Discontent comes because we are focused on a particular prize we don’t yet possess. Being thwarted somehow creates discontent and anxiety. That means discontent is an inner indication that my mind is set on the wrong things.
Even when it appears someone has achieved success overnight, it’s usually the result of persistence and perseverance. Whatever the task is, stay at it!
This lesson will help us open up the lines of continual communication with our Lord, giving us joy, hope, and stability in our anxiety-producing world.
If you want to relax and get rid of anxiety, you need to lighten up. Are you typically harsh or critical? Try cultivating a more gentle and understanding approach to life. “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.”
A good way to think about contentment is Christ-sufficiency, not self-sufficiency.
It’s not about the change in the weather, how young or old you are, or any other circumstance. None of these things matter. Life is to be celebrated, not merely endured.
Everyone has weaknesses and flaws, even Bible characters. They were real people just like us. It’s encouraging to know God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.
We’re prone to treat the Bible like a textbook and we’re cramming for a test. We know how to read, analyze, colour code, timeline, and graph the Scriptures, (all good!) but meditation is a neglected skill.
We look at problems from a human point of view and leave God out until we’re desperate. But when we include Him at the outset, He helps us to look at things from His perspective.
Contentment comes through choices we make. The Apostle Paul said he had learned how to be content (Philippians 4:11–13). Following Paul’s teaching and example can help us learn how to be content.
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