It seems as if I am always dealing with the same struggles over and over again.
Discontentment is one of those struggles for me.
I know in my heart that my life is so good…I have been blessed immensely.
I am able to stay home and school my children. This is a privilege that many don’t get.
But, yet, I let the responsibility of that privilege weigh me down.
I see others living out different choices, and discontentment creeps in.
This has been a week of struggle.
A week when discontentment has ruled my thoughts.
Tonight as I wrestled with those thoughts, I heard the words written by Paul resonate within my spirit.
He had much to be discontent about, He truly suffered for the cause of Christ. Yet, he learned to be content. He learned contentment in whatever situation, whatever circumstance.
He learned the secret to facing any of life’s circumstances…good and bad…is to rely on Christ.
I can do nothing on my own.
I can never be content on my own.
But through Christ, Him who strengthens me, I can do all things.
I can even find the contentment that my heart so yearns for.
Have you learned the secret to contentment?
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Brenda says
Oh that I could learn the secret to contentment. I to find myself allowing that ugly seed of discontentment to creep up. As I’ve gotten older though and have seen how our choices have molded our kids into the amazing people they are, I find it easier to not compare.
Piper says
WOW…. I type that because I feel as if God keeps putting the word CONTENT in front of me. I blog hopped from Women Living Well…. I have not learned the secret to contentment. Although I think I am almost there and bam! There I am again, battling the same battle that I face time & time again. I do much better than I used to. There are just times that I find myself on that road to my own pity party and then God places something before me, to remind me how blessed I am. The month of Nov we did a Thankful tree, thankful time and I also did 30 days (I am a little behind) of Give Thanks posts on my blog. That was exactly what I needed. I realize I have much to be thankful for and if nothing else when I am having ANOTHER one of those days, I have blogged the things in my life that I am thankful for. I can go back and see what the Lord has done for me! Surely, I can praise Him for all He has done and make a quick u-turn and head back to the road of contentment. So thankful HIS ways are higher than mine!! Thanks for sharing your heart!! Love this!!
Carrie says
Oh, Monica…I can truly relate to how you’re feeling. I’m there too. I’ve been in a funk for months and I keep stumbling all over myself. I’m floundering on the homeschool front too; so much so I stopped linking up to other homeschool sites because I didn’t feel worthy. I’ve never known the feeling of contentment and I’m learning not to define happiness the way the world defines it. Logically, I realize that I must find contentment in all my circumstances before I can ever feel joy. I’m reading Sally Clarkson’s book, Seasons of a Mother’s Heart, and she discusses changing expectations. Rather than feeling sad, angry, or frustrated because something didn’t turn out the way we expected or wanted, we should learn to change the expectation from the beginning. “I have come to understand, after much struggle, that I will spend the better part of my life adjusting my expectations to life’s limitations rather than having my expectations fulfilled…Happiness is not found in getting what I want, but rather in giving up my expectations of getting what I want.” (p. 36) I hope this helps a little. And you’re not alone. You’ll be in my thoughts.
Denise says
I love this post, and verses.
Kari says
Here is a post on contentment from another blog I follow. The author recently re-posted it from her archives. Thought I’d share it with you! (I’m a fellow homeschooling mom of four and Army chaplain’s wife.)
http://booksandbairns.blogspot.com/2011/11/classic-books-and-bairns_30.html
Monica says
Wow, Kari, I just read that post and I am speechless. That is exactly what I’ve been dealing with…seeing my life through someone else’s lenses. I cherish the choices that I have made and the sacrifices that I am making. They’re what I want, what I love! But when I begin to see my life through someone else’s (even just the world’s) eyes, I begin to feel the seeds of discontentment. I am going to choose to ignore those other voices, the voices of others who have made different choices than the ones I love! Thank you so much for sharing that with me today!!
Laura says
Hi. Glad I found your blog through WFW. I host a link up called Brag on God Friday. I hope you can join us. 🙂