Pursue Contentment!
"Not that I speak in regard to need,
for I have learned in whatever
state I am, to be content."
Philippians 4:11
“All men...are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable rights, that among these
are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
These famous words from the American
Declaration
of Independence have been criticized by some who
say Americans believe it is their right to be happy.
In modern terms, happiness usually refers to laughter—
an emotional response to life’s circumstances. It's
worth
noting there's no reference in the four Gospels to Jesus
laughing. Far more prevalent in
Scripture is the notion of
joy and the idea of contentment.
Contentment is finding joy in the will of God whatever
the circumstance. Jesus didn’t laugh in the Garden of
Gethsemane as He contemplated His death, but He
was content with God’s will
for Him at that moment.
True joy and contentment are found in the Person
of Christ. Our pursuit of happiness must lead us
to joy and contentment in Him.
"If you are not content with what you have,
you would not be satisfied if it were doubled."
Charles Spurgeon
