Living Simple Saturdays- Ditching Discontentment
To stay true to the theme of Living Simply Saturday, I need to keep this post short and sweet, to stay focused on what is most important for me today (that being the needs of my family above taking more time to blog!).
This week’s chapter in From Clutter to Clarity is on contentment, as Nancy begins to address the heart issues that add clutter to our lives and get in the way of simplicity. I thought it was perfect timing, to reread this chapter this week, as just last week my ladie’s group was discussing the issue of contentment and I realized how much I’m struggling with it these days.
Here’s one quote from the book that I thought was particularly good,
“Just like other unhealthy thoughts that litter our minds discontentment is a form of clutter Satan uses to throw us off course. Our enemy loves luring us into this kind of inward focus so we won’t have an upward focus. Life is filled with so many things we will never understand- things we were never meant to understand. Discontentment is counterproductive because it causes us to waste precious time and energy asking “Why?” in situations for which there are no answers.” (bold mine)
I find it so easy to be distracted by a discontent heart. To begin to moan over job or financial situations, or a season of being too busy and tired, or having to deal with challenging relationships, or not being able to buy something that I would like, or wanting to control if and when we will have more children, or having to wait to buy a house or move to the country…
I’m so quick to look at what I don’t have and what I want (instead of all that I have and ought to be thankful for), and my eyes are often diverted from looking upwards, towards my Savior. I lose my Kingdom focus, and instead become focused on the very small and insignificant “kingdom of Stephanie” (What? You mean you’ve never heard of it??? But it’s such a very important kingdom!)
The discussion of our ladie’s group last week centered around one of the best talks I’ve ever heard on contentment, by a lady named Janis Shank. I was so blessed to realize that I had written a detailed post about it while it was still very fresh in my mind, so I will leave you with that post, full of the wisdom that God has graciously given Janis to share.
Cultivating Contentment
Have a blessed weekend, enjoying your families and worshipping the God of hope, who gives all good gifts and never changes. Let us cultivate contentment in Him alone!
You must be the neighbor to kingdom of judy 🙂
Just added an entry to LSS …
Thanks for all the encouraging and helpful words!
Thanks for the reminder about contentment. It is so easy to think about what we wish for, what we want, how things could be better, etc. The fact is that we are blessed beyond measure, even if we don’t have the latest model car or the biggest house. God has given us the greatest gift of all: Jesus Christ. When seeds of discontent grow in my heart, I pray that I will remember that our treasure is not on Earth, but in Heaven where we will one day praise a merciful God for eternity.
wow, the Lord is sure working on my heart too in this area, and i am blessed to come across this meditation. thank you.
I did a devotional on Thursday the 23rd of this month that was titled Contentment.
Weekends are my biggest struggle with contentment. Thank you so much for sharing from your heart, and helping us keep our eyes on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Angela
Thank you so much for passing along what you’re reading. It’s really helping me focus on God and his calling and reprioritize where I need it most!
One thought that occurred to me this afternoon (as I was folding laundry): God wants us to be content not only in what we don’t have, but in what we do – what he has blessed us with. I’d never looked at Philippians 4:12 as I did today – Paul was content whether he was lacking or whether he was abounding (that’s the NKJV word for it). Given that I so often rifle through my closet, giving away “extra” things I don’t feel comfortable having when others have so little, this hit me hard today. God’s blessings call for gratitude, I guess, not guilt.
I know this is a little off what you were saying (and please don’t hit me!), but it seemed appropriate. I guess I’ll figure it out soon enough if it wasn’t…. 🙂
Timely reminder… I love the quote! How is it we are so easily distracted from the “have” stuff??? Thanks for keeping us focused on the things we ought to be thankful for.
This post is timed perfectly for me. For several years I have been unhappy for one reason or another, never content in my surroundings or life, in general. Last night I prayed asking God to help me find that contentment once again. He answered my prayer with a few simple words , “Be thankful for what you have”.
This morning I turned on my computer , still discontent , and there were the words that God was trying to say to me last night. His message to me is very clear. I must learn to stop living my life as I desire and living as He desires. Thank you for these encouraging words