A Correction to Contentment

For a long time now, I've carried some strong convictions about pursuing contentment. Jesus' words on "the birds of the air" and how since my Father takes care of them that I should "not worry." (Mt. 5:26, 31).I stumbled on to a problem today, however, and it has something to do with Mother's Day.

My wife is an active, detailed lady. Her beauty is only enhanced by the ways she can manage our often wild household schedules, and so much of her life is spent keeping things moving. For me, to give her a break is to let her have time to release the steering wheel and let someone else keep things moving. Yesterday, I attempted to do that and in my estimation did a fairly good job. This is a minor success because I can be, admittedly, a first-rate slacker because of my laid-back personality. However, I was able to flip the switch and started to get some things done.

In fact, through the evening I carried this endorphin rush of getting things done and it lasted on through this morning.

I've never taken speed, but I'm assuming this is what it feels like. Close enough for me, anyway.

So coming into the office this morning, buzzing, I knew that in order to be still and be content in the presence of God I needed to quiet down. The problem was that my endorphin rush was still kicking, still going, still rocking my brain with projects and ideas that needed to be done.

So, I took a moment and read Jan Johnson's article on contentment from the most recent Weavings journal and strangely enough it was titled "Confidence: I Have Everything I Need." Strange, I would say this was the definition of contentment but as I read on a new insight dawned on me. Jan used Psalm 23 as a basis and talked about that first phrase, "The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need." Here's where I landed from there:

If I have my identity, sustenance, and life in God alone and if He is truly the Vine (John 15) and my job is simply to remain in Him, then contentment isn't inaction, but action minus the anxiety of outcomes.

In other words, I can have grand failures and unnoticed successes and yet in all things be content that in any and every situation I am found and sustained in Christ my Lord and Him alone.

Let us begin this week living grandly without hindrances knowing that what we do in the pursuit of His Kingdom, out of contentment in Him alone, allow us to enter the playground of the miraculous.