“Contentment doesn’t mean I’m numb to desire; I want nothing. It means that I want, and yet am surrendered to receive whatever it is that God chooses to give. And that I receive it in that spirit of gratitude and praise.”
Are contentment and desire at war with each other? Some say yes. Jen Pollock Michel says not necessarily.
When we understand desire in its proper context, we can hold desire loosely while living in contentment.
Consider the psalmist’s words in Psalm 37:4:
“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
This has a two-fold message. If we delight in or desire things that are temporary more than we delight in God, we need to shift our perspective. We can ask God to remove those desires.
The second message is a prayer for greater focus on God and His value. We need to replace our idols with the truth of God’s sovereignty by praying for greater, more holy desires.
“Yes Lord, any desire in my heart that does not choose to delight in You, that delights in things that are less value, root those out.”
“But then also give me greater desires, give me more holy desires.”
When we think of our heart and its desires, we can picture a garden. God can plant desires in our hearts that will grow lasting fruit.
“Maybe God wants to do things in us that we don’t even recognise yet. Maybe God is going to put a desire in our heart to adopt a child or start a new business. It doesn’t have to be something that looks so overtly spiritual. It is a desire that he gives us and will ultimately glorify him.”
If we follow in obedience and are faithful to walk with Him, He can use those desires for His purposes to bring fruit out of our lives.
We may have unfulfilled desires, or dreams that have been sidetracked, but we can still choose to trust God and His timing for our lives and circumstances.
Jen explores this further in her book, Teach Us to Want.
Key Scriptures: Philippians 2:13; Psalm 37:4
Featured Songs: Whole Heart by Shannon Wexelberg; Sons and Daughters by North Point Music; The River by Jordan Feliz
Highlight : Are contentment and desire at odds with each other?
