Contentment has always been one of my biggest struggles. The Holy Spirit within strives against my flesh in a battle for my desires. I know I should be satisfied with my life, but my flesh only wishes for that which I do not possess. For instance, when my husband was longing to pastor a church, it was very hard to be happy for a friend who had just taken a church. When a woman is barren, it is very difficult for her to be happy for another lady who is expecting. We can all fake a smile and a kind word to someone’s face, but to be sincerely happy for them is much harder to do. It’s a matter of the heart.
The Lord looks on the heart. He knows when we are honest in our words, or when we are just “putting on” for others. When I finally became content with the place we were living and the job we were doing, the Lord began opening doors that had once been sealed shut. Perhaps He saw that the state of my heart had caught up with my words.
To be content, I have to surrender my will to my Father. I can no longer seek to fulfill my own agenda, but I must desire to live up to His. I also count my blessings daily, sometimes hourly! This helps me to see that the Lord is, indeed, very good to me even though my desires are sometimes unfulfilled. I have learned, and am still learning, to be genuinely content.
Valerie-The Bishop's Wife
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