Hey family, I want to open up to you about a topic that’s been on my heart.
Let’s talk about contentment as a believer in Jesus Christ. What does it mean to be truly content? What does it look like to be completely secure not only in your salvation, but also in God’s love for you?
I imagine how it feels to “just be” a son or daughter of God.
Freely living without constant overthinking and emotional turmoil. If you’re anything like me, you tend to overthink things…quite a bit. And that tendency to overthink can hinder your personal walk with the Lord. For those of us tearing down the stronghold of fear, walking in true peace and contentment, completely secure in our faith…means everything.
It’s priceless.
But it’s attainable.
Before I knew better, as I worshiped the Lord, I’d get so caught up in striving to “usher in” the presence of God. And as soon as I felt His presence begin to “pull away,” I became a confused, emotional, hot mess of a wreck!
You see, as a single woman in her late 30s, no husband and no children, I spend quite a bit of time with the Heavenly Father. Someone looking in on my life may say, “boy she talks to herself all the time!” But I’m actually talking to God…mostly.
So when I couldn’t feel Him near during my quiet time, my whole world was turned upside down.
I couldn’t get close my best friend and it hurt.
On top of that, the enemy would come in with his age old lie that God has abandoned me in some way, fear and doubt would settle in, and I was no good for days.
Did you know, brother and sister, as soon as you choose Jesus, for real, the enemy begins to shoot his fiery darts of lies directed at your weaknesses?
He wants you off course and your focus off of Jesus so he can drag you back down into the pit. And without God’s truth securely planted in your heart, those lies are near impossible to resist.
On this journey towards contentment, the Lord reminds me that He’s got me. As long as I remain in Him.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” -John 15:4
That’s what the Lord asks of us.
To remain in Him. To holdfast through the storms and not let them separate or harden our hearts toward God. To sit at His feet and learn of His ways so that we can build a strong foundation of faith in our hearts that will last.
I remember getting up each morning, eager to sit still on the floor beside the bed, to wait on God’s presence as I began to worship Him. The Lord’s tangible presence came so effortlessly in those days. And before I knew it, I had spent hours in His presence, not daring to leave, but having to go and get ready for work.
But now, to keep from overthinking myself right out of worship with the Lord, I have to switch it up and start my mornings with Bible Study. God’s using this process to show me that I can feel His presence even as I dig into His Word and also through prayer. It’s beautiful.
We limit our understanding of God when we put Him in a box and expect Him to come the same way every time.
This truly is a journey towards contentment. God changes my perspective on intimacy with Him each and every day.
To be content in your faith means:
- To know that you’re saved. God is well acquainted with your past, your weaknesses, and Jesus is faithful to keep you till the end. He knows you through and through.
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Psalm 139:1-3
- To know that your salvation is secure in Him, as long as you don’t walk away from the Lord.
So that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:7-8
- To know that God sees everything about you, good and bad, yet chooses to love you, chooses to accept you, and chooses to give you His free gift of salvation.
- To know that when you get it wrong; God’s not upset with you. God took His wrath out on His Son who took on our guilt and shame at the cross.
To be content in your faith means getting up in the morning, fully believing that Jesus has indeed set you free.
You’re already set free. Jesus made a way. He IS the way.
As you renew your mind with the truth about God’s character and nature, you’ll soon realize that you’re safe and secure in Him, and that He’s all you ever wanted.
Imagine the kindest, most forgiving, most understanding, selfless person you know, and multiply that times a million. That’s the heart of Jesus. (He’s also the most holy, righteous, and just. That’s also the heart of Jesus).
I encourage you to join me on this restful journey.
A journey towards contentment, peace, and freedom found only in Jesus Christ. How? It’s simple. Just begin the process of renewing your mind every day, through God’s Word. Because the truth you find in the Bible will set you free every time.
Get my FREE Restful Magazine HERE.
How to Renew Your Mind in God’s Word:
- Pray before you start. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the deeper meaning of the scriptures while you read.
- Meditate on what you’ve read, pondering the words throughout the day.
- Apply what you’ve read to your current circumstances by choosing to act on what God’s word says, not your feelings; choosing joy over fear, anxiety, and depression.
Learning to be content, as a believer, as an overthinker, as an emotional wreck at times…is a journey of sanctification that leads us out of the pit and into the light of God’s glorious and freedom-giving truth.
I call it the Restful Journey.
And it’s a journey that begins and ends with what God has already said about you in His Word; who you truly are in Christ. Like this post if you’re willing to join me on this journey towards contentment!
