How to Cultivate Contentment When You’re Tempted to Grumble
A grey sky hovered over the mountains as we climbed out of the valley. Cloaked in wildflowers and the viridescent glow of summer growth, the hillsides held us in welcoming arms. The scene felt like a gentle invitation to cultivate contentment and peace.
As we traveled up the mountainside, the tender growth of flora was gradually replaced by tall stands of conifers—lodgepole and jack pine surrounding us like protective guardians.
We spotted elk grazing in meadows and moose meandering through willows.
The shift came slowly at first. The trees began to thin and give way to more expansive meadows. Before long, the scant trees all clung to the mountainside below us. We’d made it above the tree line.
Marmots scampered between rocky burrows. Pikas chirped in alarm. And still, we climbed higher.
We ascended through wind and sleet—the air so cold it froze the falling rain as thunder rolled.
Too cold to stop moving and take it all in, we pressed forward.
After traversing a few mountaintops, we eventually returned to tree line, then back to the warmth of the sunny flatland below.
I spent the evening lying in the tent—canvas windows opened as the temperate breeze washed over me, and the mountains cast shadows on the land.
How Do We Cultivate Contentment in the Ordinary?
As I reflect on the day now, I’m struck by the beauty of the places we visited. I’m also reminded of the importance of embracing wherever we happen to be.
I’ve spent most of my life chasing figurative mountaintops. I love the journey toward the goal, the view from the top, and the sense of accomplishment.
But there is also a time to return to the valley and rest—to open a good book and find stillness in familiarity. To cook dinner and wash dishes and undertake the everyday tasks of life.
I want to learn to be content in all things—not always chasing mountaintop experiences. I want to learn to be content in the valleys of ordinariness.
As I aim to walk this out, I’m reminding myself of the following ways to cultivate contentment.
3 Ways to Cultivate Contentment in Everyday Places
From his prison cell, the Apostle Paul wrote, “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. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13, NIV).
I’ve spent years learning to apply this truth to my life, and here’s what I’ve learned about living it out:
1. We cultivate contentment by beginning our days with gratitude.
I begin my days with a routine. I pour coffee and sit by the window in silence.
Before I open my Bible or dig out my prayer guide, I thank God for one gift.
I thank him for the way a robin’s song tangles in the treetops at dawn, the way the light catches in the vase of wildflowers, or our beagles barking in the kennel outside.
Sometimes I name a handful of gifts. At other times, I linger on one good gift.
The secret is simple: Start the day by fixing your eyes on what is good, true, admirable, and lovely, and your eyes will chase the lovely all day long. (For a free 8-day prayer guide to help you develop a pattern for connecting with God in the mornings, click here.)
2. We return to gratitude in the middle of the day.
For a few years, I set an alarm on my watch. It beeped at noon every day, and I paused to pray.
A group of friends liked the idea, so we bought matching pink watches, and we all started praying at noon. (Shout out to the Pink Watch Club!)
I’ve drifted from the habit of setting an alarm, but I’m learning to reestablish a mid-day pause. Early in the afternoon, I settle down for my writing time, and I begin with gratitude. It’s a natural time to pause and reconnect with God.
You might write a note where you keep your lunch or set an alarm on your phone.
Hang wind chimes.
Put a sticker on the coffee pot.
Do something to remind yourself to pause and pray. Make it a habit to stop what you’re doing, look around, and find a reason to thank God.
Connect with God for just a few minutes or even seconds. Tell him why you love him and ask him to help you find a reason to give thanks. The secret is to pause and refocus.
3. We end our days with gratitude.
When the house is dark and quiet, I try not to drift to sleep until I’ve thanked God.
I often ask him to remind me of a gift I overlooked hidden within my day. God almost always reveals a moment I took for granted: Snuggles on the couch, splashing in the creek, a warm summer rain shower, or a silent house at dawn.
I then savor the memory of the moment. This includes soaking in everything I appreciate about it as appreciation grows within me.
I might remember the cold glass of lemonade at the end of a long day, the warmth of the water as I took a slow shower, or the way the snowflakes fell like promises as the light faded.
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Most of us crave more laughter, less stress, and deeper peace. Gratitude is a powerful gateway to help us cultivate contentment.
Most of us crave more laughter, less stress, and deeper peace. Gratitude is a powerful gateway to help us cultivate contentment. #contentment #peace Share on XWhen we learn to stop what we’re doing and thank God throughout the day, those few minutes can transform our lives.
A Free Devotional to Help You Cultivate Contentment
Would you like to connect with God in ways that breathe fresh life into your weary soul? I have a gift for you today. The Weary Woman’s 20-Day Devotional is my free online devotional to help you connect with God. You will find 20 daily readings to help you find refreshment in God’s presence. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today! I also invite you to check out my full library of free online devotionals right here.
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