The Secret to Contentment

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

It’s hard to be content. Would you agree? Discontentment seeps into our hearts from all directions. You see someone else’s happiness in a social media post… You drive past a new neighborhood with beautiful new homes… You watch their team win while your team loses… It’s hard to be content. So you try to tell yourself, “I should be happy with what I have. I should be content!” But are you? The devil blinds us to what we have and makes us crave all the things we don’t.

Here’s a secret: The cure for discontentment is gratitude. Have you heard that before? The cure for discontentment is gratitude. If you find it hard to be content, try this: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.” A key to joy in life is learning how to be thankful.

It’s easy to see all the things you don’t have. Do you see all the things you do have? When you open your eyes, can you see? When someone else speaks, can you hear them? Are your legs able to walk? Are your fingers able to grab? Aren’t those all amazing blessings from God?

Once you start giving thanks, you’ll find many reasons to rejoice. Did you get to eat today? As much as you wanted? Do you have heat or air conditioning in your home? Do you have clothes to wear? Shoes on your feet? Did you talk to someone today? If the answer is “yes,” aren’t we blessed?

Those are just the physical blessings. What about God’s spiritual blessings? Has God forgiven all your sins through Jesus’ death on the cross? Has God promised to never leave you or abandon you? Has Jesus prepared a perfect home for you in heaven? The answer is, “Yes!” We are blessed!

Each day we have a choice. We can decide to see everything that’s wrong in our lives. We can make up our minds to be discontent and bitter. Or we can ask God to open our eyes to his blessings. When he does, we’ll realize we have so much to be thankful for every single day.

The secret to contentment is gratitude: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.” When you have Jesus, you have everything you need to be content.

Dear Jesus, forgive me for the discontentment that so often eats away at my heart. Open my eyes to see all your blessings to me, and give me gratitude for all you do for me. Amen.

Pastor Nathan