One area the Holy Spirit has been nudging me recently is in Christian Contentment. The next few of my posts will be on this subject.
As we all know, contentment is a moving goal post. World's image of oneself and expectations change constantly. Most of us (including Christians) are caught up and get "groomed" to conform to worldly standards and expectations. It is apparently hard to find many contented Christians neither at the top economic ladder nor at the bottom.
An adaptation of an article written by Larry Burkett's Biblical Principles Under Scrutiny, found in www.focusonthefamily.com/lifechallenges/managing-money/breaking-free-from-debt/learning-contentment, states "One of the greatest mysteries of Christianity is Contentment.....Yet contentment is not something that's found, its an attitude."
There are people who accept poverty and those who embrace affluence and prosperity. Do either of these conditions bring contentment? The clear answer is NO.
So what does?
Contentment does NOT mean satisfied where you are and stay where you are (attitudinally). Rather, it is knowing God's plan for your life, have a conviction to live it, and believing that God's peace is greater than the world's problems. Paul says in Philippians 4:11, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Meditate on this that God through the help of the Holy Spirit will bring us to the understanding, knowledge and wisdom of its true meaning.
Based on Paul's words, being content is not something God gives us, but it is something we learn with the help of the Holy Spirit and put into practice - which is knowing God's plan for your life, have a conviction to live it, and believe that God's peace is greater than the problems we face in this world.
As we all know, contentment is a moving goal post. World's image of oneself and expectations change constantly. Most of us (including Christians) are caught up and get "groomed" to conform to worldly standards and expectations. It is apparently hard to find many contented Christians neither at the top economic ladder nor at the bottom.
An adaptation of an article written by Larry Burkett's Biblical Principles Under Scrutiny, found in www.focusonthefamily.com/lifechallenges/managing-money/breaking-free-from-debt/learning-contentment, states "One of the greatest mysteries of Christianity is Contentment.....Yet contentment is not something that's found, its an attitude."
There are people who accept poverty and those who embrace affluence and prosperity. Do either of these conditions bring contentment? The clear answer is NO.
So what does?
Contentment does NOT mean satisfied where you are and stay where you are (attitudinally). Rather, it is knowing God's plan for your life, have a conviction to live it, and believing that God's peace is greater than the world's problems. Paul says in Philippians 4:11, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Meditate on this that God through the help of the Holy Spirit will bring us to the understanding, knowledge and wisdom of its true meaning.
Based on Paul's words, being content is not something God gives us, but it is something we learn with the help of the Holy Spirit and put into practice - which is knowing God's plan for your life, have a conviction to live it, and believe that God's peace is greater than the problems we face in this world.
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