How many people do you know who suffer from the restlessness that makes them so disconnected they fall into depression or just give up on life? I know quite a few, and I am sure you do. In fact, I have been there myself- not a lovely place to be!
Contentment is a precious thing, but how can we find it?
Here are some ideas I have found that can help us maintain contentment and happiness.
Firstly, we need to watch our self-talk. Anything negative will bring us down, while positive self-talk will lift our spirits. A regular positive affirmative is to say, ‘I am content and happy.’ it will change our attitude and open our eyes to the beauty around us so we can enjoy the moment. When we negatively speak to ourselves and do not trust or believe in our abilities, we get negative feedback.
Secondly, don’t cling to things that will pass. The Apostle Paul, a very positive person, said that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim 6:6). Besides, “we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world”.
I think that this verse puts everything into the proper perspective for us. It also shows that we don’t really ‘own’ anything. When we leave permanently, we can’t take anything with us. We work hard all our lives, leaving it to someone else. In talking of a wealthy owner, Ecclesiastes 5:15 says, “As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.”
The idea of bringing nothing into the world was self-evident for the Apostle Paul when he instructed the young Timothy. Theologian Jack Wellman pointed out that Paul had a secret about contentedness, and he shared it with us in the book of Timothy; he said, ‘To begin with, a world without Christ can never be content. A discontentedness lies in the heart of every human being, and that vacuum of discontent can only be filled by God’s Spirit. When the Spirit of God enters a person, He regenerates them into a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).
They move from being dead in their sins to being alive through Christ (2 Cor 5:17).’ I think we fail to find true contentment, which is intense happiness because we cling to those things that rot away or break down. Then we strive to get more and more and more, so the cycle continues, and we come up empty every time.
Thirdly, trust and believe in God in Jesus Christ. Trusting in God is not old-fashioned but rather very ancient and modern. It helps us be genuinely human and discover who we are and our purpose. Instead of trusting in those things that will eventually fall away, trust in the solid rock -Jesus Christ, and this a very cool thing to do!
So, let’s give it our best shot!
- Self-talk positive affirmations every day
- Don’t cling to things that will pass.
- Believe & trust in God & in yourself.
AND
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Love & Grace
Paula Rose Parish IHS
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I have worked internationally with over 40 years of experience, having a Bachelor of Pastoral Counselling and Theology and a Master of Arts in Counselling & Professional Development. BACP Life Coaching Certificate. I currently work as a Christian educator, blogger, author, and grandmother living with my two dogs in Wales, UK.
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?Psalm 23 Unwrapped: Hope in Difficult Times.
