So, it has been a while, and I really want to write about the AMAZING things God has taught me over my Lent. However, that's gonna take some time, and I have a quicker thought right now that I hope will be good to think out and share with you.
To start off, I often learn the contrasts of society. Practically everything out there has an opinion on it already. I really actually suck at forming my own from scratch. Though you may not see it, my mind usually takes opinions and compares them and looks for consistency and inconsistency. The result? Most of the lessons I learn and want to teach are contrasts to society, Christianese, and other things.
And this brings us to today's topic: Contentment.
What is contentment? It's a sense of being okay with the way things are. It is feeling satisfied about a situation. It is un-ill-will towards the status quo. It is a garden of small chicldren with... um... well... you get the idea.
We talk about contentment all the time, especially as Christians. We talk about how important it is. We pray for it. The Bible says it is valuable too!
"But godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6
There are tons of quotes and proverbs about it.
“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” Frederick Keoniq
"From labour health, from health contentment spring; contentment opes the source of every joy." James Beattie
So it is good right? Taking what situation we are in, what we have, and what we are called to, and being happy with them? Being satisfied?
Often, yes. But not always.
I have a friend (or had, depending on how you look at it) who keeps seeking contentment, praying for it. Yet they really aren't finding themselves content. They can't figure out why, though it is obvious to those around them. The problem is: They are not supposed to be content.
If you are lazy and dishonest, should you be content? If someone is hurting others, should you be content? If you are unsaved and an unbeliever, should you be content?
I hope it is an obvious NO! Though contentment is valuable for certain things, it is not for others. We need to not obsess over contentment as if it were an ultimate ideal!
Contentment can be a partner of happiness, but it is also the enemy of change. Sometimes things don't need or can't be changed, and that's where it comes in. However, when things need changed or a point needs made, we must be discontent and we may need to express it!
Need further proof? How about Jesus. The ultimate in discontentment. He died on the cross because He didn't like the way things were. He was unhappy with our sin and heavenly state, and so He did something about it. He loved us so much, he saw a way that was better than currently was, and changed it.
- Healthy discontentment comes out of Love.
What if we are content with the way we are? Paul was discontent with the state of the church, and he wrote them letters in order to produce change. What if he was content with their status? What if we don't seek after wisdom from God like it says in James 1? What if we are content with our sin?
- Healthy contentment is not an enemy of change.
We should be content with things that are healthy as-is. When contentment gets in the way of things, it is unhealthy. God's plans are always right, and thus should always be contented with. Still, a lot of times we think we know His plan when we don't, and a major problem is that we don't keep open to the possibility that we may need to be discontent.
- Healthy contentment doesn't get in the way of considering needed discontentment and our error.
Discontentment is a sign that something is wrong. Sometimes it is our attitude, and can be when we often need prayerful help for peace. Other times it is our action, or another's actions. Discontentment helps remind us to check ourselves, and this is why we shouldn't stop considering things when we are content with them.
- Healthy contentment is achieved after finding what is wrong with a situation through our discontentment.
The best way I can sum it up is this, which I say often when people bring up contentment:
"Be content at what you can't change, and discontent with what you can."
We can't change the past. We can't change what is right and wrong. We can't change God's plans (though we can effect how they are worked out). We CAN change our attitudes. We CAN change our actions. We CAN change our open-mindedness.
Contentment is wonderful. It's a blessing that we can often find in the Lord for dealing with stressful situations. Even when we act, we often need contentment in the fact that we have to change things. However, we can not treat it as a pure and ultimate ideal. It can be unhealthy and destructive if used wrongly. The only thing that should be taken as far as possible is love.
...sadly, my friend has put me in a place where I can not longer input into their life. This is part of the problem that is hurting them, as they have done this to multiple people. Yet they deny that this is the wrong decision, but are still are unsuccessfully grasping for contentment. I only wish they were open enough to see what is happening. I miss them.
