*Originally published May 2018
Discontentment.
The word sounds like a toddler in clothes with scratchy tags, a wealthy woman complaining about the pace of restaurant service, and a gaggle of teenage girls gossiping about a so-called “friend.” The word doesn’t just sound ugly; it is ugly. And it is my major sin struggle.
How many times have I started sentences or my thoughts with these words:
“I just wish that…”
“All I want is…”
“God, if you could just…”
Many times.
The lie of discontentment is that if that one tiny (or not so tiny) thing was made right, everything would be fine. But I am like the Princess and the Pea. My pea may be six mattresses down, but I start to feel as if that pea is my entire reality. I can’t relax because that darn pea is ruining everything!
You may laugh, or you may know exactly what I mean.
The lie of discontentment is that if that one tiny (or not so tiny) thing was made right, everything would be fine.
Battling Discontentment
Friend, if you are batting discontentment, you are not alone.
I struggle daily to be content with God’s call and my circumstances. But my biggest battle with discontentment comes in the form of my seasonal affective disorder.
From June to November, I feel stronger, brighter, and more rooted in the reality of Jesus. It’s easy to keep up spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, and community. It’s in the winter months that remembering the reality of what I have in Christ is a battle—a major one. If I don’t fight, I wither. He calls me to let His “capital R” Reality fight my emotions and stand firm in His truth.
My winter battle often feels that it demands more than I have to give.
So, to my disorder and the sin it wants to lead me into, I have to say, “YOU listen to ME. Jesus rules this space, not you.” And I preach to myself. I pull out my Bible, and I feed myself the Truth of God’s Words even when my feelings don’t change.
I keep meeting with the women I disciple, sharing the good news that I have just fed myself. I listen to my husband’s sweet voice say, “What can we be thankful for today?” and even when I want to bristle, I find something that has been a gift that day: an unexpected laugh, a brief stretch of sunshine, buying a gift for a friend.
I marvel that the sun came up today because God told it to and that no chemical in my brain or sins that beset me can keep His mercies from being new, again, again, and again.
Agreeing With God's Word
We seek contentment by making the most of the resources God gives us. We have the Holy Spirit and the Word, and we are wise to turn to counseling, medication, and mentorship.
Contentment means that whether relief comes or not, we agree with God’s Word that things work together for those who love Him.
Contentment has a name, and that name is Jesus.
Shifting emotions can’t steal Him, and depression can’t make Him disappear. Christ is my contentment.
Psalm 16:5-6 says,
“The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
You hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.”
With the Psalmist, I claim the Lord as my portion and cup, not the next change in my circumstances. He holds my lot. He knows it all. As I press into His truth, I acknowledge in that capital “R” reality that I have a beautiful inheritance because Christ Himself is my inheritance.
I do not rejoice because things will “get better,” but because I have Jesus, and He cannot be taken away. Whatever God ordains, I can say that in Christ, the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.
If you battle discontentment, take the leap. Let the truth of Psalm 16 rattle your soul rafters and rouse you from your reverie.
Our leap is a beautiful turn toward God in faith, believing wholeheartedly that our lives are best lived in His care.
All You Need is Christ
I don’t know your discontentment. I don’t know if the pea in your mattress is family dynamics, depression, work environment, disobedient children, or something else. I don’t know what has you saying, “If only…” and “All I want is…”. But I know that filling in those blanks yourself won’t work. The answer is not a thing or a timeline. It’s Jesus.
Our healing starts with repentance.
“Jesus, forgive me for letting sin take root and listening to lies that say you aren’t good, that you’re holding out on me, or that you don’t care. When I look at the cross, you anchor me to your Reality.”
This is our leap; to repent of wallowing in discontentment and believe, even on our worst days, that Christ is enough for us—especially here, absolutely now. Our leap is a beautiful turn toward God in faith, believing wholeheartedly that our lives are best lived in His care.
I don’t need the pea to be taken from under the mattress to find contentment. What I need is Christ. And not even a lifetime without seasonal depression could give me what Jesus gives me—Himself.
Beloved, I have Christ. You have Christ, and in Him, we have everything we need to be truly content.
Claire Urig was a Staff Writer for Revelation Wellness. She loves to see women find their identity in Christ alone and saturate themselves in God’s Word. She adores her husband, Wade, and two sons. She is a candlemaker for Better Things Candle Co.
14 Responses
Wow! That struck me. Thank you
Thank you for this! It seems almost unseasonable to be talking about s.a.d. when summer is right around the corner, but ironically, I was just journaling last night about it! I Was thinking about how the summer months here in Wisconsin (we MOVED here from California 12 years ago) make it sO much easier for me to feel content, and I was already feeling down that winter will come again! I’m grateful for the encouragement to choose Contentment in Christ again and again and again, INSTEAD of sunshine, a happy family, or the myriad other things i think I need in order to LIVE with joy. Blessings to you today! It’s sunny here in Madison, wi! I hope it is wherever you are as well! 😉
Thank you for sharing, Carolyn! We pray against depression during these winter months in Wisconsin!
Hmmm…not sure why some of my words and letters came out in caps and others didn’t. “If only technology would work like it’s supposed to…” haha
Thank you for this word this morning it hit home with me in That I have been discontented with the way things have been going and it is my fault in how I’ve doing and thinking lately. I told someone last night that things need to change and this devotional is confirmation to make some positive changes in my life right now.
Thank you for sharing, Kelly! Will you join us in The Little Way Challenge?
Thanks for this! I struggle with discontentment also. God is working on me in this area!
How fun this work out looks.
Thank you so much, Claire. <3 This is just what I needed today. I recently went through a heartbreaking experience, and I already knew that I needed to shift gears toward Thankfulness in the difficult situation. This post underlined that conviction and brought me to repentance before God for my discontented attitude. Thank you for being faithful to write about what He is teaching you. May He continue to bless you as you earnestly seek His face.
Thank you for sharing, Shelbie! The Lord will bless your obedience!
Thank you for sharing this. I realized this is an area im really struggling with. I left church On sunday and cried in my car. I was filled with if Only my son Would have accepted my invitation to church todaY, this was the message he needed to hear. if only my son would choose God and not drugs and alcohOl and it goes On and on. I was really frustrated with God. But through your story he has shown me that my heart is in a place of DISCONTENTMENT. Where yesterday i found it hard to even put One foot in frOnt of the other today i ask for forgiveness i Choose him as my portion and i change my thoughts of if Only to i am Grateful for …….. Thank you again for sharing your story ClAire!
We are praying for you, Stacie. We pray the Lord will reveal Himself to your son as he battles in this dark place. Thank you for sharing with us!
Claire! THank you for sharing this word with all of us. I think it was no COINCIDENCE that this was what was put up today. THese last two weeks I have so been struggling with being discontent with everything. I have talked wiht friends and saught some “squash” because I know that this dis-ease in me was so deep that i needed squash.
This article and the truths in here were so helpful. So kind and gentle from our Good good Father. Thank you. Thank you for sharing and pointing me in a clear direction. Pointing me fully back to looking at Him. BEing reminded in away I have never thought of so clearly– Christ cannot be taken away because of my circumstances. I mean WOW!!!!! These truths through some truth wrenches at me. I am so thankful. Thank you.
We are so thankful you are here, Katie! Thank you for sharing your heart with us!