Being content

In this episode we are talking about the importance of having Godly contentment. I am sharing some reasons why being content can be hard and sharing with you practical ways you can start moving in that direction. It's easy to become distracted in a world that can provide you with many physical things. But how fulfilling can that be? Yes, it's great for awhile, but then it becomes draining. Friends, let's start working towards a mindset that sustains with a God who is consistent. It's hard, but you can do hard things! 

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I'm excited to connect with you! Remember, you can do hard things!
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"- Philippians 4:13

*Affiliated with Painting Miracles, INC & Certified Life Coach through the I-A.M System

Transcript

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Hey friend, welcome to the restored mind podcast, where we are going to be talking about various life topics surrounding mindset transformations. These topics are coming from a faith lens and will propel you into a life of peace and joy. My name is Caroline, wife, mom of three, daughter of the one true king. Host of this podcast and certified light coach through the I am system by Painting Vehicles Incorporations. My hope is that this podcast brings God's light into your life and you break free from the chains that are holding you back. Friend, it is time to shift your mindset into one that will help you flourish. Ready? Let's go. Hello and welcome to the restored mind podcast. My name is Caroline. My friend, how are you doing this week? Happy Easter. It's coming up this Sunday already. I can't believe it. I hope that however, you are choosing to celebrate that you celebrate well and that you just have a fantastic Easter Sunday. If you are new here. Welcome to the restorative. My family. At the restored mind, we are talking. About mindset transformations that come from a faith lens. If you are a returning listener. Thank you so much that you make the time, week after week to hang out with me. And I just feel very honored to have all of you here. So last week we talked about moving forward and I shared with you some challenges that we might face. I also gave a practical application on what you could do. That can help you and moving forward. If that sounds like a struggle that you don't wanting to or throw something that sounds interesting to you. I would highly recommend that you check out last week's episode. This week, we are going to talk about being content. And I know that's hard for many of us because there's so many things that distract us in this world. So I'm going to talk about why it's hard for many of us to live a life, being content and practical things. That we can do to become better at being content. So what is contentment? According to Oxford languages. It is a state of happiness and satisfaction. But I really like how Marian Webster. Defines it because it reads freedom from worry or restlessness, peaceful satisfaction. And I like this because it reminds me of what Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 11, verse 28 through 30. It reads, come to me all who labor and are heavy Laden. And I will give you rest, take my yoke upon you and learn from me for, I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. And by the way, I just want to let you know that I'm reading from the ESV version. Many times when I read to you scripture, it comes from ESV. just wanted to mention that in case you were wondering. But Mariam says it's freedom from restlessness and I believe that we can all say that we've had a season. Of restlessness in our life at some point. Maybe it's something that you're currently going through. Most of us. We'll likely agreed that it could be hard to find that rest that will satisfy us and free us from worry. Being content is freedom from that. And I love how Jesus extends an invitation that at him, we can have rest. I also want to highlight that he says, learn from me, which indicates that there's still work, that needs to be done on our part. And it doesn't just happen. Right. We have to put in work and be consistent in our learning and being disciplined so that we can grow from where we are currently at. Luckily, we have an amazing teacher. That is willing to help us. So, where does this lack of being content come from? It's stemming from living in a comparison mindset. This is when you look at everything or everyone else around you and you start comparing your growth to someone else's. This is true for me. I definitely can relate to this. And it has played a major role in many aspects of my life, especially in my fitness journey. In the beginning of my fitness journey, I used to look at someone else's results and get frustrated or feel inadequate because I wasn't seeing the same results that I wanted to. See in myself as I did in them. I felt behind many of the times, because I started much later in my life, or I guess I should clarify and say that I committed much later in my life I had on and off. Relationship with my fitness journey, but it wasn't until much later where I finally committed to this and the work that I put in. Felt like many hours. But because I kept comparing myself to someone else or vice versa, I was actually blind. And couldn't see that the person I was comparing myself to put in way more hours than me combined simply because they have many more years of experience than me. And another harsh truth is that this person did things that I was not willing to do either. So the results differed dramatically. And what I mean by that is by showing up, despite not wanting to learning about nutrition, taking the time to be intentional with their movement and learning the correct form and their exercises. There's many things. That they were willing to do. And I wasn't during this particular season of my life. I was not doing any of these things as a matter of fact, because I was wanting the result of someone who has been in it for years when the reality is that I was only in it for three months. At that time of my life. So obviously yes, genetics play a major role in all