Contentment

Only a few days late, but I have finally decided on my yearly verse. 

"...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Philippians 4:11

Contentment

We all struggle with discontentment. It's our nature. Whether it be discontent with our car, discontent with our house, discontent with our budget, discontent with family members, discontent with where we live or our child's teacher or our size or our shape, discontent with things as small as the weather and how dirty our floors get, wanting the kids out of school, wanting the kids in school, wishing they didn't eat so much (ha!), wishing we didn't get wrinkles or roots in our hair color, and the list goes on. We are a wanting culture. We want stuff. We want different circumstances, we want a new bedspread, we want a convenient life, a convenient family, and convenient children. And let's all be honest, we want Walmart to go down in flames and have someone deliver all of our groceries every Monday morning. Please and thank you. 

So as I reflect upon 2014 and look forward to 2015, I am praying that God will work on me. I pray that He will plant this verse in my heart. That I will learn to be content and at rest and at peace with my circumstances and my stuff and my people and where God has placed me.

Don't mistake me for saying that I expect not to be frustrated or anxious or annoyed or envious or all those adverbs that are the opposite of content. Life is full of all those emotions! I am simply praying that the Lord will grow me in the area of contentment. That whether my kids are home or at school, that whether we get a new car or keep the gross mini van, that whether my house looks like Southern Living magazine or like Katrina just blew through it, that whether my child is in a tough season or an enjoyable season, that whether I get included or left out, that I will learn to rest in Jesus. Because what do we all really need? We need Jesus. We don't need convenience; we don't need new paint on the walls, we don't need perfect kids or a perfect husband or perfect circumstances...in fact those are most often the very things that keep us looking to Jesus in the first place. All we need is Him. He is the source of all contentment and peace and rest. 

So here I come, 2015! Striving with all God's strength to learn to be content and at rest in Him.