Finding Contentment
"I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."
Philippians 4:11
When I was younger, I would ask my mother why I couldn't do something, and she would respond, "Because I said so." That was an okay answer until junior high, but once I hit those teenage years, "because I said so" wasn't good enough. I wanted to know why, but sometimes I still didn't get an answer that satisfied me. Now that I have grown up, my parents are no longer here to ask, but I find myself asking the Lord "why"—and still, most times, He doesn't give me an answer. I can struggle, wanting to know or understand the why.
I have found that we all struggle with contentment. One reason is that we look for explanations for our whys in life. Here is the good news: the Lord doesn't have to tell us the why! You might say, "What did I just read?" He doesn't answer us for various reasons. If the Lord answered all our whys, we would not depend upon Him. When my parents gave the answer "because I said so" without a reason, it was usually for my best interest, and sometimes to let me discover the reason on my own and appreciate their wisdom. It took me a while, but I learned to trust their judgment. The Lord has His reasons for not answering us.
Sometimes the Lord doesn't answer because He wants us to learn to be content, regardless of our circumstances, and to depend fully on Him. This is simple but not easy. Here are five methods that have helped me stay content in the midst of anything life throws at me.
1. Patience — Contentment comes from learning to be patient. "Surrender yourself to the Lord and wait patiently for him…" (Psalm 37:7 GW). Ugh. I am not naturally very good at being patient. In my impatience, I can decide to put my own plan into action. My mind is distracted by how to solve the problem because the Lord hasn't given me the answer, or hasn't answered me quickly enough. "Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord" (Psalm 27:14 NKJV). I must patiently wait on Him and His timing.
2. Trusting — Contentment can be achieved by trusting fully in the Lord—really trusting He has your best interests in mind, and knowing He loves you more than you realize. One of my favorite scriptures is, "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6 AMPC). After a huge hurt by pastors at a local church, it was hard for me to trust, because they were my so-called friends. Yet I never lost my trust in the Lord. I knew that whatever He allowed, I had to keep trusting Him. God loves me and feels my pain. Trusting is a supernatural response that lifts me above my circumstances. People will let us down, but the Lord is true to His promises.
3. Faith — Contentment comes through faith. Our faith is the basis for our belief in who He is and what the Bible says is true. Faith is something we choose. "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him" (Hebrews 11:6 ESV). David is a wonderful example of this. In the Psalms, David trusted and spoke in faith while Saul and his men pursued him. For example, "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed. I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth" (Psalm 57:1-3 NKJV).
4. Testing — Contentment can even come in the midst of Him testing us. He watches to see whether we will stop trying to control and instead rest in Him. I do not like testing! Who does? Sometimes during testing, He seems far away, and we feel alone, but we are never alone. Scripture explains, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you" (1 Peter 4:12 ESV). By placing our faith in the Lord during the trials, we are anchored in hope and security, knowing that His promises are reliable and true.
5. Prayer and Worship — The most important ingredient in being content is prayer and worship. The Lord loves to hear us talk with Him about our trials. He loves it when we praise and worship Him in our deepest hurts. This keeps our thoughts vertical and not horizontal. Praise and worship speak to my soul and lift me up. Sometimes I make up words to a song, speaking what is bothering me, and like David, I may complain at first, but in the end I praise Him in faith over the situation.
Practicing contentment during our trials is difficult. I want to ask why, but I now know I just have to trust Him. There are still times when I have a hard time letting go, but I also know that, in the end, I have learned to trust Him with my situation and quit trying to control it. Trials can strengthen our faith, increase our patience, and give us unwavering steadfastness. My prayers, combined with praise and worship, help me get my mind off the trial and onto Him. Many times the enemy will bring it back up; when he does, I start singing again or turn on worship and praise songs. By practicing some of these key elements, contentment will come.
Let's pray.
Lord, during my trials, I want to be content. It is hard, but that is Your desire too. You have the answer to whatever is disturbing me. Your eyes are always on me, and I am never alone in my trials. Help me not to question You, but to have trust, faith, and patience. Show me songs of praise and worship so I may commune with You. You are my hiding place in times of trials. Loving You, Amen.
