Completely Unsatisfied, Yet Fully Content
Guest Post written by Laura Lowe
As Christians, we live a unique life. There is always a spiritual war pulling us in one direction or another, seeking to gain every ounce of attention we have. Its purpose in distracting us is to take away from our primary focus which should be Christ. We tend to be discontent with life, always needing something more. Whether it is more material items, money, love, affection, friends, time, status, etc., it seems there is usually an area of our lives never completely satisfied.
According to Paul, contentment is something we learn. In Philippians 4:11 (KJV), He writes “for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." He goes on to say in verse 13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." These passages tell us that Paul learned to rely on Christ to strengthen him, enabling him to find contentment in any situation or state. He found God’s grace to be sufficient and Christ’s strength to be perfect. (2 Cor. 12:9)
This is a challenge. We must learn to be satisfied in Christ alone. No one and nothing will ever be able to fill the void meant for Jesus Christ to fill. He gives us all that we need according to 2 Peter 1:3 and Philippians 4:19. Until we surrender our dissatisfaction and lack of contentment to Him, we will never find true satisfaction or fulfillment in Him.
Is there a deeper struggle in this battle? Ironic as it is, on one hand, we are found easily discontent in life. Yet on the other, we are far too easily satisfied spiritually speaking. Often, we grow content with our knowledge of God or our closeness to Him. Our prayers are good enough. Our time spent with Him will suffice. Why should we study more?! Don't we know Him already?! We've read the Biblical stories. We are aware of His love and Power. Why should we seek to know Him any more than this? Our pride tells us, we are satisfied to continue life with the knowledge we have already acquired.
BEWARE! We often fail to understand that we can never know God enough. We can never exhaust Him with our prayers. We can never spend too much time reading His word and that even though His mercies are new each and every day (Lamentations 3: 22-23), He is never too busy to sustain us. The Almighty Lord, our God, is just that Great!
Ask yourself, “Am I content with where I am in my spiritual walk with the Lord? Am I discontent with where I am in my life?
My challenge to you is to stay unsatisfied in your walk with God, while allowing Christ to keep you fully content in every other area. By never being content spiritually, we will continue to seek Him more and more. We will long to know Him deeper. The more we search for Him, the more we will desire to know Him. It is a cycle that we can be confident in. We seek, He reveals; we search, He reveals. He will reveal! The Bible promises us in Jeremiah 29:13 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."
Never be satisfied to stop when God exposes more of Himself and His truth to you. As we strive to grow in our relationship with the Lord, we can be as content as Paul was in all areas of our lives; completely unsatisfied, yet fully content in Jesus Christ.
GUEST POST written by 2014-2016 President and Vice President of the Protestant Women Of the Chapel, Fort Benning. Laura Lowe and her family are still actively involved in all things HUA.
Two are better than one...and a three fold cord is not easily broken.
~ Ecclesiastes