Renee Emerson

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Discontentment
:: it often arises over unchanging and ongoing circumstances that we can do nothing about

Scripture:

You formed my inmost parts; you knitted me together in my Mother’s womb. { Psalm 139:13

Solution: Acceptance
accept your circumstances from God, trusting that He unerringly knows what is best for you, and that in His love, he purposes what is best.

Unthankfulness
Scripture:

we are to give thanks always and in everything to God the Father in our Lord Jesus Christ { Ephesians 5:20
Give thanks to God in all circumstances for this is the will of Christ Jesus for you. { 1 Thessalonians 5:18

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These go hand in hand for me. Bridges, in the book, talks more about discontentment in extreme circumstances; but, I’m ashamed to admit, I struggle sometimes with discontentment in well, lovely, circumstances. We have plenty to eat, a beautiful home, a healthy beautiful daughter, a strong marriage, great family. No physical pains or traumas. God has truly truly blessed us. And even then, sometimes I have trouble with discontentment and unthankfulness. I struggle with it mainly when I see others doing well in an area that I think I should be doing better in, whether its appearance or success or family or money, and I become envious and discontent with my own life. There’s another chapter on Jealousy/Envy, so I’ll get more into that later, but these two, Discontentment and Unthankfulness, are inseparable for me. When I forget or neglect thanking God for what I have, I become discontent. To work on this, every time I feel that I’m getting that the-grass-is-greener syndrome, I’m going to write a list of 100 things I have to be thankful for. And, mostly, I’m going to work on memorizing these verses–to give thanks Always in All circumstances.