“Contentment grows out of the ground of gratitude.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – January 11, 2023
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:1
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Philippians 4:12
Gratitude and contentment go together like turkey and dressing. They feed each other and are both fostered by faith. When I remember how God has so richly blessed me, I am overwhelmed by His generosity. For example, for His salvation in His son Jesus, I am eternally grateful. His gift of grace, I am grateful for its freedom. His forgiveness, I am grateful for guilt-free living. His love, I am grateful for the ability to love and be loved.
His Holiness, I am grateful His character can be trusted and is transformational. Stuff is secondary, while the blessings of faith, family, friends, and fitness grow our contentment. We may not have what we want or even deserve, but in Christ, we have all that is necessary. So, be humbly grateful to God, and contentment will increase its influence.
“The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble” (Proverbs 19:23).
Contentment is to rest in Christ trusting He is in control. Circumstances, good or bad, are an opportunity for Him to show Himself faithful. So, once you go to God in gratitude, you can live life in contentment knowing Christ is in control. Contentment is not passive and uninformed, but rather it is engaged and educated. It is not anxious. It replaces worry with work, pity with prayer, pride with humility, and grumbling with gratitude.
Your peace and stability are the fruit of contentment, which grows out of the ground of gratitude. Seed this soil in prayer, and you will see abundance abound. You are able to accommodate adversity because the Almighty has gone before you. You are able to bridle wants in prosperity because gratitude to God and contentment in Christ govern your generosity. Thank God often, and trust Him to cultivate your contentment.
C.S. Lewis offers a helpful prayer of contentment, “I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been born in God’s thought, and then made by God is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking. This is a prayer of contentment.” Be grateful to be whom God made you to be and you will experience contentment…godly ambition is to desire more and more to be one in Christ’s love.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, grow my gratitude to enjoy your current blessings and not be discontent with the need for more, through Christ’s love and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
What are some reasons for my gratitude to God, and how can I express my contentment in Christ?
Related Reading
Job 1:21; Colossians 2:6-7; 2 Corinthians 6:4-10; Ephesians 4:20-24
Worship Resource
Aaron Moses: I Thank God
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