of this. And there's many other factors that play a role in someone's results. Or someone's progress, but the general idea is that when we start to compare ourselves to what someone else has, we become less content with what we have and that can ultimately stop us from wanting to continue because. This is where negative self-talk starts to creep in and words like I could never, or this isn't for me or why can't I be like that? It's all toxic thinking. In my personal opinion, it's all toxic. Thinking, because it stops us from reaching our greatest potential. There's this saying I've heard many times in my life and I know that you've heard it too, but it's the encouragement of living your life to the fullest. I used to take this literally and tried to fill it with many things that it took me on this search for more and ultimately had me asking what more is there to life. This question proved to be challenging because even in my search, when I got the very thing that I thought would feel me, it was very short-lived. When I was in college, there was a running joke between my best friend and I, and I have to preface this by saying that I shopped a lot. At one point in my life. And so she would ask me things like, dang girl, do you really need all of that? It was usually when she would come into my room and see that there was new things in there where I come home with shopping bags and I would respond with it fills the empty inside of me as a way to justify the temporary satisfaction that I. Felt when I purchased these things, it was a dopamine hit. If I'm being truly honest with you, because I found that I was chasing that feel good feeling of being instantly gratified by buying something. The second I saw something that I wanted. This happened for a long while. And eventually I came to a place where I saw that these things that I purchased. Only field to my closet and space. And not necessarily filling me in a way where I would feel complete and whole. So the journey continued, right? There's this fear of thinking that we'll run out of something. So we consume as much as we can, or maybe we keep as much as we can instead of taking only one is needed. And for me, what comes to mind is food. If you know me, you know that I absolutely love to eat. I don't eat to live. I live to eat. That's how much I love food. I'm always thinking about food, wanting to try new restaurants, wanting to try new things. And so. Yeah, your girl loves to eat. So when I think about that, my mind goes to food, but you can fill in the blank with whatever that looks like for you, but all of us have something where we have this fear that we won't have enough of something. And so maybe we overbuy what, in my case, I overeat from time to time. If we aren't careful though, our mind can begin to tell us that it's okay to have these material things in abundance and we'll go searching for more of it. This is especially true for me in the beginning of my fitness journey, when I didn't have a good relationship with food, because I either over ate or I was under eating, there was no middle ground. And so. When we are. Allowing our mind to tell us that this thing that we really want to have, because we think we're not going to get any more of it. We don't have a control over that that we can go overboard with it. And I'm not saying that you cannot eat what you want or have anything that you want. That's not what I'm saying at all. But what I'm saying here is that this thinking leads me back to the point of me telling you earlier. About feeling like you don't have enough. So you're always searching for more. This mindset is also true with money. And talking about money is not an easy subject. I think a lot of us can become very protective about our money or the conversation surrounding money. At least for me, sometimes I can feel myself getting that way. And so I know that if I'm feeling like that, There's some of us out here that have that same feeling too. So. When you think that you don't ever have enough, even when God has shown you in your life, that he provides for you, everything that you need, somehow it was still doesn't feel like it's enough. And that's not to say that you cannot have money. What I am talking about is loving money so much. That you're always searching for it or that it ends up taking over your life. Paul reminds us in one Timothy verse six through 10, he says, But godliness with contentment is great gain for, we brought nothing into the world and we cannot. Take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing with these, we will be content. But those who desire to be rich, fall into temptation. Into a snare. Into many senseless, and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from faith. And pierced themselves with many pangs. I love how Paul is reminding us that godliness contentment is great. gain because it helps us look away from the temptation of greed and self exhalting, the temptation of thinking that we need to have all of these material things in abundance and excess of it and not being content with what we have. I also love the eternal aspect that he places when he says godliness. With contentment is great gain because it talks about an eternal gain that we have when we begin to place God first in our life. Paul also reminds us that we came into this world with nothing and we're going to leave with nothing. This is a great opportunity to truly take in all the wonderful gifts that God has given us. So I'm currently reading Genesis with my children and going back to revisit, I am in all of God's a wonderful works. He created a home before making Adam and Eve. That meant, he made sure that they had everything that they needed. What caught my attention this time in reading with my children is that. Before God removed Adam and Eve from the garden. He made for them garments of skin. And clothed them. You see what caught my attention about that is that even in their disobedience, he still cared and loved them so much. So. That he provided for them, everything that they would lead. So who is to say that God wouldn't love you the same, despite what brokenness is in your life currently. Or how too