My Contentment Is Not Predicated on My Situation

I am a go-getter! I am always looking for the next idea or trying to bring an idea to life. I am always seeking to improve myself and figure out what’s the next move for my life. However, I am also content. The other day, I woke up and realized that I am so grateful. I don’t have the most money in the world. I don’t have the biggest house on the block. I don’t drive the car of my dreams, but all in all, I’m grateful. I’m content.

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What is being content? Being content is being grateful. Thankful. Satisfied with what you do have. It’s recognizing that your basic needs, and a little more, are being met, and that this is a blessing. It’s also realizing that you can’t take anything for granted because even on your worst day, you have something more or better than someone else. So like Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:11, “whatever state I may find myself in, I’m content.”

If you’re like me, you realize that we have seasons of plenty and seasons of “not so much.” The plenteous seasons are wonderful, joyous…it’s easy to be content. It’s easy to be grateful when you’re looking at abundance. It feels good to pay bills on time and help those in need. It’s awesome to be able to think about something you want and have the ability to go get it. It is joy to the soul! But when the season or time comes where you feel as if you are “down on your luck” and no one can help you, it’s tough to remain content.

How can you be happy in an unhappy place? It’s hard to smile when you feel the world is crashing down. You’ve tried to remain optimistic. You’ve cried and prayed and things still aren’t lining up. I know this place—a place of depression and despair. So how do you come out of this place and find yourself in a place of contentment, even though your situation hasn’t changed? What I’ve found is that my perspective and my mindset had to change before I saw a change in my situation.

Sometimes, it is so hard to perceive how vital our mindset is to our ability to overcome negativity. Yet, when you look at being content overall, you realize, it is just a mindset. There are so many things that occur in our lives that could keep us from being happy on a day-to-day basis. One day, your car breaks down; the next day, something in your house falls apart. That same day, your child comes home sick. Not to mention the pain that you were feeling in your knee and back has come back with a vengeance over the last couple of days. Believe me, I know how these moments feel because I have dealt with them as well. But this is when I revert back to what I know. I know these things won’t last forever. Yes, I feel the pressure from them but to take the pressure off, I enlist a little help from my friend, Apostle Paul.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

I live by these Scriptures. I can’t tell you how many times I should have fallen apart because of the weight and pressures of life…but that peace of God that surpasses all understanding. Like Paul says, it works. I don’t even know how I can make it in the midst of some of the things that have happened in my life, but I know that it’s the grace of God, so I don’t take it lightly. When I look back over my life, and I see that God has brought me through rare disease, cancer, deformities, the verge of homelessness, sin, and shame greater than anyone can imagine…I know that no matter what situation I face, I’m blessed. If God can bring me through all of that, He can bring me through my shower breaking or the pipes under the sink bursting and water flooding the floor. These things are temporal and as we live, they’re bound to happen again and again. Thus, instead of fretting every time something happens, I am reminded of Paul’s words about being content in all circumstances, and I am able to keep my joy. Another thing that really helps is flooding my mind with good and positive things; what Paul says in Philippians 4:8:

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

Apostle Paul literally gives us a blueprint to live by, and it works so well, he lives by it himself. We have to focus on the good! People, places, and things will constantly try to bring us down, but we have to focus on the good!

It is hard to find yourself in a place of contentment if you’re always looking at what other people have. We live in a world of technology so people share everything they have. It’s so easy to fall into a life of competition, desire, and distress over what we see people have that we don’t. If you find that you are falling into this place, it is best to take a little break from social media. I have had to do this several times. During this break, you focus on what you have…spending more time with family, friends, yourself. You work on your plan, your vision. Taking a break from social media helps you to refocus. We can go down the laundry list of things that we need to be better but instead of that, we have to focus on what is already good. This helps us to remain in a state of contentment. Put your energy and focus on what you’re doing to make your situation better.

It is vital that you also have a positive and supportive village. This is a group of people that bless you in different ways. There may be a person that takes your child for a night or a few hours because they can see you’re tired and need a moment. It may be someone that can help financially but even if they can’t, they constantly pray and speak blessings over your finances. You may have a person that doesn’t speak much but they send you text messages full of encouragement from time to time. Everyone has their place and no place or position is too small

When you sit back and take inventory, you realize that these things add up and it gives you something else to be grateful for. Being content doesn’t mean you aren’t going through things or won’t go through things. Being content is just like Apostle Paul said…whatever season or state you find yourself in, you’ll be grateful no matter what. My contentment is not predicated on my situation. My contentment is a state of mind and I choose to be grateful.

Ladebra Milton

 

Ladebra Milton is a graduate of Kennesaw State University with a degree in English. Although she struggled in reading comprehension most of her life, through the grace of God, Ladebra made her weakness one of her greatest strengths. She loves both reading and writing! Ladebra has been married for eight years to her wonderful husband, Carlos Milton, and they have a beautiful three-year-old daughter.

LADEBRA MILTON

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