Content

I believe that when you're growing in the Word, the Holy Spirit will lay truth upon you just when you need it.  Tonight as I ventured to Kroger for some ice cream (baby daddy was having a craving hahaha), I heard a Christian radio message about Living on Less: So Your Family Has More, a book that discusses the need to live frugally from what God has given us.  I really wasn't interested in the book, but being a financial nerd, I wanted to hear the tips they were giving.  What the Spirit gave me was the Scripture I needed to hear.

Philippians 4:11-13  
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and and to be hungry, both to abound and suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The facilitator of this discussion went on to say that when Paul wrote that verse, "I can do all things..." most people take it out of context and use it for athletes, careers, etc, but really Paul was writing about how he had been needy and how he had also been wealthy, but he had learned to be happy in whatever circumstance he faced.

Brian and I aren't really facing any financial need right now, we are quite happy.  But yesterday (because we just went through our mail after vacation) we got a letter from the Newark City Auditor saying that our home value dropped.  Significantly.  Which is great for our tax obligations, but not so good for the fact that we were hoping to put our house on the market late next year or early in 2013.  If we would want to sell now, we would have to probably take a major hit, which is not something we're willing to do.  We don't need to move.  We are content where we are.  But we thought that after the events of this year that God was calling us closer to our hometown and now we are questioning that...   I don't know if God would want us to make a bad financial decision for something that may or may not be His will...

Where am I going with this?  I'm not sure I know....

No, here is where I'm going.  There are times when I am a complete jerk.  I'm not content.  I want things that are completely material and worthless.  I stress about things that are dumb.  (I haven't painted that light fixture!  I need to change the fabric on that chair!)  Today I even started worrying about what I'm going to do if we have baby #3 and we're still living in this house! How will I put 3 kids in 2 bedrooms?!?!  I mean, seriously, what a waste of brain space that was!  There is nothing I can do right now other than:

1. Thank God for my home.

2. Thank God for my beautiful family.

3. Thank God for our incomes (because many people don't have them right now)

Verse 6 of Philippians 4  (what Paul writes just before His message on contentment)  "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let Your requests be made known to God."  You know what I think Paul's emphasis is?  With Thanksgiving.  I don't believe we can approach God (through prayer) unless we are thankful for something.  We have so much to be thankful for.

I also need to take a look at where my priorities are.  I went back and read my blog Happy in the Here and Now and also my New Year's Resolutions.  I need to stop being on facebook.  I need to stop reading so many other blogs- while they contain information about decorating or child rearing that I enjoy, many times they breed discontent by admiring other people's homes or families and thinking "I need that!"  "I want that!"  It's a hopeless cycle.

How do you deal with contentment?  Do you think that facebook and blogging breeds an unrealistic view of people's lives?  (I know I personally hate all "I love my husband he is the best ever -love him to the moon" posts.  Hahaha.  I do love my husband to the moon but I don't need to gush about it all over facebook.  Sometimes I'd like to kick him over the moon! :) (Oh and after Brian proofed this for me, he said that "sometimes, I would like to return that kick with a punt."  That's true love, folks.  True love.)

Do you think Americans do know how to deal with plenty and with want or have we become a culture of want want want want want??  I'd love your feedback.

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