Waiting for Normalcy

Today’s Jewel:

Contentment

Treasure Map Coordinates:

Philippians 4:11-13

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

Paul wrote these words from prison. It was a place of confinement. A place of isolation. A place where personal interaction was very limited. Food was scarcely provided. For Paul, the local Jerusa-Gym and the First Christian Church were inaccessible. Hmm. Sounds a lot like life today.

While there is certainly common ground between Paul’s imprisonment and our current state of events, there is one glaring difference: Paul was content.

A simple statement—which you have probably echoed—reveals my discontentment. I have unashamedly declared that I am eager for life to return to some semblance of normalcy.

My pastor poked at these thoughts in a recent sermon. Immediately, the Holy Spirit struck me with this truth: Discontentment is dripping from my lips every time I say, “I can not wait for life to return to normal!” A desire for my current situation to change implies dissatisfaction with the here and now.

I am baffled by my constant state of discontentedness. Prior to the Coronavirus bringing life to a screeching halt, I wished for a time when life would slow down.

Wish granted! Life has certainly slowed down. Yet I find myself longing for all the activity filling my life B.C. (before Coronavirus).

I want to be able to browse the aisles of my favorite stores without social distancing. I look forward to the day when I can go the grocery store and find EVERYTHING on my list. Words can not even begin to express my desire for a restaurant meal—a meal which requires neither cooking nor cleaning. I long to enjoy an evening of baseball. And please…can my children return to school in June instead of August??

I am quite sure you have a similar list. Our lists of activity-related complaints only scratch the surface of our many grievances as we live through this pandemic.

Do I even dare mention the soft-as-tree-bark toilet paper we were forced to use when it was the ONLY toilet paper available? We were all a little deflated when we had to purchase the off-brands of our favorite grocery items. We complained about sausage being the only available meat for sale. We sigh at the reality of working from home AND supervising the online studies of our ever-procrastinating and complaining children.

Yes, dear friends, our list of complaints is long. Though we may try to justify our grievances, this fact remains: grumbling and complaining are not the sounds of a heart beating with contentment.

Paul had to learn contentment. Like Paul, we naturally lean towards discontentment. I would argue that if Paul could learn contentment, then we can too. After all, this is the same man who endured more physical and emotional hardships than most of us will ever know (2 Corinthians 11:23-29).

Fortunately for us, Paul didn’t just impart some personal note of accomplishment and then move on to his next theological argument. No, Paul communicated the secret of contentment: “I can do everything through [Jesus] who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

Jesus is the secret to contentment!

The more we lean into Jesus, the more contented and satisfied you and I will be. Contentment isn’t found in an activity, a place, a routine, habit or preference. Ultimate and lasting fulfillment—true contentment—is found in a person. Only Jesus.

We long to return to restaurants, movie theaters, shopping malls, vacation spots and sporting events because the recent upheaval of our lives has revealed a newfound emptiness. Paul would call it discontentment. When life does return to “normal” (whatever normal means for you), the emptiness and longings of your heart will only be satisfied temporarily if the source is anything less than Jesus.

With Jesus, we can be content whatever the circumstance—whether enjoying toilet paper or using cloth scraps, whether living on sausage for four days or enjoying gourmet meals, whether working from home or jobless, whether sick or healthy, whether stuck inside or enjoying the freedom to move about. Whatever your circumstances, contentment is possible with Jesus by your side.

The plague of discontentment is real. The solution, obviously, is Jesus. The question, then, is how can we practically move from discontentment to contentment? I have two suggestions.

Our first line of defense against discontentment is GRATITUDE.

Begin to replace your grumblings with thankfulness. Have you stopped to thank God for the extra time you get to spend with your family? Have you been grateful for the food God has provided? Did you offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God when you finally found toilet paper? (I most certainly did!)

For every complaint we offer, there is an opportunity for thankfulness. Our challenge is to seize those moments and turn our complaints into thanks.

The second way to move toward contentment is through AWARENESS.

Although I have not (yet) implemented this particular exercise in my own home, I can assure you I have given it serious consideration when the grumblings run deep. Designate a jar or cup for each member of your family. When found guilty of grumbling or complaining, family members drop a nickel (from their own pockets) into their respective jars. These jars would make us keenly aware of the discontentment plaguing our hearts.

Thank you, Lord God, for revealing the discontentment in my heart. Forgive me for each and every complaint I have expressed in recent weeks. When I consider all you have done for me and all you have provided, I realize my complaints have no room in your kingdom. May the longings and desires of my heart be in concert with your own heartbeat. I pray this is the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

For Reflection

What are some recent complaints you can turn into statements of thanksgiving?

Discontentment is not always a sin. For example, spiritual discontentment is a positive aspect in our lives. How does your level of spiritual discontentment compare to your worldly discontentment?

Bury that Treasure!

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want (Psalm 23:1).

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible: The New International Version (NIV)

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