and the least contentment with their lives. What the world robs us of, Jesus gives in abundance. In these verses, Paul offers his young apprentice Timothy deep spiritual wisdom, ‘godliness with contentment is great gain’. Earlier, Paul had shown that there are people who would even use godliness as a means to gain something else. For instance, using godliness as a way to earn people’s favour. Paul turns this around to say that you should just be happy that you are godly and this is of great benefit to yourself. True godliness is a gift of God. If we are able to enact godliness, it is because the Gospel has worked in us and we have inherited Christ‘s righteousness. What an amazing gift this is in and of itself.
To be satisfied with Christ means to be content with life. This state of contentment is the state that we are made for. In eternity we will be in a constant state of contentment. In our contentment we will not have needs for anything else. Putting our joy in material things of this world will not give us true contentment. For we didn’t bring anything into the world and we cannot take those things with us when we die.
To be content is to be truly happy with what you have and, because we have Christ, we can be truly content.
Day 6
Scripture: Hebrews 13:5
God has said…
Think about how many times a day we’re being told we need to be better, happier, healthier and to have more fun. We live in a world that is working every day to create a level of discontent and dissatisfaction in our lives and our circumstances to such an extent that we will want to make a change. It’s how advertising works.
Discontentment is not always bad. That stirring in our hearts can prompt us to action something we would otherwise not do, such as fighting social injustice or finally getting that health niggle seen to. However, often, the discontentment referred to above can rob us of our peace and create discord in our relationships.
It feels as though the odds are stacked against us when it comes to the challenge of living a contented life in the 21st century, but many hundreds of years ago, the writer of Hebrews seems to have anticipated this exact challenge, writing, ‘Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”’
Perhaps the key to contentment is in this profound truth? The creator of the universe, the light of the world, our Saviour, deliverer and friend is ALWAYS with us.
As we meditate on this truth and allow it to take root in our hearts, we might just discover that we already have everything we could ever need.
Day 7
Scripture: Ruth 2:11
I have learned…
When I hear the word ‘contentment’, my mind instantly turns to Ruth – a young woman who got married, became part of a good family and, even though it doesn’t explicitly say, I like to assume she was happy! After being married for roughly 10 years, Ruth’s husband passed away. Her mother-in-law, Naomi, tried to persuade her to return home to her parents; however, I love Ruth’s response: ‘… wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God’ (1:16b).
Ruth’s experiences were painful and I’m sure it wasn’t easy to leave everything that she knew behind; however, by demonstrating a posture of contentedness and peace, she opened herself up to the blessings, favour and position that God had waiting for her! Her story echoes the words of Paul in Philippians 4:11b–13 (ESV): ‘… for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content… I have learned the secret… I can do all things through him who strengthens me’.
Contentment is not determined by our circumstances or the superficial feeling of ‘happiness’ when things are going our way. Contentment is believing that God is with us in the middle of life’s challenges, that He is always working for our good and that if we trust and obey Him, we will always have everything we need!