Contentment or Complaining....

I am in a women's bible study that is going through the book titled "Calm My Anxious Heart" by Linda Dillow. I am a little behind in posting what I am learning in each chapter and God's Word due to being so sick. Now I hope to catch up...

Each week we memorize a verse from the bible that is so important. When we can hide God's Word in our hearts then we can pull it out at anytime during the day to fight against whatever we are feeling.

Chapter 1 is titled My Journey to Contentment. We memorized Phillipians 4:11-13 "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Wow! This verse was written by the apostle Paul while in prison! There is no way we can possibly do this on our own so we definitely have to rely on Christ to give us the strength to do so. This will not happen over night but is a lifelong journey. Here is also a prescription for contentment:

1. Never allow yourself to complain about anything-not even the weather.

2. Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.

3. Never compare your lot with another's.

4. Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.

5. Never dwell on tomorrow-remember that tomorrow is God's, not ours.

(written by a lady who was a missionary in Africa for 52 years)

When we have an eteranl perspective on life, the little things we tend to gripe about begin to seem meaningless. True contentment is separate from our circumstances. Contentment is a state of the heart, not a state of affairs.