Can We Really Be Content?
How many times a day does a complaint cross your mind?
I think if we will be honest with ourselves, it’s probably a pretty regular occurrence. It’s okay to admit it. Jesus was also tempted to complain, but we can learn something very important from how He handled Himself.
Jesus never let His suffering affect the way He treated people.
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Think about this. Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him, yet He never treated him any differently than the other disciples. He knew Peter was going to deny Him three times, and He still brought him into His inner circle of friendship.
Why was Jesus so quick to forgive? What made Him so content in His suffering? He knew God was with Him all the time…and that He would work out all things for His good.
If we can be content in the journey like Jesus, we won’t be disappointed by life.
So many people feel like they’re cursed as soon as they enter a difficult situation. But that’s not always the case. In fact, sometimes we’re part of the problem! Think about it. Have you ever asked God to use you and then balked at the way He wanted to use you?
Why Does God Want Me in THIS Situation?
When I think about discontentment, the first thing that comes to mind is work. A lot of people don’t enjoy their jobs and it’s one of the main things we like to complain about. But that doesn’t do us any good.
In Ecclesiastes 2:24, it says that the gift of God is that we might enjoy our labor. We’re anointed by God to enjoy every single thing we do. But if we let him, Satan will steal every bit of enjoyment he can take from us.
If you’re in a workplace you don’t like right now, be encouraged because God will use it for your good. Think about it this way: He wants you to be a light in the darkness-and He’s putting His confidence in you!
Sometimes you have to spend enough time in one place to really get God’s message across. It takes time for the people around you to begin to trust and respect you and start to see some stability in your life. Sometimes God will anoint you to just be there.
Don’t allow yourself to have a snooty “I’m too good to be here” attitude. Just be who you are in Christ and try your best not to compromise your Christian values. God will move in your life if you will trust Him and be content.
Why Did God Put THIS Person in My Life?
The second thing that comes to mind when I think of discontentment is people.
If you’ve heard many of my teachings on CD, you’ve probably heard this story before but many years ago, of all the ridiculous things I could pray for, I was asking God for a fur coat. And I had this neighbor who really annoyed me because I didn’t think she was as “spiritual” as me. Well, one day she came over all excited and said, “You’ll never believe what God gave me!” And she pulled out the fur coat I’d been praying for!
Many times, when God puts “those people” in our lives, it’s to help us get rid of all the rotten thoughts and attitudes we don’t even know we have. When God exposes them, we can take the opportunity to grow spiritually.
It’s our inner life that matters to God.
We need to trust God enough that He will do what’s best for us. And we need to learn how to be happy for other people when God blesses them.
If you have an area in your life where you need to be more content, I encourage you to embrace your purpose in the place you are right now and enjoy becoming the person God is changing you to be.
