Where...when...? - Paul wrote about being content in plenty or in want, content in any situation, because of Christ.
When does that come?
Contentment is one of the areas in my life that I struggle with too often. Granted, I'm usually in the "want" that Paul spoke of in Philippians. But I know I should be content in Christ. He bought my life, I am His, I've claimed the gift of redemption and salvation He offers to me, but still I struggle.
There are times when I'm at such peace, such grace, such love that the view I see is filled with vistas of wonder and merriment at the Father's hand in my life. Then there are times when I feel like the view is from the bottom of some crevice and light is but a distant glimmer that I'm struggling toward.
That description is I suppose what so many have dubbed the 'Mountain top' and 'Valley' experiences. I've had a number of both.
I suppose part of the problem is that I so often want God to answer my prayers and requests in the way I want them answered.
Recently a very good friend of many years died from complications from lung cancer. For long months I prayed for his healing. Prayed that God's grace would rest upon him. Prayed that God's will would be done. He went from the doctors giving him a couple of weeks to a month to a year or more.
Whenever I talked to him he was an upbeat man who recognized that God controlled what would be in his life. But was he content in that? Mostly, but there were times I sensed discontent in his situation as well. Though those times were rare in our conversations. I think there were regrets and desires unrealized for family and friends that he longed to see accomplished.
God's will has been accomplished in my friend's life. He didn't die outside of the Father's will, of that I'm certain. But it wasn't my will. I wanted him to be around longer, I wanted God to heal my friend in the way I wanted.
I did pray that God's will be done in my friend's life. But I hoped then that God's will was that he beat the cancer.
God's will is something I pray for in the lives of everyone I take before Jesus' throne. But my will often inserts itself and therein comes discontent. It's a hard thing for me. I don't really know why?
Sometimes it's not that I want something outside of God's will for myself or those I love, sometimes it's that I want God's will done in my time and not His. How often have I become frustrated that someone isn't maturing in Christ they way I think they should, or that they seem to be going backward, or that they have yet to decide to make Christ the Lord of their lives.
How often have I been discontent with were my life is, with where my writing is, with where my relationship is with the Father, or with the difficulties facing my family and my church?
What's the secret?
Perhaps it is what Paul said, "I have learned to be content...."
Learning. Experiencing.
Experiencing what Christ has done in my life. In the lives of people who journeyed in Christ before me.
And then acting on it. Being content is an active choice.
I need to work on this.
Tags: Contentment, Discontentment, faith, Paul, Jesus.
Cult phrase anyone? - I'm a big fan of the TV show 
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