The Key to Contentment

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19, NLT. Italics mine.

As a little girl I never knew I lived in a low-income neighborhood. At one point in my life, I lived in a two-room house located in the most southern tip of Texas. One of the rooms—a tiny kitchen—had a sink, a fridge and a table for two. The main room had a bed and a chair. It doesn’t seem so bad when you think about it; but when you add a single mother with eight kids, it just seems impossible.

It’s a wonder to look back now and think about those days. My mom made it a point to pray when we needed something and when God answered our prayers, she always thanked Him for His provision. I remember hearing my mom pray every night asking God to supply all of our needs and then she would thank God for all the things we had.

As I watched God provide for our family over the years, I learned the key to contentment in every situation meant to stay focused solely on the Lord. My mother modeled this for me as she struggled to support our family. She trusted God’s sovereignty and embraced His grace. She believed wholeheartedly that He would give us what we needed and more.

In addition, I saw what happens when a person takes their eyes off of Christ. Worry sets in, fear takes over and confusion sets in. It happens to everyone, even me. When I don’t completely trust the Lord, I end up depending on things that don’t last. In today’s culture, we often want to blame our circumstances for our discontent, but it goes deeper. It truly stems from whether we trust God completely.

For that reason, God’s Word constantly tells us to trust in the Lord. Paul writes, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7, NLT).

As women of God, I hope we never forget how blessed we are to live in a country full of privilege and abundance. More than anything I pray we will continue to use the resources God has given us for His glory. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that God has a purpose for everything. It’s not so bad if you think about it, when you trust in the Lord with all of your heart, anything is possible (Philippians 4:12-13).

How are you reacting to your current circumstances? Are you whining, complaining or are you trusting the Lord?

~Raquel

 

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