far away you think you've turned from God to come back? There is no greater love than his. And even when we try to love someone like this, we fall short. When we try our best to love someone with the best of us, we still fall short because we have limitations that are far smaller than God's. His limitations are far greater than ours. His love is steadfast steadfast. And it is beyond my comprehension, but I'm so thankful for that because I know that I am in need of someone who loves me so much more than I can comprehend. Paul also warns us that those who desire to be rich fall into temptation. Right? So being rich and worldly thing makes it easy for us to fall into temptation. Because we then become distracted and then being content with food and clothing, like Paul mentions in this verse. Becomes not enough. We start to think about what more can we get? That's not to say that you can't have anything, you can still have things, but it's how you're using them. The question is, are you using it for fame? And your own glory. Are you using these things to get compliments or to make others jealous or perceive a certain lifestyle that you're honestly not living? Is it to be self satisfying. Or living in that mindset of living your life to the fullest in a worldly way. Or are you using these things? These gifts for the glory of God? My friend and my experience. Doing it for the likes and the compliments are never enough chasing things for your own satisfaction does not sustain it. Doesn't satisfy it nor does it give life. It's very short-lived when we do that. So what are some practical things that you can do to grow in contentment or in being content? That is to create an attitude of being grateful when you're truly in genuinely grateful for what you have. You begin to see even the simplest of things in your life as a precious. Gift. And how you can start moving in that direction of gratitude. Is to journal or simply thank God for what you have. It can be. As simple as washing your dishes and thanking God for the sink full of dishes, because that meant that you and your family had a meal. And now your bellies are full or being grateful that your house is loud and messy, because that means that your home is full of life. When you become grateful for the things that can easily become something you gripe about. It changes your attitude and perspective on things that actually. Matter. Another way that you can start stepping into the direction of being content is to stop comparing yourself to someone else it's so much easier said than done. I know. As someone who has gone through this. There are times where I still go through it too. Comparison. My friend is the thief of joy. It takes away what you should be celebrating, even the smallest of things and magnifies what you don't have. So to combat that, I would encourage you to focus on what is in front of you. Instead of constantly looking around at someone else's results or marriage or home or whatever else it is that has you distracted. As someone who struggled with this. For a very long time. I can assure you that the more you look over at someone else's blessings. The more, you struggle with accepting what your blessings are and truly genuinely becoming thankful and be content in that. And by the way, I have to tell you, because this was a thought of mine back then, when I struggled with this. Just because someone has what you will consider more than what you have does not mean that God loves that person more. Than you. He loves us all the same. And the gifts that he gives us are not the physical things that we have in our life. It's the spiritual growth that we have, the eternal that we have with him. Just wanted to share that with you, because I know what it's like to walk and the comparison mindset and just be bombarded with thoughts of thinking that you're not enough that you're unworthy. And you begin to think that you don't deserve all of these things. Another good way to grow. In contentment is to be mindful of your inner dialogue. It is so easy for us to think in our mind that we quote unquote, need something when we haven't even used up or gone through what we already have. That goes back to. Thinking that we need more of something. The inner dialogue that you have in your mind drives your actions. So if you are constantly looking for more. You're going to be seeking more. And it's not always a bad thing cause I remember searching for what more is there to life and in my search. I found the more part came from the abundant and life that Jesus gives. Not so much what the world's can provide for me or what I can get out of the world. It took me a while to get there, but the idea is to think about. What you're seeking for this is where asking the question. Who was first in your life matters. Is it you, or is it God? Because what is first is who you're going to serve. It's what grabs your attention first? And I know that it can be hard at to navigate yourself through all of these questions because when you are truly acknowledging. Your intentions and where your mind is that it can get scary because we start to see things that we don't quite want to admit that we're seeing. And I know it's hard. My friend. And no it's hard being content in a world that provides for us so much and, and tells us that there are so many things that we need and makes us think that we're missing out on. What we think life may be. Working through being content. is hard. but my friend you can do hard things. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to listen in on this episode. I meant what I said. You can do hard things, so don't let the daily challenges stop you from reaching your greatest potential. If you are ready to take the next step in your journey and are finding that you are in need of help and would like someone to keep you accountable, call I would love to offer you my life coaching services. Click on the link in the show notes to get started there. You will also find links to my social media pages where you're able to connect with me as well. My friends, I look forward to speaking with you again next week here on the restored mind podcast. Go in peace.