The Secret to Contentment in Every Season - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - March 18, 2026
“But godliness with contentment is great gain”--1 Timothy 6:6
Have you ever had to make do in life? Times when things and situations weren’t ideal or what you wanted in life, yet you found ways not just to endure it, but to find joy in the midst of it?
If so, and you found contentment during it, then you’re way ahead of most people in life, who often fall into despair when life isn’t living up to what they thought or think it should or would be.
The classic television show “That Girl” features a scene in which the main character, Ann Marie, played by Margo Thomas, is a struggling actress in New York City who goes to lunch but is short on cash. Instead of despair, she finds a way to make the most of it.
With the nickels and dimes she has available, she fills a bowl with hot water and adds catsup to make tomato soup. Looking perfectly content with her making-do for lunch, she sits down to enjoy it.
Contentment Doesn’t Come Naturally
Still, contentment is something we cultivate in our lives. It just doesn’t come naturally for most of us. It’s a lesson in learning to be content, and often comes through observing others who know how to make do and be content in any situation.
The Apostle Paul is a model of contentment. He explains in Philippians 4:11-12, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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.”
Again, Paul, who spoke from his own experiences, as well as God’s authority, urges believers in 1 Corinthians 7:17, “Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.”
Contentment Isn’t Gained Outwardly; It’s Cultivated Within
Although many mistakenly believe that contentment comes from gaining stuff in this world, like riches and recognition, there are too many examples of wealthy and elite individuals who have proven otherwise.
As children, most of us can be content with what we have, even if it’s little and lacking, if our parents modeled contentment for us. As Hebrews 13:5 urges, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”
Growing up in a parsonage, there was little room for extras, yet my Dad made life fun by having us look for loose change in seat cushions, then taking our nickels and dimes to the local Dairy Queen for a cone. He made having a little into an adventure and taught my brother and me to enjoy the treasures at hand.
Jesus teaches us, too, to refocus our attention on what we’re lacking, to see what God has and how He takes care of us, saying in Matthew 6:25-27, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
As well, in Luke 12:27-31, Jesus encourages us to take our eyes off ourselves and look beyond our own circumstances, to see God’s daily provisions for us:
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father, teach us daily to be content in whatever situation we are in, trusting Your will and leadership in our lives, even amid the circumstances we may find ourselves in. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/m-imagephotography
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
Related Resource: Let Go, Trust, and Stay Rooted When Life Feels Unsteady
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This episode is for anyone longing for peace, stability, and a deeper sense of trust when life feels uncertain. If this episode helps you recenter your work and life on God, be sure to follow Unhurried Living on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
