Contentment vs. Comfort

Contentment- a state of happiness and satisfaction.

Comfortable- physical ease or relaxation

 We are told we are supposed to be content in our situations. How do we know the difference between contentment and comfort. Content is finding the best in every situation and looking for the joy and lessons to be learned. Comfort is being satisfied with where you are and not wanting to improve and grow. This is no easy feat, and sometimes our human minds can get the two confused. I know I have. Each day is a test of our knowledge and ability to tell the two apart. 

Becoming comfortable is dangerous in many ways. We become relaxed and let our guards down and we become a target for Satan to pursue. When we are comfortable with ourselves and our lifestyle we stay in that comfort zone. Never changing, never moving, everything always being the same. We become stagnant! have you ever been around stagnant water, it is very unpleasant. The smell is repulsive, it is riddled with bugs and is probably green and slimy. We do not want our lives to be this way. We want to be a beautiful flowing stream. In order to do that we must move, grow, and learn. There may even be some rough rapids but as long as we push through and keep moving, we will make it. We can't stop just because we are in an ok place, just like we can't give up when things get rocky. 

Being content is completely different. When we are content, we are looking for those joyful moments, the lessons to be learned, and leaning on God for the knowledge and guidance of our next steps. Contentment is for our benefit to help us grow. The growing process will not always be easy and sometimes those lessons are hard to swallow, but in the end, we come out stronger. We can see all the blessings we have and be grateful for all there is still left to learn.

When you lay it all out there the two couldn't be more different. If we can go out there and find the best in every situation and be open to whar God is trying to show us, there is nothing going to stop us from being who God created us to be. Some may say this sounds redundant or crazy, but when we learn from the knowledge of our Heavenly Father, we will know and see the difference. And be better for it!