being content

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I thought I'd share about one of my favorite passages in Scripture and tell you a little story about it and why it means what it does in my life. I'll start with the story. 

When the boys were young, we were always super tight on money. We had everything that we needed, but we had little money leftover for things like vacations, dinners out, extra clothing/shoes, etc. They never knew how little we actually had, and what they lacked with experience in traveling all over, we more than made up for in fun times in the mundane and great memories. We were always doing something fun on Fridays, we were always going to the park for picnics, and we were always busy with the people in our neighborhood—whether swimming in one of the several pools, or playing a game of pickle in the front yard. Those were the days and life was simple! 

Things were used until they could no longer be used, and that's what happened one day when our washing machine bit the dust. The front loading machines had just come out, and I wanted a new set like you wouldn't believe. My sister had a set, another friend had them, and I thought we would use the opportunity with a broken machine to get the same. And then, my husband who is wonderfully handy around the house in all things, was able to make the repair himself, and for less than $100 (give or take, it's been a minute), we were good to go with the old pair and with a washing machine that ran perfectly smooth. 

I'd been very diligent at that time in life on memorizing Scripture, and I had little index cards all over the house of the passages I wanted to commit to memory. I had these verses in our laundry room, which the Lord then turned around and greatly used in my life and taught me a valuable lesson. I'll write the passage out here, but it's probably one you're familiar with.

I don't say this to out of need, for I have learned

to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself.

I know how to make do with a little, and I know how to make do

with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being

content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance

or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-13

I will never forget the day that I was doing laundry when the Lord used these verses to show me the importance of being content in Him. I didn't hear a voice, I just remember feeling a startling thought in my heart about how the secret of being content wasn't wrapped up in any earthly treasure. The secret of being content was found in Jesus and the salvation and hope that He offers. He strengthens me in any and every circumstance that I could ever find myself in, and I remember learning to be aware of those sneaky feelings of discontent that would pop up every once in a while. 

They still pop up every once in a while, when I scroll social media for too long, so I have to be careful and limit my time there. I also have to keep my heart pure before the Lord, and when I feel those things creeping back up in my life, I immediately confess them to Him in prayer and I ask that He would remove them from my thoughts. What seems perfect on the other side of a screen rarely is, and it's hard to remember that, but it's true. I know I'm not the only one here who feels those little pangs of envy every once in a while, and I'll experience them here and there along the way until the Lord calls me home. Even though it's a normal thing we all go through, I don't want to negate the importance of remembering this very true statement. It's good to enjoy the life that we have and that we were born to live in. I don't want to waste time being envious or comparing my circumstances to someone else's, and I want to offer up a word of encouragement about that, especially at this time of year when everyone is posting beautiful vacation pictures. Just know, that I am preaching to myself as well! 

We all need these reminders. When I find myself stuck in the comparison trap, I turn to the Word of God. I look up verses about peace, or about joy, or about being thankful, and I write them out. I then turn them into my prayer and I ask the Lord to help me through those feelings. It works every single time! And then—don't miss this important step—I put my phone down and I pick up a book to read. I have such a love/hate relationship with social media, but the bottom line is, I'm keeping it and I'm limiting my time spent scrolling. I genuinely don't get on there all that much during the daytime, so I fill my time with being social in person, or working at home, or listening to music while I read a book. I talk on the phone, I run errands, I read or watch a show, or I clean or organize something at home. Trust me, I fill my time. And you know what? I don't miss it when I'm not on there very often! The world goes on when I don't see new updates and I feel good about not being on my phone. 

Do you struggle with this at all? I kind of think most of us do in some way or another, but I'd love to hear your thoughts or any tips you have on not being distracted by the reality of your phone and social media. Also, I have never been more thankful that I am not raising kids in a very social media-driven world. It makes me pray more faithfully for all the moms who are, and my heart truly goes out to them. I have a few close friends who simply feel they cannot keep up, so they spend their time feeling like a failure. How sad! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all.