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MEDITATION:

Written by Micca Campbell, a contemporary Christian author and speaker.

Have you ever noticed how over-extending yourself tends to bring unwanted pressure into your life? Sometimes I think we busy ourselves in order to gain more, find acceptance among peers, land a better position, and gain riches of all kinds. Perhaps we live under the illusion that having such riches is what makes a person complete, content, and deliriously happy. Yet, when we discover that’s not the case, we’re left feeling empty and discontent. Contentment and security are not found in career titles or in the kind of car we own. The logo on our car only tells others what kind of car we drive — not who we are. True satisfaction, in its purest form, is found in the wealth of who God is and the riches He graciously lavishes upon us. Recently God’s been showing me that when I constantly want more than He has given me, it reflects a heart that is discontent. It’s like I’m telling God, “I’m not satisfied with what You have provided for me. I want more.” In wanting more, I place undo pressure on myself in an attempt to get what God hasn’t provided. Naturally, anxiety is the result when I focus on things other than God and His will for my life. The pressure to have more and do more can lead us down paths we never intended. In our attempt to fill the vacuum of our empty souls, we discover that external luxury is only a cheap substitution for spiritual wholeness. As our key verse points out, Paul knew the secret of finding contentment. “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Take note that Paul wrote these words in a high stress situation as he sat in jail awaiting a verdict for a crime he didn’t commit. I don’t know if I could find contentment if I were in his sandals. Finding contentment doesn’t mean we have to like our current situation, but it may require an appreciation for it. Let me explain. Paul learned that the fruit of contentment is developed when we are thankful for what God has provided whether we like it or not. That’s because peace isn’t the absence of pressure. It’s the presence of God and our attitude toward His provision in the midst of our stress. By expressing gratitude, Paul experienced richness of being, not having.  

PRAYER:

This prayer is based on a quote by George MacDonald (1824-1905), a Scottish author, poet, and minister.

Dear Lord, I would rather be what you chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been born in your thought, and then made by you, God, is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking. This is a prayer of contentment.