Good morning, Five Minute Families. We are rolling into the holiday season as we celebrate Thanksgiving this week. A question that millions of us will be asked in just a couple of days will be “what are you thankful for?” Sometimes in life, we aren’t feeling very thankful. Our dad may have died, we may have to move even though we don’t want to, our spouse may have lost their job, we may truly be in a place where we have no close family or friends to rely upon, and on and on.

There are lists and posts about gratitude and thankfulness. There are articles about “Things to Be Grateful For Despite Everything.” So, basically, we are to find things to be thankful and grateful for even when we aren’t FEELING thankful and grateful. Judy Ponio states it this way, “Practicing gratitude when life is beating down on you isn’t easy. In fact, it takes a special kind of inner strength and resilience to appreciate your blessings in times of hardship.”

Interestingly, the sermon at church last week was about Philippians 4 and contentment. We submit to you today that the process of becoming more grateful and the state of contentment are closely tied together. Being able to say that “Christ is enough” and coming to a state of contentment on a personal level is one thing, but since this is a family-focused devotional, let’s ask… how do we find contentment in our families when someone who must be around us is pessimistic, depressed, an argumentative non-believer, angry… you get the picture? How do we say “Christ is enough” when our children are embarrassing us or when our spouses are annoyed with us and willing to demonstrate that? How do we find contentment in Christ when our kids bicker the whole way to church and just cannot seem to stop blaming one another for the issues which arise in life? How do we find contentment in Christ when our spouse seems determined to tear us down at every turn?

Our pastor’s first point is the most applicable here for us, five-minute families… love THROUGH your circumstances. Often, we think of our circumstances of finances, death, illness, and more as basically things that are a single instance or a season of life, but if our circumstances are lifelong, such as those difficult relationships that are not going away, we can’t simply wait out the difficult situation.

Please note that we are not talking about putting good and right boundaries in place in even the most difficult relationships. We are talking about the 10-year-old who mouths off and treats mom or dad with utter contempt despite good and right boundaries. We are talking about the spousal relationship in which the other refuses to be thankful, grateful, or content. Please note, we are not talking about spousal abuse. If there is actual abuse occurring, you need to get safe and get help immediately. We are talking about difficult people who cause difficult relationships.

Back to our topic… Family contentment is largely an adult issue. It is hard, so hard, to be content with Christ when it feels like life is falling down all around you. It is hard to be content when your kids are mean to you or each other or others. It is hard to be content when you are a “glass half empty” kinda person. It is hard if your spouse embarrasses you on purpose. BUT GOD

BUT GOD… that is the whole point, right?

Indeed. In trying to develop a family culture of contentment, don’t put on a fake smile; don’t pretend that all is well. Remember, we live in a sinful, fallen world, and sometimes that world falls on us. And, sometimes, we mess up royally.

BUT GOD… our first thoughts may be rude, disrespectful, or frustrating, BUT GOD gives us the option to move forward to HIS thoughts. God thoughts are contentment. God thoughts are fulfilling. God thoughts are respectful. God thoughts are life-giving. Don’t dwell on the first thoughts. Don’t give in to the first thoughts. Don’t deny that you have first thoughts, but do NOT share them just anywhere or everywhere. God thoughts bring peace. God thoughts bring comfort. God thoughts bring hope.

So, five minute families, even if someone in the home is discontent, you must hold tighter to God’s hand. Just as vocabulary.com points out that “Contentment isn’t an excited kind of happy, it’s more like a peaceful ease of mind,” we must see that contentment as a family might not be an excited “we enjoyed that car ride to church this morning” type of thing, but family contentment is the peaceful response, the peaceful reconciliation, the peaceful acceptance, and the peaceful offering of grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Philippians 4 verse 11 includes the statement that is oft quoted “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself.” Paul also states in verse 14, “Still, you did well by partnering with me in my hardship.” In addition to always having the triune God with him, Paul was never alone spiritually. His church family came alongside him with his growing pains and theirs to find that contentment together is possible.

Continue praying, keep studying God’s word, seek good and godly counsel, encourage one another, and don’t give up. Be blessed!