Content in Her Cottage

Materialism is very accessible in our country.  It is so easy to have nice things and even many conveniences in this culture.  We are able to live like Kings and Queens of yesteryear.  Yet, even among Christian women there is discontent.  There is envy and a desire to keep up with the Jones’. 

I really want to encourage and warn young wives and mothers to watch out for the trap of material discontentment. 

Discontent is not a product of your circumstances.  It is a state of the soul.

As you notice what other moms and their children have, be very careful not to let the seed of envy or desire take root in your heart.  One mom may have the coolest, time-saving gadget but that doesn’t mean you have to have it too.  Materialism starts with an attitude of the heart. 

Lamentations 3:51 “Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.”

You bet it does!  Your “city” may be your own church.  There are a lot of things that you may see in others that can create desire in you, if you allow it.   It is not wrong to have nice things for your family, but just because another family has something nice doesn’t mean that God wants you to have the same thing.  I want to encourage young mothers to just be yourself.  You don’t have to be like anyone else.  You don’t have to have the same  lifestyle.  You don’t have to dress your children the same way.  Your family does not need to compete with any other family.  Just be content with what God has provided for you!  Provide a home that is furnished with what you can afford and make it a happy place to abide. 

At the same time…be extremely careful not to judge those that seemingly have more than you have or have the ability to acquire things that you wish that you could have.  If God allows another young family to be blessed with extra material goods….be happy for them!   

Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

Some young wives today are blessed with visionary skills and the ability to be a home-grown entrepreneur!  More power to them!  But this may not be you.  There is no need for you to feel inferior in any way.   You may have skills as a homemaker that Esther Entrepreneur doesn’t have.  Find those skills and use them for the glory of God and as a blessing to your husband and children.  Just be yourself and not a clone of someone else.

Your spirit of discontent will poison your whole family and you will pass on to your children a carnal appetite for “things”.  Material things will never satisfy the soul.  A wise woman will spread contentment and a thankful spirit to her husband and children.

If you are blessed with nice things and the ability to earn them….use your blessings to be a blessing!  Be careful not to flaunt those blessings before others.  Weaker sisters in Christ may not be able to react properly to your blessings as you’d like and hard feelings may grow.

As Paul said in Philippians 4:11 “…for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”  And in Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”