Promise for Today - The State of "Lagom"

NOTE: For the rest of November, I will share Thanksgiving moments written by other authors.
Today's devotional was written by Dena Dyer
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You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
Matthew 5:5, The Message

Have you heard the word ‘lagom’? It’s a Swedish term (pronounced “law-gum”) that describes the concept of having just the right amount of something: not too little, not too much. Embedded in the word (and the Swedish lifestyle) is the idea of finding contentment with what we already have—in our career, [our] relationships, and with our material goods.

For Americans, lagom is a counter-cultural concept, but as believers, it’s one we should pray to develop. As Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:6, “godliness with contentment is great gain.”

How do we achieve contentment? Even in the wording of that question, we find a problem. Contentment, much like faith, hope, or love, is a spiritual by-product of our relationship to God. It’s not something we can achieve without supernatural intervention.

In our humanness, we pile ambition on top of greed, create busyness where there is peace, and sacrifice family for fame. With our Creator’s help, though, we can resist the frantic search for approval and achievement, [and be] content to rest because we’re assured of our beloved-by-God state.

Prayer:

Lord,
        Give us peace about where we are and what we have. We are so thankful for all the gifts You’ve graciously given, and we trust You to meet our needs. In You alone we can rest content. In Jesus’ Name