Contentment

Are you content?  What is contentment?

Defintion of content: satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.

I'm wondering how many people can say that they are truly content.  I know I struggle with it.  I've found that as long as I keep my eyes on Jesus and what things He has given me in this life, and have an attitude of thankfulness, I am content.  But, what usually happens is that my eyes go elsewhere.  I start looking at other people and envy sets in.  Not in a huge way, but it creeps in subtley.

Many of you know I struggle with being satisfied with the house I live in (by the way, thank you so much to everyone who called my home beautiful on a recent post...that brightened my day!).  I'm FINE...as long as I just look at all that I love about the house, and thank God for it.  As soon as I start comparing with other people, well....of course I won't be content anymore, because the fact of the matter is that most people who live in this area have nice new houses!  The key is thankfulness for what we individually have.

I also do this with the amount of children I have, and I KNOW that is not a good thing, but I bet this happens to many of you also, and this just shows how much a spirit of discontentment can creep in.  One second, I'm looking at someone with a baby and being jealous that I don't have one, or that I'm not pregnant.  The next second, I'm looking at someone who has already raised all their kids, and I'm jealous of all their free time.  Next I'm jealous of the woman who has 9 kids, and I have 4....and on and on and on.

By the way, that topic brings up another issue I've had concerns with along the lines of contentment.  When we surrender our childbearing to the Lord, it goes both ways.  What I mean is, not only are we saying we are willing to bear as many children as He calls us to, we also NEED to be saying that we will be content with however many children He wants to give us.  I was a little disturbed when I read a post by a blogger that I love and respect, who was saying that we should be telling God, "more babies!  Give me more babies!"  Yes, we need to be open and willing to have more babies, and even excited to have them.  But careful!--even this can move into greed and discontentment!  We should be saying, "Your will, Lord...whatever you give me I will accept and be happy with".  His will for you might not include more babies.  With this we should be content.

I am not my neighbor, and my neighbor isn't me.  God gives each of us what He chooses.  There's a reason why God put "thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's stuff "(paraphrased!) in the ten commandments.

"And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." 1 Timothy 6:8

"...be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."" Hebrews 13:5

Thank you God for what You've given me, and help me to be content with what I have!

This post is linked up at:

Domestically Divine Tuesday
Titus 2sdays
Raising Homemakers Homemaking Link-Up
Hearts 4 Home