blog by Robert Johnson
Genesis 30:1-8

Too often we will lay down our lives to get some of the luxuries that come with this life. In fact, some of us have. We work countless hours of overtime, just to make enough money to barely afford that new house when the one we have if just fine. Some waste day after day pursuing a mate in hopes of getting married and having children. Why can’t we just be content with what we have? Why do we constantly long for more? Why do we desire to have things that don’t belong to us? How much of our lives have we dedicated to trying to obtain things we don’t need because of our discontentment? I’ll let you calculate the hours…

In the same way that singles sometimes devalue their singleness (by focusing only on getting married), and married people often complicate their marriages because of the frustrations that come along with it (thus wanting to be single again), Christ followers too often will give up our contentment by failing to accept that our lives are providentially designed by God for our good.

Our discontentment reveals our confusion and misunderstanding about the nature and character of God, particularly his sovereignty (or providence). It’s a theology problem. And the problem is not with God, it is with us.

Understandably, Rachel’s barrenness was difficult for her to endure, especially at that time. It's difficult to imagine the emotional, psychological, and physiological turmoil that comes with a situation such as this. But God still longs for her to be content with what He has given her and for her to trust His will. I imagine that if Rachel came to the end of her life barren, she would probably feel cheated that God never allowed her to have children. I challenge you to ask yourself, “If I knew today was my last day on earth, would I regret the life God has given me?” If yes, then it is possible you may not be content. Unfortunately we fail to see one of the many pitfalls of discontentment - it results in us never being satisfied. It's never just that "one thing," it's always one more thing. 

This life is about accepting God’s design for us. His design is such that we live the life He has given us to the fullest (2 Peter 1:3). The life He has providentially given you is exactly the life you need right now.