Skip to main content

When Desires Overshadow Contentment


Photo Credit: Amy Treasure
 

If I only had more money in my bank account….

 If my house was bigger……

If I had a new car I just know I’d be happy…..

If only I could buy that new furniture…….

 
How many times have we all desired for something more than what we already have?  Our bills are paid, but yet desire more extras than our bank accounts allow. We have a home to lay our heads and somehow find fault in its size. The car is paid off but the smell of a new one entertains our thoughts on a daily bases. And the furniture is a tad old but yet not the latest fashion statement we want to make.

There is no wrong in wanting more in life; to be able to upgrade from time to time, take that long awaited vacation or make a brand new purchase for something we have always dreamed of.  The downfall comes when the desires of our flesh become more than the contentment of our hearts; when materials things take presence over our spiritual desires.  When we look at King Solomon, 1 Kings 3:9, he asks the Lord to give him a discerning heart (wisdom).  His request pleased the Lord so much; He in turn not only gave him wisdom but wealth as well.  King Solomon was content with “wisdom”; he was more concerned with doing right in the Lord’s sight than asking for riches.  His request was such a delight to the Lord that the Lord blessed him with an abundance of wealth as well.

When God’s children choose to be content (happy) where they are in life, when living a righteous life is of more importance than a life of wealth, the store house of blessings are open to us.  God never fails to provide for those who love Him, it is however for us to recognize the manner His provision is sent and to live in a state of contentment knowing He never leaves us as we are.

Over the course of my life there have been times when I allowed the desire and needs of my flesh to overshadow my contentment. However as I have grown in the Lord, aged over time, I have learned to live in contentment with hope as my anchor for those things in which I desire. I make it a point to look within and make sure what I desire lines up with God’s word. I put myself in check and ask is what I desire a blessing I know the Lord would have me to receive or is my desire a worldly desire, one that will leave me unfulfilled and living in a state of false contentment.

Living in un-contentment takes away our ability to live in hope. It diminishes our joy and produces a root of despair. We miss the beauty of the here and now and live as though we have nothing to look forward to.  Our character becomes shallow; our attitudes reflect a tone that nothing is ever good enough and we miss the brilliant glory of His blessings.

I have learned to live content in this journey of life with the knowledge the Lord has me where I am for His purpose, peace is abounding in my life.

Psalm 37:16 (NIV) Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;
 
 
Forever His Daughter,
Stacey

 I was honored to guest blog over at More than Just Coffee. Bonnie's love for the Lord and all His children has touched my life tremendously. Her honest teachings and down to earth style will leave you wanting for more.  Every word she pens is sought from the Lord. So grab a cup of coffee, pop over and let your heart be full.
 

Comments

  1. Well said Stacy. Your words come from the heart and your experience. God will surely use those to comfort others, because, well- He's good at that!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Your Sweet Comments Are Loved~

Popular posts from this blog

Touching The Hem Of His Garment

It's day 6 of my 21 day fast and I have discovered just how much I have relied on social media for my daily encouragement. It's so easy , one click of my mouse and it's there for me to see. A short cut of sorts, a quick fix in a world , my world, that is constantly moving and changing. But when I dig into my daddy Gods word, when I take the time to seek Him, the encouragement is more....So much more. Today I am encouraged by the woman who suffered with the issue of blood. For 12 years she suffered a life of misery and in her culture was considered  unclean. It was a chronic condition which means she probably had anemia as well as  physical weakness. She was hopelessly incurable by the many doctors she had sought out for medical care. She had become destitute for she spent all that she had. Everything and everyone who she would come in contact with would have become ceremonially unclean making her shunned by all in society including her family. Her husband probably

Sifting Before the Shifting

I have been hearing the Lord say " shift" for the last year.  Shift in the atmosphere, shift in our nation, shift in the church, and a shift in me.  When I think about the word shift, I see a grand swope of the hand of God moving all into a direction of peace and wholeness.I believe without a doubt He is doing so, however I never once entertained the though He'd have to do some sifting.... sifting in me. Sifting is a process, a two part process, when sifting wheat. First comes the threshing, the beating of the grain using a flail. Second part is the winnowing, throwing the mixture in the air allowing the wind to blow away the lighter chaffs and the heavier grains to fall back down for recovery.  I take a closer look at this process and begin to meditate on how it applies to my life. The threshing  is the process of removal; removing those things which will cause me to stumble.When God begins to remove, He does so with the intent of replacing; replacing with those

When My Puzzle Pieces Do Not Fit

    Putting a puzzle together can be fun, enjoyable and somewhat a relaxing time when the pieces all fit correctly the first time.  However when it is a puzzle with thousands of little pieces that require a great deal of time trying to figure out what piece goes where it can become frustrating, at least for me. Many times I have had to rely on the box top picture to navigate me through the placing of each piece and even that process can be irritating. Eventually the pieces do all fit exactly the way they were created to fit and the perfect picture is formed.It is a victory of sorts for me as patience is not my best quality.  But what about when our life's pieces are not fitting together? I had this certain picture I created in my mind, a picture how my own pieces were to fit together, my perfect box top per say. However the pieces I chose I could not force them to fit. No matter how I placed them, pushed them together, they still would not connect. My box top picture was