Devotions from Lisa McMinn’s book, The  Contented Soul

“Contented souls have learned the art of sipping and savoring – experiencing life slowly with a leisurely mindfulness.”  That is quite a difference from our nonstop culture that seems to drown out quietness and restfulness. You may have noticed how cell phones take people out of the present moment they are sharing with others and puts their attention to some virtual place instead.   Technology that brought convenience and eased our work has invaded every part of our lives. Sipping becomes gulping and savoring is lost in the noise of multitasking.  If we are to live contented lives we have to say no to some opportunities so we have space to sip and savor life. When our lives are too full of good opportunities we are less available to be God’s hands and feet to minister to others in the unexpected. We all need balance in our lives so there is time for renewal and refreshment as well as labor and work.  Let us seek a sacred rhythm in our lives and we will find contentment expanding into our lives.

Devotions based on Lisa McMinn’s book, The Contented Soul

We live in a society that wants a good measure of control over pain, hunger, disease, aging etc. We get frustrated when we encounter something we can’t control. But it is in our pain and things that limit us that we discover how finite we are and so dependent on God.  But when we are willing to relinquish control and to take what God sends or allows- not because it is good but because we trust, then God will work through all things to bring about His goodness in the end.  This allows us to find joy even when today disappoints or wounds us.  We need wisdom though to know when to accept our circumstances and when to fight to change them.  If the change we seek is to provide peace for someone else, then it is likely good. If circumstances can’t be changed, then acceptance is the pathway to peace.  Like Joni Erickson who became a quadriplegic after she had a diving accident.  She said when she accepted her paralysis, she moved ahead …she  become an artist, a writer, speaker and founder of an organization to help others who ware disabled. She accepted her suffering and is being used to bless many. Let us embrace what God allows and know we are held in His hands.

Devotions from Lisa McMinn’s book, The Contented Soul

Today’s devotion is on limits, and as a culture we are not particularly good at accepting limits, especially if our comfort is involved. People today tend to feel pressured to make the most of every opportunity and end up living frantic lives.  But contented people accept more limits and have a sense of belonging and being part of something bigger than themselves. They seek rest, renewal, and reflection so they can continue to find joy in being with, serving, and working alongside others. They relinquish the need to constantly push to have or do more, or to keep up and instead welcome opportunities to slow down, to rest.   We are all frail and finite and dependent on our God who sustains us. Let us also accept the limits imposed by our aging bodies. When we do we are released from the expectation to control something we ultimately can’t control. Instead why not celebrate each birthday and live content with ourselves, God, and others .

Let us also limit our consumption.  When we do we learn to enjoy what is simple, and in consuming less we remind ourselves of what brings contentment.”  Elaine St. James said, “The secret to happiness is not in getting more but in wanting less.”

Devotions based on Lisa McMinn’s book, The Contented Soul

We live in a society that wants a good measure of control over pain, hunger, disease, aging etc. We get frustrated when we encounter something we can’t control. But it is in our pain and things that limit us that we discover how finite we are and so dependent on God.  But when we are willing to relinquish control and to take what God sends or allows- not because it is good but because we trust, then God will work through all things to bring about His goodness in the end.  This allows us to find joy even when today disappoints or wounds us.  We need wisdom though to know when to accept our circumstances and when to fight to change them.  If the change we seek is to provide peace for someone else, then it is likely good. If circumstances can’t be changed, then acceptance is the pathway to peace.  Like Joni Erickson who became a quadriplegic after she had a diving accident.  She said when she accepted her paralysis, she moved ahead …she  become an artist, a writer, speaker and founder of an organization to help others who ware disabled. She accepted her suffering and is being used to bless many. Let us embrace what God allows and know we are held in His hands.

Devotions from Lisa McMinn’s book, The Contented Soul

We belong not to ourselves but to God, and are part of a whole that connects us to each other and to creation. As we grow less preoccupied with ourselves, we are filled with the wonder at the God who created us and all that surrounds us. Our identity is in Him, and our life’s meaning transcends gratifying ourselves.  When we really grasp this reality, we will become less self-conscious about our successes and failures, our popularity or lack of popularity. To become God-conscious rather than self-conscious brings freedom and joy.  When our hearts are mellow, we can look through even the darkest circumstances of our lives and find joy. Our happiness transcends our immediate circumstances because we know that in the end all will be made right. God can use our pain and struggles to shape and strengthen our character and draw us towards Him. Sometimes that means accepting loss but we gain peace as we relinquish control. May we be  able to see beauty amidst ashes and have hope for what is yet to come

Devotions from Lisa McMinn’s book, The Contented Soul

You are familiar I am sure of Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity prayer but is good to really “Listen” to the whole thing and not just the first line or two.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.”

