May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Content and complacent are not the same.
This time of year, when snow falls or rain drenches the
ground, I’m content to stay inside and enjoy the peace and quiet. With my word
for the year being content, I’ve been thinking about what it means to live a
life pleased with what I have and having what I need.
Tim and I live a pretty simple life. We don’t need a lot of
things. We’re not extravagant spenders, nor are we wasteful. In pursuing a
content life, does that mean I stop striving and moving forward in my life, my
writing, or my spiritual growth? Of course not. No matter how old I am, or how
successful, or pleased with life, God wants me to continue to serve through the
gifts and circumstances He’s given me.
The apostle Paul spoke of how he’d learned to be content in
any circumstance, but guess what—he continued to strive to be a better
person, one who served the Lord and listened to his calling. In Acts 18, the
Lord even spoke to Paul and encouraged him to not be afraid and to continue
speaking and sharing the gospel in Corinth because God placed people around him
to care for him. Paul obeyed God and once again found contentment.
As a believer in God’s mercy and grace and as a person of
faith, I trust God in my circumstances and long to serve Him all my days.
Content and complacent are not the same. Strive to be
content and obedient.
A simple box of blocks, painted bright colors.