Over the past few weeks we've been talking about contentment. So often in life we seem to struggle with discontentment. Contentment and discontentment can be hard to define, but we know it when we feel it. Discontentment is often marked by a sense of unsettledness. We lack peace. We seem to be searching for something, but we're not sure what. There is a restlessness that comes with discontentment.
Contentment, on the other hand, is marked by a sense of peace, even in the midst of chaotic circumstances. It is joy even when life is not easy. When we are content we can, at once, seek to improve our lives but still be okay with where we are right now. I think we all desire contentment in our lives, but many never find it in a sustained way.
What we are discovering in this series is that the true pathway to contentment engages the three G's. God. Gratitude. Generosity. First and foremost, we will never be content without faith in God. Through his son Jesus Christ, we are justified, made right with God. So, until we have opened our hearts to Him, we could never truly be at peace. We will never find that true joy that only He offers. And there is nothing of this world that can be substituted for that. There is simply nothing that compares.
The second G is gratitude. We all have things in our lives that we can, and should, be grateful for. The real question is, are we truly grateful for those blessings in our lives. For that to happen, we must first recognize those blessings. In our world, it is far too easy to notice the things we don't have and fail to give thanks for what we do. So the next step towards the life of contentment is to recognize and give intentional thanks for the manifold blessings in our lives.
Then third G is generosity. There is a tremendous sense of peace and joy that comes with having a generous heart. Honestly, I think it is where I find some of my greatest contentment. Being generous with people, those we love, those in need, those doing good work, and being generous in the life-changing work of Jesus Christ bring such joy to my heart that I cannot help but feel God's contentment.
If you ever find yourself struggling with contentment, try pouring yourself back into these 3 G's; your relationship with God, a heart of gratitude and a life of generosity. There is nothing else like it.
I hope you will be with us in worship this Sunday as we wrap up our series “Content.” I know God has something great for us all in this final message.
I love you all,
P. Steve