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Who would’ve thought that playing with pumpkins in a creek could be so fun? It was a great challenge to throw pumpkins into our creek and try to pick them up and get them into a sled without tipping our makeshift boat into the water. Our poodle, Shadow, enjoyed trying to get the stem of the pumpkins in her mouth and dragging them up the slippery bank and out of the cold water. Time and time again she’d get the pumpkins partly in her mouth, but then they’d slip out or the stem would break and they’d roll around in the water or tumble down the bank right back into the water. What started out as fun, seemed to end in discontentment and frustration for her.

Do you ever feel how Shadow may have felt with that pumpkin? Sometimes life feels like we’re trying to grab a slippery pumpkin in cold water. It can be a bit uncomfortable and the thing we want just keeps slipping away from us.

Would you say you’re content, discontent, or somewhat content? Would you join me this week in asking, “Have I learned contentment?”

Like so many areas of spiritual growth, contentment is learned repeatedly over a lifetime and can never really be finally arrived at perfectly on this side of glory. While we may have many ups and downs, we should hope that over a lifetime we see a trend toward contentment and not discontentment.

Thomas Watson’s book, The Art of Divine Contentment written in the 1600’s, speaks to today’s Christian as much it did 300-400 years ago.

Would you want to check out Watson’s book? You can click here and read a more in-depth description of each aspect of biblical contentment in the eleventh chapter.

I’d like to wrap up this series of contentment with some characteristics that describe a content spirit taken from Watson’s book. I have found them helpful in evaluating where I’ve learned to be content and where I need to pray for growth.

Where are you with contentment in this particular season of life?

1. A Contented spirit is silent when under afflictions. “There is a sinful silence—when God is dishonored, his truth wounded, and men hold their peace, this silence is a loud sin. And there is a holy silence—when the soul sits down quiet and content with its condition.” I believe this is true to an extent. Let us have a quiet disposition under affliction; free from complaining to the world about our lot in life. Let us not be silent with God, though. It is good and right for us to cry out to Him in affliction. May we always be approaching the throne of grace for mercy and help in our time of need.
2. A contented spirit is a CHEERFUL spirit. “Contentment is something more than patience; for patience denotes only submission, contentment denotes cheerfulness. A contented Christian is more than passive; he does not only bear the cross—but takes up the cross. (Mat. 6:24) He looks upon God as a wise God; and whatever he does, it is in order to a cure. Hence the contented Christian is cheerful, and with the apostle, ‘I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties’ (2 Cor. 12:10). He does not only submit to God’s dealings—but rejoices in them!” While there is truth here, it is also true that Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus, even though He knew He was the resurrection and the life and even though He knew Lazarus would be raised. Jesus hates death and sin and the effects of that on His creation. Let us be people who rightly mourn those things while also taking joy in how God can sovereignly use all things for His glory and our good.
3. A contented spirit is a THANKFUL spirit. “This is a degree above cheerfulness; ‘in everything giving thanks’ (1 Thessalonians 5:18). A gracious heart spies mercy in every condition, therefore has his heart pitched up to thankfulness.” While I don’t find it easy to see the good about every earthly condition, I can always find a reason to be thankful to God for spiritual realities. I can thank Him for truths about who He is and for truths about who I am in Him. For help in this, I often look to the book of Ephesians.
4. He who is content, no condition comes amiss to him. “So it is in the text, ‘in whatever condition I am.’ A Christian should be content in any and every situation; either to lack or abound.” As we grow in contentment, we will find that we are not so surprised by the full range of life experiences and circumstances and that, in each, God’s grace sustains us and is sufficient in all.
5.  He who is contented with his condition—to rid himself out of trouble, will not turn himself into sin. “I deny not but a Christian may lawfully seek to change his condition: so far as God’s providence goes before, he may follow. But when men will not follow providence but run before it, as he who said, ‘this evil is of the Lord, why should I wait any longer?’ (2 Ki. 6:33). If God does not open the door of his providence, they will break it open—and wind themselves out of affliction by sin; bringing their souls into trouble! This is far from holy contentment, this is unbelief broken into rebellion.” This is the sin by which Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden. Adam and Eve, not being content, chose to break open the door of providence and brought their souls, and the whole world’s, into sin and trouble. When we want more than God’s providence and decide to sin to get it, we are clearly discontent.

Do you find these points from Watson’s book helpful? Do you have any characteristics to add to Watson’s?

May we cooperate with God’s work in our lives, seeking to submit to his providences, finding it in ourselves to be thankful even in proper grief, for all truth about who our Good Shepherd is and who we are in Him.

For encouragement in truths about Christ, consider reading my Christmas Devotional, Beyond the Nativity. There are twenty devotions coupled with beautiful paintings of the nativity by master artists. Each devotional includes a picture of a nativity painting, a scripture, and suggestions to go deeper. Click below to get the Kindle version on Amazon:

If you like my blog, I think you’ll love my podcast! Each episode is between 15-30 minutes and has extra encouragement and commentary in addition to what’s in my blog posts. I blog every other week and create a podcast version of the post on the alternate weeks. Click below to listen:

Are you signed up for my monthly e-mail, “Encouragements to Turn Toward Grace”? When you sign up, you will receive a free digital booklet I created called: Asking is Loving, Powerful Questions to Ask Yourself & Your Loved Ones. It’s full of great coaching questions divided into chapters focused on questions for yourself, your spouse, your children, and your friends. You’ll also receive a free scripture printable of Proverbs 4: 23 and a free printable of the Ten Daily Biblical Truths that I use regularly.

Linking up with these awesome bloggers this week!