Moderation found in Contentment

Tuesday, April 30th
Moderation Found in Contentment
By: Anna Williams

I know those of you who have met me in person won’t believe this (tongue in cheek) but I’m entering middle age this year. You know, reaching the proverbial crest of the hill and beginning the downward slope? 

This upcoming birthday really doesn’t bother me, but it has made me more reflective. There have been years of plenty and years of very little. There were times that the cabinets were empty and we didn’t know where our next meal was coming from and yet, God always provided for my family. I never once missed a meal.

“But godliness actually is a source of great gain when accompanied by contentment [that contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God].” -1 Timothy 6:6 AMP

Surprisingly, the more draining and stressful times of my life were not when I had a basic need but when I was striving towards something that wasn’t for me: the toiling to earn more money than I actually needed; the manipulating to gain a higher position of control; or the mindless spending to distract myself with new things. 

I am now convinced that the most rewarding and fulfilling endeavor is to seek out and please God with our lives. When He becomes our focus, the toiling and striving of the world around us becomes silly and pointless. We learn that his Grace, his Mercy, his Provision, and his Goodness are more than sufficient to meet our every need.