Finding Contentment in a Discontented World

The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Proverbs 19:23 (NIV)

Money doesn’t buy contentment, but neither does poverty provide it.

Many of us believe that as long as we have enough, we will be content with life. But how many of us know that the human heart is never satisfied? The more we acquire stuff, the more we want. It is never enough.

So how is contentment attained? How do we find contentment?

By Knowing Christ

Earning a living and raising a beautiful family are great things to do. But they’ll never bring contentment in our hearts.

Jesus is our only source of contentment. Do you know why?

• He loves us unconditionally

Although he knows our flaws, Jesus loves us unconditionally. He will never reject you, even when you mess up.

• He is Our Source of Strength

Paul learned how to remain content in every situation. This came about when Paul realized that he could do all things through Christ, who strengthens him.

Like Paul, we can also find contentment through Christ, who strengthens us (Philippians 4:12-13).

• Without Him, we can do Nothing

Jesus said that without him, we can do nothing.

It means that even though we work hard and try to achieve success according to the world standards, it is only through Jesus that we can be successful.

We may attain all the material wealth that we want, but without Jesus, we will always be discontented in our hearts. Everything we will be striving for will be outside God’s will.

By Obeying and Serving God

In Job 36:11, we are told that it is by obeying God that we will be contented and prosperous in life.

So let us make it a habit to obey God and serve him faithfully. It will not be easy, and God may ask you to do things that don’t seem to be ‘cool’ according to the world standard, but we will be content in our hearts.

By Trusting God with all your Heart

It is easy to be anxious about life, especially in a world where we are made to believe that being successful means having a posh car, a big house, rich friends, and many followers on social media.

Even believers are getting carried away by the world’s definition of success.

We don’t find contentment in the things of the world. We find it God. That is why we need to place our trust in God. Follow his lead and trust the process that he is taking you through.

Doing this will not only open doors of blessings in your life, but it will also cause you to find contentment in your life.

It could be that you have bought into the lie that contentment comes from having a lot of money, a big car, and a great family. Well, while all those things are good, they will never fill up the void in your heart.

People will disappoint you, material wealth will come and go, but only God will remain faithful to you.

If you want to be content in life, start with God. Focus on Jesus and allow him to take charge of your life.

Embracing Your True Identity

John 1:11-13

Colossians 2:9-10

How can God love someone like me? I don’t deserve anything from God. I wish I was just like other Christians, they seem to have it all together, but the same cannot be said about me.

Have you ever made any of these statements or heard someone make them? At times we find ourselves struggling with our true identity despite what the Bible says about us. We look at what the word of God says and then look at ourselves and don’t see a connection. We are like the complete opposite of what the word of God says about us.

If you study the life of Jesus, you’ll notice that he was able to accomplish so much within a short time. But why was that? It is because he was confident of who he was. Jesus did not second guess himself, and it didn’t matter what people said or thought about him.  He believed he was the son of God, that his father loved him and that he was here on earth for a purpose. In short, Jesus knew and embraced his true identity.

Do you know who you’re? Do you love and accept yourself with all your flaws and all? When you read the word of God, do you believe everything it says about you? Or does what the Bible says about you sound too good to be true? 

It is easy to get caught up with what the world calls acceptable. When we are at school, we may try hard to fit in with other students because we want to belong. It is not wrong to desire that, but we should never allow people to define us. Our identity should be in Christ, not in the things of this world that are just passing away.

Honestly, it is hard to be on fire for God when we don’t love and accept ourselves. We will keep second-guessing our relationship with God, and that will hinder us from moving forward with our lives. To serve God in spirit and in truth, we need to first embrace our identity.

When you know your identity in Christ, you stop trying to find validity in other people or things and run to God.  When the enemy attacks you in different ways, you continue to stand firm in faith and hold onto God’s promises because you know that your identity is found in Christ and him alone.  In times of despair, when your faith is under attack, it becomes hard for the devil to convince you to quit because you know that you have been bought at a price and you are complete in him. 

You do not have to second-guess yourself, child of God.  Your heavenly Father wants to use you mightily.  But for him to do that, you need to embrace your identity in Christ and see yourself complete in him. When you do that, you become confident, just like Jesus was confident in his own identity. 

Action:

Get a sheet of paper or book and write down three things you love about yourself and three things you wish you could change. Go to the Bible and find out what the Bible says about you. Spend time meditating on Bible verses about your identity in Christ until they become alive in you.

