Contentment

Scripture:
"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." Matthew 26:39

Observation:
It was a dark and lonely place. With each step, the burden of what was to be grew heavier upon Him. Finally, once He could walk no further, He fell. He did not trip. He did not kneel. He collapsed on His face in prayer.

In the moments that would follow, the words uttered from the mouth of Jesus would set forever set the bar for contentment.

Application:
Contentment. For me, I think that arriving at a place of understanding this simple word is among the most difficult of tasks. Discontentment is as easy to find as a noisy three year old in a quiet library. Contentment on the other hand is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Be that as it may, contentment is a core characteristic in the life of Christ and therefore is a commandment for me to follow. As I read this passage, there are a few things that stick out to me about Contentment.

First, contentment is not an absence of ambition. Jesus was one of the most ambitious people that I have ever known. As I study His life, I am taken back by just how hard a worker He was. Up early, up late and constantly pursuing His mission is the life that I see modeled for Him. He was not content to just sit back and watch things. He pushed Himself to His limits. As I filter contentment through this lens, I see it more as a decision to be ok with the fact that life requires work. I will always have to push myself. The mission for my life will demand high levels of energy and God has called me to go at it with all that is in me. That is the part I need to work on. There are many days that I wake up and silently wish things were not so tough. There are many nights I fight tension created by the seemingly never ending demands of life. In these moments, I am tempted to be really discontent. I want an easy button. But that is not life. Life is about ambitious endeavors and the relentless pursuit of their promise.

Second, contentment is not the absence of dread. Jesus point blank asked God to take away the cross. He dreaded it. There are certain types of shirts that generate high levels of static electricity when I wear them in my truck. Upon parking my truck when I wear such shirts, I sit in dread over the jolt I receive every time I shut my door. I mean I seriously dread it. Given that is just a simple little snap that really does not hurt, I just can't imagine what Jesus was feeling. That is what I love about this prayer. He did not hide from His Father. He spoke clearly about not wanting to do it. Then, He resides Himself to do what God is asking, regardless. In this light, contentment is accepting things as they are. It is finding the resolve inside to be ok with struggling through a painful event; even if I dread it. There are so many times that I just want a situation to go away. In those moments, I will put off confronting the situation in hopes that it will just go away. I often get angry when it does not. I need to learn to be ok with the fact that the mission of my life will often carry me into the teeth of a storm I would rather dodge.

Prayer:
Father, there are cups in my life that I do not want to face. There are many areas of my life that do not meet my expectations. I often find myself torn between the desire to be grateful for what I have the great ambition that I have to become more. Contentment is not something that comes to me naturally; yet it is the thing that I desperately seek. I ask that You teach me to walk in contentment. Even when I walk into situations that are not my preference or choice, help me to find satisfaction in the hard work of obedience.