30 Day of Character Development - Contentment

We have talked about Contentment before but it is a must when developing Character.

Have you ever been totally content with something in your life....until you saw what someone else had and suddenly that little feeling of discontentment began to spring up. I can come on us so quickly and catch us unaware. I do think that some of us are more prone to discontentment than others....and I am one of those who are. :) But, I am getting much better and that is always the goal. I like to think my character is growing but maybe it's just getting older but I definitely do not struggle with this issue as much as I used to. Not to say it can not creep up on me occasionally when I least expect it.

I have always had a tendency to have friends that have nicer homes than I have. They are the best people and friends in the world and never acted as though there was any difference in their lifestyle than mine. The problem was not them, it was me. I believe God has used these wonderful people in my life to teach me some much needed "contentment" lessons. You have to understand, their homes are in the best of communities, big with beautiful pools in their backyards. I have a wonderful house but compared (notice I said "compare") to their homes mine looked little and unkept. For more times than I want to admit I would not invite them to my house because I felt embarrassed that my house was not as nice as theirs. Please understand these dear friends NEVER made me feel this way.....I just did, based on my own lack of confidence, pride and discontentment. I at times made my poor hubby miserable with all my complaining and discontentment.

Well, obviously I was not content and I was not happy at that time in my life. I had bought into the lie that I must HAVE things to be content. Those THINGS are different for everyone for me it was the perfect house for others it may be the perfect body or clothes or even perfect children and if you don't have that you are in a constant state of discontentment.

I guess I was in good company (or maybe not so good) as Eve was discontent and that didn't work well for her, and King Solomon, who had everything was discontent and we know how things ended for him and even some angels were not content and that was REALLY bad for them.

Tomorrow I will share how I found contentment in my life and I really have - very seldom do I ever feel that twinge of discontentment hit me anymore and when I do I recognize it very quickly.

I will end with the real evidence of how I knew I had conquered the house discontentment thing.
My friends and I were going to get together one week and when we were discussing where to meet I blurted out, " Why don't you come to my house" We all agreed and I was so excited that they were coming, and even more excited that I was not at all worried about it. I had the grand babies over the day before and had a blow up pool on the porch, it was still there when they arrived - I took them over to the window by the porch and asked them if they had brought their swim suits to lay by the pool while we talked. We all laughed and I was absolutely so blessed to have the opportunity to have host our little time together at my house.

I'll leave with these thoughts today

Contentment is a state of satisfaction that is INDEPENDENT of circumstances.

An English Minister named Henry Read (1662-1714) said this prayer of thanksgiving after he was robbed of his wallet:

I thank thee first because I was never robbed before;
second, because although they took my wallet they did not take my life
third, because it although they took my all, it was not much
and fourth because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed.