It's situational y'all--> Content pt.2

rainen harper
Mar 14, 2021
6 min read

What are you striving for? The perfect soulmate, the perfect house, the perfect family, the perfect pictures, the perfect job, the perfect bank account, the perfect car, the perfect body- the list goes on. So what is yours? Stop for a couple minutes and really think about it.

Now with your perfect in mind... What would happen if you had it? Relish in the glory for a few seconds. Would it be fulfilling? Is it everything you have ever hoped for? ...But wait. If you have the perfect soulmate what happens when you need the perfect family for the perfect pictures. And if you have the perfect pictures you're going to need the perfect bank account and definitely the perfect body with the perfect clothes and then maybe you'll need a perfect car to match the rest of it. BUT WILL IT EVER END? No, it won't.

"The ones that always, always want something better, will never find better."

-Anthony Liccione

We live in a culture of "more." Material things is one of the top motivators for success. If you're smart enough to realize that a high money flowing job takes hard work, then you are smart enough to realize there will never be enough you could do to fulfill that "more." The Bible preaches contentment everywhere, but we humans are stubborn. We want what we want, and we only listen to what helps satisfy that hunger for "more."

Psalm 34:10b

Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Although I definitely struggle with wanting more material things, wanting to travel more, among other things. My biggest struggle in all of my life was being content in my own skin. My entire life I abused my body because it didn't look how I wanted it to. But for what? If it did a little, then there would be the next thing and the next thing. I harmed the body that God created for me because according to the standard of today's world it wasn't... good. Can you even believe that? I can't tell you on a social platform all of the ways that I abused this precious body of mine. But I will say that it not only harmed my physical body- but my mental, psychological, and emotional body too.

1 Timothy 4:4

Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks.

All that I ever did from the start of sixth grade was reject my body. I hated it and I would cry and cry and cry all the time because I was so miserable. But pay attention to this- I think about this almost every single day. Even as a young girl I knew in my heart that Jesus made me this way for a reason. I knew that, and I was trying so so hard to believe that. I never prayed and asked God for a new body or to be someone else- I knew better than that (I just wished for it on my own time) instead I prayed for WISDOM and CONTENTMENT. You ask me why my 11 year old self was praying for wisdom and contentment, I have no idea but I did for three whole, horrible, ugly, dangerous, scary years. Repeatedly, and every single night for years until eventually God was delivering me.

"Humans are forever discontent, always thinking there are better alternatives to their present circumstances" -Richelle E. Goodrich

I prayed for wisdom to know that I was completely made perfect as I was, and I prayed for contentment to accept my womb-knitted body from the Lord. Our circumstances present opportunities for us to struggle. Our circumstances present opportunities for us to struggle. Yes, it's in there twice on purpose. It is 100000% up to us to decide how we can overcome our circumstances to be content. Without God as our focus in our relationships, marriages, careers, families, perspectives, we will not find contentment because through Jesus Christ our hope is found, our identity lies, our faith grows, our blessings flow,

=we prosper. We cannot expect to ever be content without Him because our wants and needs are temporary. Our souls need to be fueled by God's love and desire for us, and that's not a single thing that this world can provide.

I'm gonna spam you with some scriptures to read and focus on below:

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Live your life for the Lord, striving to ignore earthly desires and material possessions

Job 36:11 If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.

Seeking God's will for your life is going to give you more blessings and fulfillment than you could ever obtain for yourself

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Following God's word provides ultimate fulfillment, earthly desires like money, possessions, cars, etc. lead to misfortune

Now back to my story. I found contentment when I started to give up control of doing it my way. Ladies and gentlemen, I am not even one full year of relapse free. But I can tell you that my soul has been restored, my eyes are changed, my mental state has been healed (not permanently of course, I will struggle my whole life) and I am brand new. I have a ton of things to show from this- and yes the number on the scale and this physical body is different. But I don't have to worry about food, numbers, calories, squish, clothes, pictures, comparison anymore. I have trusted Jesus with letting things go, with educating myself on my physical health, with knowing that I am 100% unique and there isn't another girl out there with MY BODY. I will no longer abuse this body because not only am I content in this body, I celebrate being transformed in this body. I am honored for God to use me in this way.

And yes- I know this is different than being money driven, success driven, perfection driven. But being discontent is constantly wanting more and it's all in the same. I am still discontent in other areas of my life don't get me wrong- but I am choosing every single day to give these wants up to God. And yes again- you have to choose to do that every single day or the world is going to take you down like a current in the river. You might be able to come up for air sometimes but the current is strong and it will pull you down again unless you're holding on to a strong foundation. Your discontentment might look a little differently than mine, for the sake of my past I sure hope it does.

But don't forget that you aren't living your life for yourself, believe it or not. If you love God, are wanting to please him and hear, "My child, well done my good and faithful servant," then you have to die to yourself every day and ask God what He wants for you. I know it sounds weird, like it's your life why wouldn't you live for you? Our purpose was never to live for ourselves guys. We are to grow in Christ, & make disciples of all nations- but this isn't sad!! It's not a bad thing!! If God is good, would He want you to be unhappy? Go without? Live your entire life miserable for serving Him? NO WAY GUYS. God blesses those who love Him and consecrate His name. As with everything else, we have to trust Him with everything. Giving up control of everything. Always.

(I am very bad of this- aka it's hardddddddd)

Without God as our focus in our relationships, marriages, careers, families, perspectives, we will not find contentment because through Jesus Christ our hope is found, our identity lies, our faith grows, our blessings flow...