Crushing DiscontentmentSample

Today, let’s go to the second C or Cause of Discontentment: We have conformed to the world

If we’re being honest, we’ve begun to look a lot like the world. We speak, watch, scroll, listen to, read, go to, and participate in things exactly like the world. But mostly we have begun to think like the world.

Friends, how can we expect to be content when we conform to a world that is broken and discontented?

The world gets its happiness from circumstances. When things are good, people are on a high. But what happens when the new car smell starts to fade? What happens when the job you’d pinned all your hopes on turns out to be horribly toxic? What happens when that perfect relationship ends? Or, horror of horrors, what happens when you gain weight and no longer have the perfect figure?

How can we challenge that discontentment when the world’s ideals infringe on our freedom in Christ? Here's the second C to crush discontentment:

We can learn to think counter-culturally.

Scripture reminds us that we are not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

How do we renew our minds?

In Philippians 4:8, Paul says those famous words: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Our thoughts are like the things we put in our carry-on bags at airport security. Some things are just not allowed through to the other side, no matter how crucial they seem to us. Scissors, spray bottles, knives, and forks will be discarded. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we are to scan our thoughts, put them through the x-ray machine of God’s Word, and throw out thoughts that are untrue, ugly, sinful, ungodly, critical, bitter, or shameful. If we want to experience contentment, we need to be radically discerning and vigilant about our thought lives.

Reflection: What are some ways of worldly thinking that you’ve let into your mind that are stealing your contentment?

Lean In: Lord, forgive me for conforming to the world in my thoughts. Help me replace those thoughts with things that are true from Your Word. Renew my mind. I long to experience contentment in Christ. Amen