Month: February 2019

4 Ways to Beat Discontentment

You always seem satisfied with your life until you meet somebody new or experience something exciting. Discontentment always seems to settle in making us irritable and frustrated with where we’re at in life. If we see that somebody has something that we want, we feel the need to go after it. Why is that?

Whether it be a new product or an experience, we always find ourselves excited by a temporary situation. If a friend gets a new phone, you feel like you need a phone. That family member went on that dream vacation, so you feel the need to do the same thing. A co-worker gets a new job, so you feel like you need a new job. We invent this “need” and make ourself feel like it’s a “necessity”.

1 Timothy 6:6 says “godliness with contentment is great gain.” True necessity should only lead us to one place and that’s contentment with God.

How do we do that when the world is shouting that we “need” this stuff?

#1 Be thankful for what you have

When you’re thankful and have a heart of gratitude you tend to realize and appreciate the things that you DO have. Spend time each day thanking God and having an attitude of gratitude.

#2 Pray

Pray that God would give you a heart and mind that’s content. Ask and you shall receive – if we come to God and pour out our hearts and let Him know that we desire to be content with the things He blesses ya with, he will!

#3 Volunteer and give your time

When we volunteer and give our time to others, the things we think of as “necessities” won’t seem as important. Focus on someone other than yourself and there will be a shift in your mindset.

#4 Read scripture

Seek out what God tells us to do in His word. What are His instructions? If we keep our eyes on Him and follow His word, He will guide us.

Be thankful for what you DO have and you’ll end up having more.

Written by Meggan Jacobus. Meggan is the staffing manager at Froot Group, a worship staffing and consulting company.

If I Only Knew

Have you ever had an, “If I only knew,” moment? The kind of moment that you look back at something wishing you would have known ahead of time so you could have done something different.

If I only knew that buying furniture on credit as a young couple would spiral into a mess of credit card debt, I would have….

If I only knew that the company I worked for was going to downsize this year, I would have….

If I only knew that my friend would be shot and killed today, I would have…..

If I only knew that the children in that neighborhood didn’t have shoes, I would have….

If I only knew that there was a need in ministry for this, I would have….

If I only knew that God was leading me in this direction, I would have…

If I only knew my kids were feeling this way, I would have….

Life would look different if we had some crystal ball or mirror we could look into and see the future, but that’s just a Disney movie. But God can see what is, was, and will be, for each of us.
Have I not commanded you?
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NIV
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.” Isaiah 43:1-3, 13 NLT
“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel, and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” Psalms 139:1-6 NLT

God knows our struggles, the struggles of others, and also what each of us needs. He sent his son, Jesus to the earth to live a life as human, yet as God, to reconcile us to his purpose for eternity. Jesus told the woman at the well, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” (John 4:10 NLT) When the woman at the well discovered that she was in the presence of the Son of God, the Messiah, she and many in her village became believers.

13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:13-15 NIV)

It is my responsibility as a Christian, (and of every Christian) to make sure others ‘know’ the story of Jesus. To listen to the life stories of others so I know what is going on in their life, how/what to pray for, how I might help them and how to connect God’s story with them. It’s my responsibility to know what’s going on in my neighborhood, what’s going on in the schools, what’s going on in the ministries and the lives of my friends by asking critical questions often.

We must put aside the excuses of saying…
IF WE ONLY KNEW

Written by Jeff Shicks, Executive Director at Youth for Christ, Nashville, TN. To find out more about Jeff or Youth for Christ, visit www.nashvilleyfc.org.