Contentment

There's nowt like encouraging books, and Sally Clarkson always encourages me, even though I don't always think I need any encouragement. One of her recent quotes struck home to me:
''We do not always need what we think we do in order to be happy; rather, God's ways lead to contentment.''
This is so true. Over the years I have realised this truth. So many of us, especially in times of discouragement will ask why, and why theirs/our circumstances are so different. If only we had what others seem to have. Whatever that happens to be. Children, house, situation, location, material things......etc, the list goes on. Maybe even, Oh, if only I was as patient as such and such, or as happy go lucky.
The thing is, as in the last post, I mentioned faith, and trust in God, and that He forces us to exercise our spiritual muscles in order to grow. Every one of us has different needs, strengths, weaknesses, so what God does for us, will not look like the way He deals with our best friend, Christian neighbour, whoever. God didn't design us all the same, as we are meant to compliment each other, as a body of believers, not only in the church visible, but the church invisible.
The only way we are going to be content in this life is to passionately seek the Lord and his will for OUR lives, and to follow it, while seeking the Lord in prayer as often as possible, reading and studying his word. Remembering the only one who we please is God. Yes, others will sometimes try to discourage us, even when we are following the Lord. We need to bear this in mind with how we treat others, as yes, it is right to admonish at times, but often people will admonish in criticism, and not Biblically, and constructive. Also, our ''giants'' are nothing to God, and sometimes they are from the devil to discourage us. Being a realist, it is amazingly easy for me to succumb to this!
Yes, I would recommend Sally's latest book, ''own your Own Life.'' I downloaded for Kindle. I am currently around half way through it.