From Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby:
If you knew all you had was a relationship with God, would you be totally and completely satisfied? Many people would say, “I would like to have that relationship, but I would also like to do something” or “I would like for Him to give me a ministry or something to do.” We are a doing people. We feel worthless of useless if we are not busy doing something. Scripture leads us to understand that God is saying, “I want you to love Me above everything else. When you are in a relationship of love with Me, you have everything there is.” To be loved by God is the highest relationship, the greatest achievement, and the noblest position in life.
And such is my struggle. I seek to be content in my circumstances only to find them changing. I speak of learning contentment in my singleness–and then something happens and I’m fighting that battle all over again. I speak of learning contentment in school–and then something happens and I go over the same road again. Because learning to be content in my circumstances only lasts as long as my circumstances last. (Not long!)
Perhaps the problem is that I’m seeking contentment in my circumstances rather than satisfaction in Christ.
If I am satisfied in Christ, then regardless of my circumstances, He is my all. If I am satisfied in Christ, everything else is just an extra. If I’m satisfied in Christ, those external circumstances have no bearing on my contentment.
Paul says “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” (Phil 4:11) How can he learn contentment in every state except that his contentment is found outside of his state? Contentment is found in Christ.
I was reflecting on Psalm 42 this morning: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And [why] are you disquieted within me? Hope in God.” I’ve often thought of “Hope” as being the main word of those verses. Hope. Hope. Hope. Yet I realized this morning that “hope” is not the key word, “in God” is the key phrase.
What is hope unless it is placed in the right someone? It’s an empty campaign slogan.
My satisfaction, my hope must be found in Christ alone.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Thank you for that article. I agree that it is often difficult to find contentment in our circumstances, but much better to turn our focus to satisfaction in Christ.