Contentment

Paul writes that he had to learn contentment. Paul, the greatest christian had to learn contentment. Contentment is learned and can be learned by anyone who truly knows the Lord. There is no real contentment apart from God. So, how do we learn contentment? First by confessing your sin of discontent. Yes, discontent is a sin because God says that we are to be thankful for everything. That is the second step...be thankful. Start making a list and keep adding to it every day. I love to drive alone and just thank God for everything as He and I drive along. There have been a couple of times when I started out the trip in a bad mood, but when I start giving thanks, before I realize that it has happeded, I feel so much happier.
I learned a big lesson in contentment a month ago. It is hard to have fibromyalgia. It is even harder to be truly thankful for it. And even harder for me to be content in the fact that this is God's will. Last August, I was feeling much better and thought that I would be able to go back to work as a para-educator, so long as I didn't have to do anything too physical. I was hired as a substitute for the local school district and hoped that it would help me get a full hire. I applied for so many positions and couldn't figure out why I wasn't being called to interview for the positions I really wanted. However, I got interviewed for every job that I did not desire.
Early in October I started in a position that became a long-term sub job. I loved it there and thought that I had finally found the job for me. But they never interviewed for the job once they had posted it. Then, my fibromyalgia began to flare up really bad. I definately was not content even though I was doing a job that I loved. Doing this subbing also made it hard for me to do anything except for the job. I could no longer mentor. I couldn't help with the Christmas program. I was too sore to stay at church. I was tired all the time and so sore. Then, I had a super bad flare up at work and had to go home sick and sleep the rest of the day. It was then that I knew beyond a doubt that God did not want me to work outside of my home.
As I read through my 2011 journal last week, I discovered how discontent I had been concerning fibromyalgia and the inability for me to work at an outside job. I could see the Lord at work. He was the one who had kept me from getting interviewed for the jobs that I had wanted. He knew that if I had gotten hired for any of those positions, I would have had to resign because of the fibro. I did resign from even doing subbing and I am so content. I have absolute peace and joy from the Lord that this is His will for me. I am able to mentor once again. I am able to support my family and take good care of them. I am able to work with my husband in starting our new Lifegroup. And this morning I was asked to write a script for our churches Easter program. (That was a blessing because I felt that God was encouraging me to do script writing once again.)
Contentment can be learned and is something that we must learn and practice every single moment of every day. Thanks be to God for all things.