How to Be Happy Where You Are | Learning Contentment

Do you ever feel like your heart and mind are constantly racing with possibilities of what could be or what you should be doing? I sure do. The world is busy, and sometimes it feels like everyone but me is headed towards something greater. Lately, I have felt that steadying hand on my heart telling me to slow down or I’ll miss what I’ve been blessed with now. Be content or you might miss it.

If you are a restless person or you’re always looking forward, you aren’t alone. It can be a good trait to be a forward thinker, but I have also found that it leaves me feeling complacent more times than not. It’s hard to remember this, but each day is a gift. We are not guaranteed tomorrow.

Becoming a mother has made me even more sensitive to this. Babies don’t keep. If we spend each day wishing our lives were different, we miss precious moments with our babies that we won’t get back. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to have a vision for things in the future, but don’t let your mind live there too long.

What is contentment?

Being content is a state of being happy or satisfied with what you have. Happiness is an emotion that will come and go. It is a choice we must make everyday.

“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”

1 Timothy 6:6-8

Contentment is a choice we must make. Joy and happiness make seem interchangeable, but joy comes from something deeper than an emotion that we choose to feel. It is something that we can cling to. Joy comes from knowing God and living in the truth that He loves and cares for us. It is a continuous gladness of the heart that will not fade.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Romans 15:13

What causes lack of contentment?

It is so easy to be restless and unsatisfied. We live in a society where we are encouraged to always want more money, status, possessions, you name it. Not to mention social media is thriving and showing us all the great things that everyone else has or is doing with their lives. Comparison definitely comes into play too easily. How can we possibly ever feel content when we are constantly encouraged to covet what we don’t have?

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

How can we be contented in life?

Being content isn’t something that comes naturally to us as human beings, but with a little practice, we can learn to be happy where we are! Pray that God will help cultivate a grateful heart within you. Choose to see the blessings in your life right now. Here are a few small ways we can practice contentment in our daily lives.

• Write down your blessings in a place where you’ll see them everyday if you need to! Try journaling during your quiet time and list these things out daily! You may even be surprised by how this list grows as you work to create that heart of gratitude.
• Focus on serving others instead of yourself. Often, when we are tuned into the needs of others, we don’t dwell on what we thing we lack in our own lives. I know this seems countercultural in a world that tells us to focus on ourselves, but God calls us to have a servant’s heart as Jesus did. Thinking of how you can be of service to your loved ones is a great place to start. It can be something as simple as cooking a meal, making a gift, or even doing the laundry!
• Unplug from social media for a while if need be. Sometimes it’s easier to cultivate contentment when we aren’t comparing our lives to everyone else’s. Removing social media for a while can help take away opportunities for us to fall into comparison or unhappiness. This may ebb and flow with the season of life that you’re in. It doesn’t have to be forever or maybe you’ll decide you love living unplugged.

I know it’s easier said than done to live in the moment and to be grateful for the page you’re on now. Know that you aren’t alone and that God knows your heart. He dwells with you in whatever season you’re in.