When Your Whole World Changes - COVID-19 Special EditionSample

Contentment

I have found myself in so many different situations recently. My mind replays each moment. I hear the sounds, see the images, remember the faces. It’s not that I want to forget everything that has happened; I want to find peace from the flood of thoughts and have a new perspective on it all.

When we’re serving others during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, we may have little to no control over our circumstances. We may have to work long hours without rest. We may have no choice about what’s on the menu (if there is anything). We may have to work with inadequate equipment or protection. We may be needed by far too many peoples. 

These circumstances can be a breeding ground for discontent.

Contentment in all situations starts with an attitude of trust and confidence in God’s faithful guidance and loving care for us. Contentment can be strengthened by the people we spend time with. A friend can bring a new perspective, support, or a listening ear at the right moment. If we start to become discouraged or complain, a friend can help us see the situation in a new way.

Paul wrote about what he learned about being content in many different circumstances:

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.

Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.

Philippians 4:11–14

Sharing in one another’s troubles is a privilege. 

Will you take time to share in someone else’s troubles? What do you hope to learn about contentment from your interaction with that person?