God Is All You Need

“Contentment brings joy and the freedom to live the life that God has called you to.”

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” Philippians 4:11

Contentment. I think this is one of the hardest things to achieve. With the ease of access to pictures of other people’s homes and snapshots of their lives (I’m looking at you, Instagram) it's hard NOT to compare your life with someone else's. When we start comparing, we look around at our lives and it brings us discontentment about our homes, the way we look, the job we have, even our husbands, kids and other relationships. The more we compare, the more we believe the lie that we don’t have all that we need, and the more discontent we have. 

But Paul knew something that we tend to forget. We do have all that we need. No matter what situation you’re in, whether you live in a small house, a big house, have the best stuff or can barely make ends meet, whether you’re healthy, sick, have a big group of friends or just a few. You have everything you need to be content. You have a God who loves you and wants to be in a relationship with you. When you remember all that God provides you with, you can live a life full of contentment. Contentment brings joy and the freedom to live the life that God has called you to. 

There’s always going to be something “better” than what you have or the situation you’re in. But you, sweet mama who God loves dearly, can be content in YOUR situation. 

Action Steps: 

• Is there an area of your life you’re not content with? Pray about it. Sometimes it’s hard for us to see our own discontent but God will reveal it if we ask. 

• Once you’ve identified any discontent in your life, pray some more. Ask God to change your heart and bring contentment in the exact situation you’re in. Talk to trusted friends about it. When I’m struggling with discontentment, talking to a friend and getting a new perspective always helps bring contentment to my situation. Consider staying off of social media for a time if you’re really struggling. 

• If you’re still struggling, I find thankfulness to be a great method to change our way of thinking about our situations. Make a list of all the things God has done for you and thank Him for those things. Hang the list in your house and come back to it when discontent creeps back in. 

Written by Cathrine, mom of 4, still working on contentment