I just read an article about contentment. It seems as though the Lord is trying to hammer this truth home in my heart.
Do you ever struggle with contentment?
In our society, we are bombarded with messages of discontentment. Satan loves to point to that green grass growing in someone else’s yard. He is a master at hiding the fact that it really isn’t beautiful green grass that we think we’re seeing, but painted, prickly Astroturf! We often don’t find out until we jump the fence, fall down on it and get a nasty rug burn.
Discontentment can bring depression. Contentment brings joy. God tells us in Hebrews 13:5: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you, nor forsake you.’”
I love the fact that God says He will never leave us. He is what we need, way beyond any material possession. It is so easy to want more than we have or something other than we have. When we think about all that we own and how we have to manage all of it, why do we still want more? Why do we want one more outfit to wash, one more kitchen gadget to store, one more car to maintain, a bigger house to clean or more shoes to find a place for in our closet? I could go on and on.
The other night, we were waging the age-old battle with my son over cleaning his room. He finally stood in the middle of his floor and wailed, “I have too much stuff!” He was right. Don’t we all?
My husband decided that we should operate on a cash-only basis. I take a certain amount of cash at the beginning of each pay period to be used for groceries, eating out, clothes, and anything we will need other than bills. This method of managing money has changed my way of thinking. I’ll think long and hard before I hand over a twenty-dollar bill for something—much more than I would if I were writing a check or paying with a credit card. My husband knew I’d think about my purchases and not spend as much this way. (He’s pretty tricky that way.)
I’m learning contentment really means not looking at what I don’t have but looking at what I do have and realizing that whether it’s little or much, all that I have is a blessing from the Lord. Now, if I could just get this message into the heads and hearts of my little ones, we’d be “good to go!” Pray for me about that, would you? And, if you struggle in the area of contentment, let me know and I’ll pray for you too!
Stephanie Little
