For many it seems there is always something out there, just beyond their grasp, that they cannot have but which they believe will fulfill them and make them happy if they could somehow get their hands on it. But they can't, and their failure to do so leaves them feeling anxious, empty, and depleted. And so they live in the shadow of unfulfilled expectations of how their lives could or should be.

Contentedness will not come from being more organized, sleeping longer, being a better wife, keeping a nicer home, using higher-quality materials, taking more time for yourself, or whatever it is you think might help. Contentedness is learned by accepting life each day as God gives it to you, and adjusting your expectations to life's limitations.

Paul said, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances" (Philippians 4:11). His honest testimony is a forceful reminder to me that contentedness is never a gift or a given, but rather it is a learned condition. It is a fruit of the Spirit's work in my life as I live each day by faith, walking in his power.

It isn't some kind of supernatural salve that I can ask God to apply to my heart but, rather, a learned condition of depending on God. As Paul goes on to say, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13).

Read more about this in Seasons Of A Mother’s Heart.