Slow Down by Learning Contentment

[Slow Down by Learning Contentment]( Current Teaching Series [The Life You Were Meant to Live]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Slow Down by Learning Contentment]( By Rick Warren — 02/25/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11 (NIV) If you’re serious about slowing down, don’t start with your schedule. Start with your heart. Paul says in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (NIV). Notice that Paul says he has “learned” contentment. You are not by nature a contented person. Neither am I! It is our nature to be discontent—to want things to be different, to want them to be better. But if you’re going to slow down your life, you have to learn contentment. And you can only do that over time. Paul explains what it looks like to be content. He says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV). Paul is emphasizing that life isn’t about things. A person who is content can acknowledge, “I didn’t have anything before I was born; I’m not going to have anything after I die. Yes, I need things, but they’re not what life is about—so I’ll just be content with what I’ve got.” Let me explain what contentment is not. Contentment is not abandoning your ambition; you ought to have ambition and make the most of what God has given you. Contentment doesn’t mean you don’t have any goals, dreams, or plans for your life. In fact, God says it’s good to have godly ambition. Contentment means this: You don’t need more in order to be happy; you’re happy right now with what you’ve been given. Happiness is a choice. In other words, you are as happy as you choose to be! You can’t blame unhappiness on your circumstances. If you’re not happy with your current circumstances, you’re not going to be happy with different ones. We live on a broken planet, and nothing is perfect; there will always be something wrong in your life. God wants you to learn to be happy in spite of difficult situations by trusting that he will give you exactly what you need when you need it. Learning contentment is a process. Why don’t you commit to starting that process today? [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - How will learning contentment help you slow down your life? - What does it mean to have godly ambition? - Practicing gratitude is part of the process of slowing down and learning contentment. What is one step you can take today to practice gratitude? The post [Slow Down by Learning Contentment]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get the Re-Energize Your Life Bible Study when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( If you’re feeling fatigued, exhausted, or burned out, it might not be your body that needs attention—it may be your spirit. Because caring for your soul is as just important as caring for your body. That’s why Pastor Rick created the Re-Energize Your Life Bible study. This practical, hands-on guide shares proven strategies and biblical wisdom to help you beat burnout, leaving you feeling renewed, refreshed, and revitalized. In Re-Energize Your Life, you’ll discover how to... • Relieve stress • Build margin into your schedule • Find the key to a balanced life • And so much more [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 7 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series The Life You Were Meant to Live. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Evicting Envy from Your Heart Message 2: Getting Ready to Be Used by God Message 3: Slowing Down Message 4: Building Margin Into Your Life Message 5: Remembering What Matters Most Message 6: How to Lighten Your Load Message 7: Focusing Your Life [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States