Ants in the Pants

Contentment is feeling or showing satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation.

Philippians 4:12 NIV

12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Ecclesiastes 4:7-9 (New International Version)

7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

8 There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
"For whom am I toiling," he asked,
"and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?"
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!

Contentment is something that I have struggled with for about 5 years now. When I finally truly surrendered my life to the Lord, He planted a seed in my heart that gave me an acute sense of His purpose for my life, not a full revelation but a "knowing". Since then as I have matured in Him and grown closer to His heart, my restlessness has grown stronger. Restless is the best word I can use to describe the "ants in my pants" feeling that I get when I think about my future. It's kind of a "Come ON, let's get on with it!" feeling. Each birthday, I think "God, You know how old I am getting and I would like to be able to accomplish what You want me to before I come to live with You forever.....can we get to it, please?" My day job is a gift from God in that it provides a wonderful income and flexibility for my family's needs but it doesn't utilize the gifts, talents and interests God blessed me with. Because of this, I have had to fight loathing my daily life. I want to do something every day that has an eternal impact for the Lord. Then a few weeks ago, the Lord revealed to me that what I do indirectly helps people in that it allows people to live another day and have another chance to come to know God. That allowed me to relax and know that even if I am not yet doing what the Lord has planted in my heart to do, I am still having an impact for Him. Another revelation was that, with and since the birth of my son, I am living God's will for my life IN THIS SEASON. This is a huge revelation to me. I used to think that God's will was an ultimate and final destination but He showed me that it has different seasons and that while there is an ultimate purpose (something that He wants me to do for Him as an everyday job/ministry) that I can be content in the season He has me in now by knowing I am doing what He wants me to do in this season. For me, this season has me nurturing and training my son in the ways of God and preparing myself by studying God's Word and letting Him rebuild the shattered foundation of trust in Him.

I have to pray for a balance every day between contentment with where I am now and the passionate fire for eternal impact that burns in my heart. I only know that balance can be found in Him alone.

Philippians 4:12 (New Living Translation)

12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.

Can you say that? Where does your discontent lie? What would it take for you to be contented? What if those things never happened? Some things to ponder this week.

Love in Him,

Tara