The never-ending pursuit of contentment…

Well, I’m curious what your stories are (for those who heard message on Sunday) regarding contentment and your battle for it.  I’m not looking for sermon review, rather your response to the truth proclaimed.  So, as you’re comfortable share a brief (or not so brief) bit of your own battles and victories.

I do want to remind all of us (I’ve told you a struggle with being content) that the real progress is godliness WITH contentment.  Sanctification is the process of being made more into the likeness of Christ.  Sanctification certainly includes sinning less, and in this case being satisfied with having less, but that must be in concert with being satisfied with Christ MORE.

We tend to know our pet sins, those besetting type of sins that make you so angry at yourself.  What we forget is how utterly deceitful the heart is.  Even in our realization of our seemingly greatest sin battles, there is an inherent pride – we think we’ve got it figured out, so that’s what we attack.  Our essential problem is idolatry and the pride that accompanies it.  We saw this in Jeremiah 2 & 17 a few weeks ago.

So, in your ongoing battle this week be sure to go hard after godliness and satisfaction in the “fountain of living water” Jesus Christ.  As you do so, your sin will become “in the way” of your real desire and passion – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  While you battle, fuel your love for Him.  Catch up on that yearly reading.  Pray like you mean it, holding nothing back.  Renew your spiritual vows to your spouses, guarding the marriage bed in every way and praying alongside that most blessed sanctifying agent!  Resurrect family worship – the simplicity of read, pray, and sing.  And do not forsake assembling with the saints, the local body of believers, for it will guard your soul as you pursue Him.

One thought on “The never-ending pursuit of contentment…

  1. As the only believer in a household of unbelievers, including my husband, I struggle with being content in God alone and not lamenting over what I don’t have. Growing up in a church where sin, sovereignty, and submission where never taught, I struggled with trying to be a good person knowing that inside I could not accomplish that and so I walked away from the church for 5 years and in that time married my husband. I am grateful for the sovereignty of God that allowed me to wander so that I might find out for myself that what the world promises to bring satisfaction still could not fill the emptiness inside of me. After 9 months of marriage Christ called me back to Himself. I am so thankful for the love and sacrifice of Christ that restores me to the Father, but I can’t help but mourn the fact that my husband does not and cannot understand this now defining part of my life. I am discontent at times that I don’t have someone to share this with and discontent with how much distance I perceive that there is between us because of my relationship with the Father. There is a division that wasn’t there before, but I know that because of this I try to love my husband well and with purpose and I know I love him more deeply because I see his need for Christ. I am more aware of how I need to submit to my husband, serve him, and pray for him with long-suffering prayer, sigh :-). I also know now how much I need Christ to be my Bridegroom. I need His intercession when I struggle, I need His Spirit to guide me, and I am learning how to treasure His love as my only satisfaction. Do I struggle with all of this, absolutely. But I am thankful that God continues to refine me through His Word so that hopefully in time it might be clear to my husband Who is at work in me as (hopefully) Christ is glorified in my life. I am also so grateful to the church and to the women who come along side and strengthen me with their wisdom, prayer, and encouragement and for you, Mike, in pointing us to the treasuring of Christ above all things as our primary way of glorifying God

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