In her message at TGCW22, Lydia Brownback addresses the topic of contentment and points to where we can find true fulfillment for the things in our life that don’t feel quite right.
When there’s discontentment in our lives, there are two avenues we typically take to deal with it: take it to the Lord or avoid it with busyness or another handy escape. Brownback uses Psalm 73 to teach about Asaph’s journey from discontentment to contentment through his response to disappointment. In Psalm 73:25, Asaph declares, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”
When it comes to responding to discontentment and disappointing circumstances, Brownback says, “Our responses to disappointment are a window into our heart.” Those responses often show us whether we’re following Christ for who he is or merely for what he can give us.
The antidote to wrong thinking about God, which is the root of discontentment, is to develop a right perspective on God and to trust him with the guidance of our lives. Ultimately, true contentment is God’s will for us no matter our circumstances, and in Christ, contentment is always possible. Like Asaph in Psalm 73, may we draw near to the Lord with trust and declare that there’s nothing on earth we desire besides him.
The Gospel Coalition