I am going to be posting week by week chapter by chapter about the book The Resolved Woman. This has truly been a blessing to me as I have journeyed through this book. If anyone would like to add their thoughts if they are going through this book as well please comment! I would love to hear your thoughts, your struggles or anything else you have to say! :)
This is section one of the book which is divided into three sections. This section is titled Who I Am and the first chapter Surprisingly Satisfied.
Even the title of this chapter sort of captured me because how many of us are satisfied? We all want more and need more and want change. We want to do this but only when this has changed or do that but only when circumstances are different. But what about here and now?
So yeah..... What about now? Well lets look at this
Act 3:19 So change the way you think and act and turn to God to have your sins removed.
Hmmm so we much change our thinking to be satisfied?
Psalms 46:10 Let go of your concerns then you will know I am God! I rule the nations, I rule the earth.
Ohh wow so we should not be stressed with the concerns of our day to day life?
So what about now though? Right now we need "To take the breath of a woman fully satisfied"
We need to know and see that God has us right where we need to be. Instead of looking at what we do not have and what we think we can't do yet. We need to see what WE do have and what WE can DO!
Even Paul when he was in prison wrote....
Philippians 4:11-14 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Paul learned that we can choose to be content. That we have to work at it but we can learn how to be content with every situation. That in the good and bad time, in the hungry times and over abundant times we can choose contentment verses worry and stress!
So where does contentment come from? A spirit of gratitude is where contentment comes from. When we are just simple grateful for another breath, another sunrise, another day with our family, husband, children, friends we can learn to be content. It's not that we should not have goals or want more it's just that we choose joy RIGHT now. We know that The joy of the Lord is our Strength! So choose content joy that is satisfying without complaint or excuses.
By not being satisfied and content we are saying we do not trust God. That is right! If we trust him that he has our best interest in his heart then we have to know that where we are is the best place for us! As stated in.....
Psalms 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless
God does NOT withhold any good thing from us. So how can we not be satisfied right where he has us?
Living in contentment frees us to be a blessing to others. When we are not so worried about ourselves we are then freed to help others. Which is what God truly wants us to do. We can say kind words to others, give other women compliments and do things with out the worry of our own circumstances.
Contentment requires resolve to be satisfied with what you have, who you are and where you are. God made you just the way you are in this moment. He loves you JUST the way you are. He gave you all you have and he knows your needs. He will fulfill them! He knows who you are. He knows your every thought and loves you still. So be content that God is right there with you. Take the focus off what is truly out of our control and sigh the breath of a satisfied woman!
Something that I have always been happy with is my age. I have never cared my number when I was younger nor now that I am 42. I embrace my age knowing that I am full of life. But I see so many women dreading another birthday. Embrace the years God has given you and be content that you are beautiful and more wiser with each year that goes by. I do struggle with a poor body image but I have had to become content in the fact that God gave me this body and he is happy with it jsut as it is. I can work on it to honor my temple and make it the best but I can also resolve to be satisfied in it and proud that my savoir knew exactly the size I was going to be right now today as I sat and typed this!
What do we hurry through in life? Are we really present? How many times do our children say MOM did you see that did you see what I did? Are we really in that moment giving our all to our children or are we distracted by so many things on our mind our running list and things to do. Before we know it our children will be grown and we will be longing to 'see that' or 'read that' or just talk and giggle with them. Truly be present IN the day In the moment!
DRAIN the experience of each and every precious day that God bestows on us.
Truly we should live as if it's the last day we will be alive. By doing this we are in a fully satisfied place of love, kindness and a content giving spirit.
I'll leave you with these words of wisdom from Priscilla the author...
Contentment is the equilibrium between the enjoyment of life now and the anticipation of what is to come!
Resolve to be a surprisingly satisfied woman!!!
I do solemnly resolve to embrace my current season of life and will maximize my time in it. I will resist the urge to hurry through or circumvent any portion of my journey but live with a spirit of contentment!
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