Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup. You have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. Surely I have a delightful inheritance. Psalm 16.5-6
God has changed and molded my heart into one that’s content. And no one is more surprised than me – because I know me. Not the type to naturally lean toward contentment and, yet, through His grace, contentment has become my default. When we were asked to write about contentment during March, I contemplated what He’s patiently taught me.
Early on, He put women in my path who taught me the value of meditating on scripture and using its truths as the basis for my prayers. As I meditate on scripture, its truths shape how I choose to view my world. And, in a way I can’t completely explain, God supernaturally works to increase my faith when I go through the day affirming His Word aloud.
As I meditated on Psalm 16, I began to grasp that HE had assigned ALL that’s in my life. That rocked my world. Completely. Forever. I believed my God was all-powerful and all-knowing; I also believed He was all-good and all-loving. With Psalm 16, I began to believe all the ‘pleasant’ I need, all the ‘delightful’ I need, all the ‘secure’ I need – HE is providing. My omnipotent, omniscient, good, loving God has given me the exact ‘portion and cup’ He knows is best for me. Therefore, I can be content with what He ‘assigns’ in my life…possessions, people, health, ministry…everything. It’s really not an exaggeration to say I affirm these verses aloud at some point most every day. They are a powerful reminder of God’s truth in my life.
And, then, there’s the practical. God has called me to be content with the finances He’s assigned me. So, I avoid recreational shopping. Like the plague. I don’t show up at the mall without a specific, carefully considered purpose. Or go just to browse at Target or Wal-Mart…or even Dollar Store. I’ve learned not to peruse websites looking at bargains I don’t really need. And I have to limit looking at those granite counters and hardwoods on HGTV! It’s the same reason I don’t keep chocolate in the house…out of sight, out of mind J
Another practical aspect is cultivating an attitude of thankfulness. In every circumstance of life, I can choose to find the blessing – notice the word ‘choose’. Thankfulness is a choice. I learned much from my elderly neighbor; despite what most of us would consider a challenging life, Cecil was consistently happy. In conversation, she often mentioned specific blessings in her life, always ending her sentence with ‘it’s a lot to be thankful for’. And she meant it. Cecil radiated Jesus.
Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6.6
Stephanie Mills loves being married to Richard. And mornings that start with a mug of coffee & an open Bible. And, now that the kids are grown, exploring the world…often in hiking boots with a tent. Richard planted Faith Baptist in Youngsville, and it was amazing to raise PKs in a place where the whole family got to join God at work and see lives changed. She thinks it just doesn’t get any better than that!
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