If we rely on our circumstances that are likely to change from moment to moment, rather than character qualities that bring a deep sense of well-being, we may be unhappy more often than not.  The author, Lisa, writes of mellowness of heart as a “way of being that is openly receptive to God so that our lives lean toward a posture of grace, thanksgiving, blessing and goodness.”  Let us accept our circumstances, both good and bad, and trust that God is in control of the big picture, and we will find joy! More on this tomorrow.

Devotions based on Lisa McMinn’s book, The Contented Soul

When we go through hard times and respond rightly, it teaches us resilience and hope. Struggle is good because it builds fortitude, the endurance that develops through hardship and difficulty. We can learn to trust that God is doing His transforming work in us as we seek Him in our times of misery as well as joy.  In Phil 4 we are told to rejoice even when life is tough. God is near and watching. In James we are told to see value in suffering because it produces perseverance, character, and hope.  When we have everyday annoyances and pain we are given the opportunity to practice contentment that transcends our circumstances. Even when we have physical pain like a migraine headache, it can give us an increased sensitivity to others.  We can learn from our minor aches that can prepare us for greater suffering. As parents we have to resist the urge to overprotect and overindulge our children. When we pave the road too smoothly, they have a harder time coping with life’s disappointments in adulthood. Let us learn to sit with some measure of sadness, or some level of anxiety, some amount of sleeplessness so we know how humanity feels and also how Christ suffered for us. When we accept struggle as part of living in a broken world and carry on rather than giving up, we are exercising fortitude. Fortitude helps us embrace His mercy and grace, and contentment has a chance to settle deep within us.

Devotions from Lisa McMinn’s book, The Contented Soul

We all go through hard times and when we embrace struggle, we learn fortitude and just how capable we are of enduring. We also open ourselves to receive blessings from others.  The French Jesuit priest, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, encourages Christians to recognize God in every moment-not to run from struggle but to surrender to it, trusting that God’s will is found in our actions and our suffering. He is present in whatever we go through and will give us strength.

When we learn to rest in God and not try to escape from unpleasant struggles, God can transform us and help us use the moment to help us understand and love more deeply. Instead of trying to fix all our discomforts, we can learn to respond rightly. “When we treat each moment as sacred, we learn from one moment what will uphold some practice of virtue in the next. God uses every experience to shape, teach, and prepare us…we are instructed to experience all of life deeply, holding on to the hope of God while being present to whatever this moment brings, because God is there.” That is the real secret of surrender.

Devotions from Lisa McMinn’s book, The Contented Soul

Because the world is broken, we won’t experience the full joy we were created for, in this life. But because our contentment comes from the awareness of our personal God, we can rest in contentment even when our circumstances are not what we would like them to be.  When we are contented we realize we belong, and that frees us from the expectation that we have to make our own world perfect. We don’t have to be a doormat for a  world ready to take advantage of us either.  When we take care of ourselves we can do the work of caring for others entrusted to us. Looking out for ourselves is not an end in itself, but so we an go out and fulfill the claims God makes on us and for the community and world we live in.  Let us remember Who we belong to.

Devotions from Lisa McMinn’s book, The Contented Soul

God remembers us and is always present with us. He is not the enemy of our joy but created us for joy, to experience happiness, and to be united with Him. But when we look to things and accomplishments as our sources of happiness, we miss the true happiness of our souls that comes from knowing and loving God.  As we serve others within our community it draws us into even greater contentment. Not only is caring for others good for others, it does our own soul good. It is a reminder that we are part of something much bigger than just ourselves. When we are going through painful times or loneliness, doing something for someone else and blessing them can actually ease our pain.  We are created to get pleasure and contentment from seeing the world as God sees it, to love it as God loves it, and to care for and enjoy others. “As our soul enjoys God, we will enjoy life.”