Beyond the Weekend

April 5 | Contentment

April 5, 2016

Philippians 4.11-12

This past weekend we were taught contentment offers us freedom. Yet, we think other things such as money, the right house, or a better job will bring us true freedom. Instead, one of life’s harsh truths is contentment doesn’t come just because your financial profile stabilizes.

As Fred Rogers (of Mr. Rogers fame in the television show) said, “The older I get, the more I’ve come to believe that nothing I buy can take away my loneliness, fill my emptiness, or heal my brokenness.”

Because freedom is not based on shortage or abundance but instead upon God, it’s available in both times. Contentment is the cultivation of a satisfied heart alive to God, and alive to people, even when we don’t get what we think we need.

Freedom comes when we embrace the “here and now,” when we’re able to be fully alive where we are. It’s not linking our emotional equilibrium to something or someone else, but to God. Contentment frees us to enjoy what we have.

Today, as you welcome God into your day, read Ecclesiastes 1.8, 5.10-11 and 6.9. Spend some time reflecting and journaling on what these verses teach about contentment and satisfaction.

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