10 Great Bible Verses about Rest

Rest, a word we like to talk about a lot. Yet how many of us can genuinely say that we are restful?  When was the last time you rested?

Now, we need to understand that biblical rest is different from what the world calls rest. Yes, going for vacations, watching movies and sleeping are great ways of getting rest, but the truth is you can do all that but still not be restful.

What is Biblical Rest?

There are two kinds of biblical rests.  The first type of rest involves physical rest where you cease doing work just like God did. He rested on the seventh day, and we also need to rest because our bodies are the temple of God. Another form of rest is the one where we put our trust and confidence in God by focusing on the death and resurrection of Jesus.  It is where we cast all our cares upon the Lord and choose to trust him instead of self.

Want to know to find biblical rest? Here are 10 bible verses that will help you:

Run to Jesus

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

There are times when we try to do everything so that we can be restful, but all those things don’t work.  Instead of running around, go to Jesus.  He is calling upon every weary and burdened person to go him. Surrender all your burdens to him, and he will take care of you and not just that, but he will give you rest.

Let your Soul Find Rest in God

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.

Psalm 62:1(NIV)

The world encourages us to find rest in so many things but God.  Maybe you have been running around trying to find rest the world’s way.  You have tried anything and everything that experts have said, but it is just not working.

It feels like you are losing it.

Well, how about you turn to God.  Like the Psalmist, let your soul find rest in God alone.  Go to him with all your burdens and let him take care of your soul.

Make God your Dwelling Place

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8(NIV)

The issues of life can leave you anxious.  But here is the thing worrying and staying awake will not take your problems away.  God gives sleep to those he loves so when night comes, lie down, and sleep, knowing that God is taking care of you.

Know that God is your dwelling place.  Do not allow anything to intimidate you.

Walk in the Good Path

This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Jeremiah 6:16(NIV)

 The things of this world seem fun, easy, and cool.  But the truth is the fun that comes with worldly stuff doesn’t bring rest.  If anything, you will only become more anxious and fearful.  If you want to be restful, you need to walk in the good path, that’s the path God has laid out for you.  It is only in doing so that you will find rest.

Let Jesus be your Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

Psalm 23:1-2(NIV)

Not knowing where your next provision will come from can leave you restless and frustrated. But child of God, the Lord is your shepherd. So stop depending on yourself and start looking at him.  You will never lack as long as you allow Jesus to shepherd you.

Dwell in God’s Secret Place

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 91:1-2(NIV)

What makes you secure? Is it your job, family, friends, business, position, or finances? See, the material things of this world will fade away one day.  But the Lord lives forever.  Today choose to dwell in his secret place and in doing so, you will find rest.

Allow God to Take Control

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 34:8 (NIV)

You will never know what resting in God means until the day you choose to taste and see.  It is only through experience that you will know how good God is.  Let your soul find rest in him.  Allow him to take control of your thoughts and heart by reading the word and spending time in his presence.

If you do that you will start to experience true rest.  This will not only impact you inwardly, but it will also impact you outwardly. People will see the great things God is doing through you and in you, and they will glorify God.

Find Rest by Taking the Yoke of Jesus

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:29-30(NIV)

What kind of burden are you carrying around? What about surrendering that yoke to God and allowing Jesus to give you his yoke?

Yes, it often feels right to be in charge, but sometimes it is better to let go and let God. Surrender that thing that is leaving you restless to God and take up the yoke that Jesus is giving you.  He said his yoke is easy.

Rest from your Own Work

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.

Hebrews 4:9-10(NIV)

To truly enter the rest of God, you need to quit doing things your way.  Rest from your own work and let God show you what to do with your life.

Maintain your confidence in God and not self. God will lift you up and take you to places you never imagined.

Strive to Enter his Rest

Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do.

Deuteronomy 5:12-14(NIV)

In the Old Testament, observing the Sabbath was very important while Jesus fulfilled the law, we can still choose to take a sabbatical rest so that we can find rest for our bodies.

Look, God did not make Sabbath day law for his own selfish reasons. God cared so much about his children, and he knew rest was necessary.  Today he tells us to strive to enter rest, that is the rest Jesus died so that we can have. Surrender everything that is stressing you to God. Do everything from the point of rest because Jesus has already paid it all at the cross.

God expects us to rest, and it is not for his own good but for our own good.  Jesus loves us so much, and we can only find rest by casting our burdens upon him and taking his yoke. Vacations and other forms of worldly rest are good, but they offer temporary rest. Real rest is found in Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith.