Contentment is a great barometer for measuring your trust in God. In 1 Peter 2:23 Jesus demonstrated the ultimate trust during difficult times, “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” (NIV) Your trust in God removes your anxiety when you move the burden of the situation from you to God; this trust results in contentment. On the other hand, if your life is wrecked with anxiety, you will be hard-pressed to boast of your trust in God. Contentment reflects that inner peace that comes from transferring ownership of your anxiety to God; without
This passage of Scripture adds a new dimension to contentment and trust - it is God who strengthens you to hold on while trusting Him. You can have a strong faith in God’s ability to come through, but the power of anxiety can often diminish your faith. Anxiety can be such a powerful force that it can destroy your trust in God as well as make you question the reality of things you know you already have. Psalm 31:14-15 emphasizes the importance of handing over your problem to God and asking for His strength, “But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God. My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.’” (NIV) You might like to think that trust is enough, but relying on God’s strength to hold you up during difficult times becomes equally important. You never want your tenacity to hold on to what you think is best to replace your trust in God. You may have taken the step to trust God, but the key to contentment will never be yourself, your strength, or your ability to hold on; contentment comes in allowing God’s strength to “deliver” you across the finish line. It is also God who gives you the strength to trust Him.
2 Corinthians 1:9 “Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” (NIV)
Do you know someone who needs this message on contentment? If so, forward this devotion to them as a blessing for their growth in Christ.
Here are some Bible studies from Growing in Christ to help your transformative experience: “Hard Times” and “Grief.”