If we’re being honest, I haven’t felt content in a while. I’m not doing exactly what I feel like God has called me to do, and I keep making excuses for being discontent that revolve around that. If only I had the opportunities I feel God has given me passion for, then I’d be content! But God hasn’t called us to contingent contentment; He’s called us to contentment. This kind of contentment reflects God because it’s rooted in Him instead of in our circumstances.

Earlier in his letter to the Philippians, Paul talks about God’s Name being glorified in Paul’s imprisonment (Philippians 1:12-14). I’m guessing that Paul would not have picked prison as his field of choice. However, God used that place to showcase His glory and further His Kingdom purpose. God is not confined by our circumstances; He delights in using what is weak to showcase His strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)! So as we seek to cultivate hearts that are content, here are some ideas:

• Quiet our hearts before our Heavenly Father. 1 John 3:19-20 explains: “This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” When was the last time we just sat still before God, asked Him to quiet our hearts, and trusted that He knows all and that He knows best (Isaiah 55:8-9)? As we quiet our hearts, we can honestly share our hearts with our Father. He knows and loves our hearts more than we could imagine (for additional reading in this area, see the “Gentle and Lowly” book by Dane Ortlund).




• Look for joy in the here and now. For example, I’m currently not living in my dream town by any stretch. The rural area makes it easy to feel lonely. While I’m excited to move somewhere else, I can seek contentment in the present by enjoying God’s presence and seeing the loneliness as a reminder to turn to Him instead of to people as my primary comfort. He fellowships with us (1 John 1:3) – what a gift to savor!




• Share the goodness of God. Our words have such power! It’s so important to both acknowledge how we are feeling and also to proclaim truth over ourselves. Seek out a trusted friend, share how you are feeling, and ask them to pray with you and remind you of God’s presence even in the less-than-ideal situations. Like the Psalmist says, God’s presence is our good (Psalm 73:28).