Being Quietly Content
Greetings sisters in Christ!
Let us rejoice in this day, where God has us, and strive on until He brings us home. Today I want to talk about being quietly content. 1 Peter 3 tells us godly women that we should have a meek and quiet spirit and if we explore that meaning we see it is 'mildness of disposition, humble, gentleness' and it stems from trust in God's goodness and control over a situation. Quiet is 'still, undisturbing, keeping one's seat, peaceable quiet, tranquil'. That draws a picture of a quiet woman who is content to allow God to take over and she is mild and peaceable in her spirit. That's an attribute that is not something that you just 'do', it's something you 'become'. It becomes a part of who you are and your spirit will reflect that. Let me ask you this...shouldn't a woman who has a meek and quiet spirit, also be content? Of course God's word tells all believers to be content in all things as well as thankful. If you ask me, all those qualities go together to form the spirit of a godly woman. (There are more qualities but I'm focusing on these.)
Meek, quiet, content and thankful. That's a beautiful picture of a godly woman who is going to be able to go through this life of trials with strength and steadfastness. ALL of us sisters are in situations that we don't particularly care for but we are where God has us and He has work for us to do right where we are, growing and molding us to be what He wants us to be, doing what He wants us to do. It sure would be nice if we could just live in the woods, grow our garden and mind our own business (sounds like the garden of Eden), not having to deal with the spiritual battles of having people in our lives, amen? Don't brother Jim and I know that as we are in the midst of it every day in our ministry and out in the world!
This is my encouragement for you sisters to cultivate contentment and thankfulness for where you are and meld that with your meek and quiet spirit. If we are not content then we are unthankful. I thought I'd give some examples of how God had people in places that they surely would rather not be, but they stood bold on the truth and look at the outcome. (I will give brief descriptions and you can go study for yourself.)
* Job, we all know what he went through.
* How about Esther who was gathered among other women (under the kings command) and brought before him.
* Ruth, heading off into a different country and working hard in the fields.
* Hannah had no children and had to deal with the other wife troubling her.
* The Shulamite woman who was forced to work hard in the vineyards.
* Lot running for his life and seeing his wife turn to salt.
* Both Joseph and Daniel at the hands of a king.
* Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, I need not say much there.
* The prophets who were hated and killed.
* Abraham had to deal with obeying God and possibly sacrificing his son.
* Moses, coming up against Pharoah and in charge of leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
* All the Apostles and what they had to go through.
* Jesus, in the garden of Gethesemene.
And many more.
Had they not endured and pressed through, what would have been the outcome?
Yes, 1 Corinthians 7 says if we are a slave to seek to be set free but if not, we are still free in Christ. We do not know what God will have for us in our life but regardless of it, we need to make sure we seek deeply to become that meek and quiet spirited woman who is content and thankful. We all need to endure and press through right where we are until or IF God makes a way for a change in our life. Based on the examples we see in scripture, we may be right where He wants us to be until we die. Or there may be something different in our life on the horizon, we don't know, but either way, we do not base our joy and contentment on our circumstances. Those examples in the bible are not quite as extreme in what we see today (not yet anyway) but we do have situations today that people are in that they would rather not be. Yet, is that right where God wants to use them? We don't know the answer, all we know is that we are to be faithful where we are and be content and thankful in that.
It seems in the human mind, we always think something else will be better. A woman at home all the time longs to work. A woman working longs to be home. One with many children would prefer less and women with none want for many. Those who are servant to others want their independence to live on their own and others would rather be a helper than be alone. Those in ministry on the forefront might rather have a more quiet life and those who cannot minister would rather do so. It's too easy to look at what you don't have, and want it, when we should examine where we are and do the best ministry inside that.
A good question for you is...
Can you be content and thankful right where you are for the rest of your life, if God wills it?
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Acts 16:25
Could you sing in prison?
Let us all strive to answer 'yes' to that:-)
Praise God for His mercies and let us submit our will to Him and allow Him to do His work through us, where we are on this day and then again tomorrow, and the next, until we have passed through this fleeting life into the next.
A woman has much influence in those around her and if you are not content and thankful, they will see it and it will be a reproach against our Father. 1 Peter 3 says to win the disobedient husband without a word, how much could that do to those around you in your life? Seeing you rejoice in the Lord, regardless of your circumstances. What a testimony!
Brother Jim has a teaching on being content:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/search/label/Content-Being%20Content (Read the part about not grumbling).
I hope this has encouraged you to stand strong, kill the selfish flesh within us (as we see all the examples of those who walked before us) and be joyful that God has called us to do the work we have today.
Have a joyous day sisters,
May God be praised!
Love,
Sister Deb
The biblical gospel...
https://www.dontperish.com/the-gospel.html