DevotedExemplo

Contentment, written by Jennie Clark

It can be tempting to wear busyness as a badge of honour, to equate success with accomplishments, and feel productive when our lists of tasks for the day have been ticked off. We can get to the end of the day and realise we have spent our minutes and hours responding to the tyranny of the urgent. It is often the loudest or the most pressing matter that demands our attention. In stark contrast, our God is not a tyrant, loud and forceful, but He wants, and more importantly, deserves, to be prioritised in our daily lives.

It is a wise practice to stop, take stock and consider where our priorities lie. How do we measure success? The world’s measure and God’s measure are certainly not the same. For us, the devoted, what is truly important?

God calls us to be a people of contentment. Our key scripture today (Psalm 16:11 NLT)reminds us that “in His presence there is fullness of joy.” God wants us to jump off the treadmill of busyness and draw near to him. Only in His presence will we experience the joy which is the portion for us who love Him. Only in Him will we find true contentment.

Charles Stanley wrote: “We can be tired, weary, and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power, and strength.” Often the things we think we need to rest and replenish won’t give us the true contentment we are striving for. The devotions of the early church in Acts prioritised worship together in the temple, breaking bread, and sharing meals with each other, and the result was great joy and generosity (Acts 2:46)!

I often consider the words of the old hymn “When I survey the wondrous cross” as it helps me to clarify and realign my priorities. “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

I am not intimidated by the bigness of these words, quite the opposite! As I breathe in and breathe out, I give my day and my life to God afresh, in the beautiful simplicity of devotion to the One who has already done it all for me.

• Do I measure success by the world’s standards or by God’s?
• Can I find time today not to do but to simply BE in the presence of God?