In a technology saturated world, there is no shortage of reels, shorts, tweets, and photos to ingest.
Subconsciously filling your mental rolodex with everyone’s happenings as you scroll, sincere contentment with your own life seems to fizzle.
You close the app and put your phone down, but the rolodex keeps on, well, rolling. Along with it comes the interrogative questions and crippling pronouncements:
“Am I doing enough?”
“Should my house be bigger? Cleaner?“
“Maybe I should get another degree?”
“Why can’t I pay off my debt?“
“Why does my body look like this?”
“Am I horrible for not gentle-parenting?”
“Why haven’t I found love?”
“My business will never thrive.”
“What can I do to be seen and get more likes?”
“I need to do more to be accepted and relevant.”
“My kids aren’t where they should be”
The. List. Goes. On.
Maybe the mental interrogation doesn’t come at the hands of social media. Maybe sincere contentment deflates just a little more each week while on the job as others seem to get ahead and get the recognition too.
Maybe what was sincere contentment melts away during family gatherings when words of comparison pierce and criticism comes in the room and takes a seat.
Maybe things are great in your family and work environments. You just feel continuously driven and compelled to go, go, go, and climb, climb, climb in order to be, be, be.
Through much exhaustion, you hate to actually admit it, but it’s been a while since you have felt sincere contentment.
When the day is done, something within still feels unsettled as if you aren’t doing enough, don’t have enough, or are not measuring up.
Webster’s “contentment” is defined as:
- Satisfaction
- Fulfillment
- Ease
- Happiness
- Comfort
- Gratification
God’s contentment in scripture is defined as:
- The absence of worry
Breathe that in for a minute and let it sit…
When have you last felt the absence of worry? Honestly?
It will serve you to know that in the kingdom of God the last will be first and the first will be last. People look at the outward appearance, but He is looking at the heart.
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
I Samuel 16:7
Alas, you are not (nor will you ever be) the sum of your appearance, achievements, belongings, history, ambition, or failures. Through all of what you have accomplished – according to human rating systems – God is far more interested and deeply observing your heart.
He sees your motives, intentions, desires, and contemplations.
The posture of your heart is what is reverberating before Him.
The posture of your heart is what is reverberating before Him.
Sincere contentment, according to scripture, reflects faith in God’s provision and direction.
It reflects gratitude for what He has done, provided, and allowed for you. It shields your heart from its ugly opponent – covetousness (which, if you go back to your Sunday School days, you’ll remember is one of the 10 Commandments).
Does this mean that in order to have sincere contentment, you should part ways with any drive, ambition, or desire to be better or have more?
Not quite.
We are to use the skills, talents, and gifts that God has given us. We are to occupy until the Lord Jesus comes and steer clear of laziness. We are to work with our hands and in whatever we are doing, doing it with all we’ve got – as if we are literally doing it to the Lord (because we are).
However, the striving and toiling that is often being powered by worry, discontentment (and self-absorption) will never do the heart good.
Sincere contentment is learning to be satisfied, at rest, and without worry in whatever situation you are in. This sincere contentment is powered by the faith and trust we have in our good, good Father above.
Give the jitters and the rolodex to the Lord Jesus tonight.
As you hop off the mental treadmill, intentionally choose to reflect on His majesty, His example, and His heart for you. Allow Him to restore sincere contentment in your heart and use all the contents of your current life for His glory alone.
Now Rest,
Hannah
The #LateNight Series is for the souls that need anchoring in the late night hour, reach for and receive the rest of the Lord.
He hears every clamoring thought, every cry, every question. As you search your heart tonight, may He be found.
Have a prayer request on your heart? Leave it in the comments below.
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