February 8 Devotion - True Contentment

 

According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, contentment is:

“An internal satisfaction which does not demand changes in external circumstances”

We achieve contentment when we can seek the things of God above the things of the world. When our relationship with Christ dominates our thoughts and Jesus is the true Lord of our lives.

Contentment is not something we have; it is something we learn.  In his message to The Philippians, The Apostle Paul writes: 

 

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. [12] I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. [13] I can do all this through Jesus Christ who gives me strength.

لَسْتُ أَعْنِي أَنِّي كُنْتُ فِي حَاجَةٍ، فَأَنَا قَدْ تَعَلَّمْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ قَنُوعاً فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ.

وَأَعْرِفُ كَيْفَ أَعِيشُ فِي الْعَوَزِ، وَكَيْفَ أَعِيشُ فِي الْوَفْرَةِ. فَإِنِّي، فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَفِي جَمِيعِ الأَحْوَالِ، مُتَدَرِّبٌ عَلَى الشَّبَعِ وَعَلَى الْجُوعِ، وَعَلَى الْعَيْشِ فِي الْوَفْرَةِ أَوْ فِي الْعَوَزِ.

إِنِّي أَسْتَطِيعُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ، فِي الْمَسِيحِ الَّذِي يُقَوِّينِي.

Philippians 4:11-13

 

Contentment is a choice. Not being content may be considered an insult to our Heavenly Father. Contentment does not mean settling for mediocrity. The Apostle Paul never settled for mediocrity. 

I believe that the secret to the Christian maturity of contentment is found in two ingredients:

1. Understanding who we are here to please, our mission is to serve God

2. Understanding where our strength comes from, our strength is from God

 In order to learn to be content we need to learn to release control and surrender to God. 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father help me to give You glory by being content in You. Give me Lord the quest of contentment by teaching me to be content. Help me Lord to always have an attitude of gratitude. Lord increase my love for You, my trust in You, and my dependence on You. God please remove from me the desire of always wanting more and teach me contentment in every circumstance. I know that You promised to give me what I need. Help me Father to be released from the desire to get more and develop in me the desire to give more. Help me realize that I can do all things, if they ae according to Your will, through Christ who strengthens me. Thank You Father God for Your unfailing, inseparable, deep and everlasting love for me, Your abundant blessings in my life, and for the riches of Your grace upon my life. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, ²¹to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Ephesians 3:20-21 Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein