5 Bible Verses to Help in Times of Discontent
The Bible is full of wisdom to help us feel encouraged in all times throughout our life. Sometimes we feel do discouraged, that we forget to look to the source. So when you are feeling discouraged or having times of discontent, here are five Bible verses to help you be encouraged.
We have all felt it.
At one point or another.
Discontent.
It sneaks in and steals our joy.
It takes us from living our lives in the moment to wishing away the time we have. Discontent has us looking at others, wishing we have what they do. Or looking at things that we long for and don’t have.
No one wants to live in a state of discontent. It fills us with a void, a longing that cannot be filled. Sometimes these times sneak in unexpectedly or they might even come in full force while working towards a goal that might be taking a bit longer than expected.
Either way, the joy is stolen and our day to day lives cannot be lived in the way that God has planned for us when we are always longing for more.
How then, can we avoid or get out of these times when we feel this way?
My Experience With Discontent
A few years ago I was in a funk. My second child was still small so I wasn’t sleeping much, my mom had recently passed away after a very short and unexpected illness, and I was working much more than I wanted to be at the time. Things were rough and I was having a hard time living with joy.
I got it in my mind that I could work my way out of this funk. I could put my eyes on something I wanted and make it happen.
What I wanted happened to be a farm with some property out of town. I wanted to get off the busy street we were living on and have some quiet. So I started looking at places. It almost became an obsession to find the right property. I spent hours looking online and longed to move. I knew that if I just had this one thing I would be happy.
Spoiler alert.
This was not the way I solved my discontent. It actually only made it grow. It was as if I was telling God that what He had given me wasn’t enough.
And something new started to creep in – anxiety.
What I later realized is that I had forgotten to bring God into the equation of solving my dissatisfaction in the life I had at that moment.
I had prayed about my life – every day I prayed for a way to move to our dream home. Yet that wasn’t what God wanted in our life at that time, so I wasn’t seeing “results” like I wanted.
A Change of Heart
What I needed was a change in my heart. A way for me to be content with where God had our family at the time. He wanted me to be able to enjoy the home and yard He had given us. In my heart, I wanted to be able to know that He had us there for a reason.
I could not do this heart work on my own.
Most of all, I needed help with this change of heart.
That’s where my favorite Bible verses and quotes for discontent came in. I started searching for what God had to say about being content with what He had given me.
What I found are the verses below. I started to cling to them (the promises God had made) until my heart started changing.
Slowly at first, and then before I knew it, my joy started coming back and I was able to enjoy the things I had been given.
5 Favorite Bible Verses to Help Encourage in Times of Discontent
“The Lord Almighty has sworn, “Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand.”” ~ Isiah 14:24
God did not mess up and forget about my needs. He actually planned for it to be this way. I have gone over and over this verse and it has brought me great comfort that I am just where I need to be.
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” ~ 1 Peter 5:7-8
This verse brings comfort and reminds me to live my best life according to what God wants for me. There are so many other things out there that catch my attention (and make me feel discontent). It is not a coincidence either. I must come to Him daily with my worries.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6
I love this verse because even though I can only see right now, I know that God has a plan and sees to the end. He has a path for me to take and He knows what is best. As I trust Him more with the amazing things He has in store for my family and my life, I can rest in that. The anxiety falls away.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” ~ Matthew 6:34
My discontent, my trying to have more than God had already given me really came down to worrying that if I didn’t get what I needed then who would? God says to not worry about tomorrow because He can see beyond anything we can and He wants us to rest in today. By not resting in this promise God had made, I was not only stealing today’s joy but tomorrow’s also.
“At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen.” ~ Isaiah 60:22 NLT
What an amazing promise to rest in! God tells us that He will make it happen. We just need to be patient and wait for His timing. Not always easy, but a wonderful promise to rest in. Is that promise always going to look like what we are envisioning? Most likely not. Yet, from my experiences the last several years, it is usually more wild and big than anything I could have ever imagined.
Get Your Own Verses To Help in Times of Discontent
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Pin for Later – Bible Verses to Help in Times of Discouragement
Thank you for this timely reminder. God is faithful and that is truly all we need to know! What an encouragement! Keep it up 🙂
Thank you Emily. So true, even if my future doesn’t look like I have planned it too.
Well said! I wrote a series on contentment, just for my own benefit. I think so many of us struggle with this at different times. I have fallen into the wishing my life away trap as well.
Thank you. It’s hard waiting on our dreams sometimes!
This is so beautiful, and such a good reminder. I think it’s something we all struggle with at different times. Thank you so much for sharing.