Are You Choosing Contentment?
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:25–26 ESV)
The Timehop app may be my favorite feature on Facebook. I love seeing photos of my kids with their mouths still full of perfectly straight baby teeth, toddling around with toys in their hands. I love reliving first birthdays, early homeschooling days, and even just mundane days gone by. These photos transport me to moments my brain has forgotten in the haze of young motherhood. I’m so thankful for these small snapshots that give me a second glance at our days.
This week, Facebook displayed an image of my oldest two children in an empty room five years ago, the night we moved into our little farmhouse. The picture brought back memories of exploring each quiet room with two small kids and my husband by my side, a baby on my hip, and dreams in our hearts. We ended the night with a pizza feast on the floor.
Five years in this home have flown by. Those two small kids are now nearly as tall as I am. The baby is a kindergartner learning to read. We’re pursuing our dream of farming our little plot of land. Life is simple and sweet.
And yet that same image brought upthe discontentment in my soul. I love my life here, but I often find myself daydreaming about moving to a new town and starting over. My mind tends to be future-focused, missing the abundance right in front of me while I think of what could be.
I’m sure part of this lack of contentment comes from a cycle of moving, on average, every three to five years. Our family is used to packing up and starting fresh. Being rooted in one place feels foreign. I also realize the discontent comes from fantasizing about leaving the complexities of life behind.
Starting over has its hardships. Finding your way around a new town is disorienting and frustrating. Seeking out new dentists, doctors, and other service providers is complicated and time-consuming. But starting anew brings freedom. New jobs and friendships have the shiny veneer that wore off aged relationships long ago. The newness excites where the old life felt ordinary.
If I’m honest, I have to admit that most of my desire to uproot comes from fleeing the hard parts of life. Staying in one place is challenging work that requires choosing gratitude and contentment for what is instead of longing for what could be. Like many of the choices we make, from what to cook for dinner to what outfit to wear, contentment is a daily choice. Each day I must decide to be thankful for where God has me and what he’s providing me. I need to choose contentment in my circumstances, even when they’re messy and hard, knowing they’re temporary and that God joins me in difficulty.
This year, I chose the word rooted to anchor my goals and give me focus. I want to become rooted in this place and with the people God has placed in my life. But mostly, I want to be rooted in contentment, knowing God’s ways are beyond my understanding. I want to trust God fully with my life and rest in knowing he is good.
Will you join me in seeking contentment this year? Focus on the good gifts you’ve been given and choose to live a life of gratitude in the present.
Lord, you have given me more than I could ever deserve. I confess that I often ignore those gifts and desire more. My heart feels discontented, and I yearn for other things. Forgive my lack of gratitude and trust in you. Give me a peaceful spirit that overflows with thanksgiving for the time, place, and circumstances you have placed me in. Give me the knowledge that you are with me every step of the way. Amen.
Scripture for Reflection
I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. (Philippians 4:11–12 ESV)
Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. (1 Timothy 6:6–8 ESV)
My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 ESV)
What areas in your life bring up the most discontentment? Your finances, your relationships, a comparison of your life with the lives of others? Bring these areas before God and ask him to show you how he is already providing in each area.
Reach for More
Gratitude is the greatest weapon we have against discontentment. When we keep a record of the multitude of blessings we already possess, it’s difficult not the be thankful for our lives. Try keeping a gratitude journal for one week. Write down at least three things a day you’re grateful for. Be specific. At the end of the week, reflect on how this practice made an impact on you and share with us on social media using the hashtag #tgtreachformore.
is a writer, slow marathoner, home educator and mediocre knitter. Her favorite things include books, kombucha, kitchen dancing, natural wellness, Jesus, and nachos. She spends days with her handsome hubby, three adorable kids, a flock of hens, a runaway peahen, wandering barn cat, and rescue dog. Lindsay shares ways to live simply and love extravagantly at www.lindsayhufford.com.
Photograph © Tyler Nix, used with permission
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