Divine Discontent Brings Change

Disconent can be the signal or motivator needed to bring change into our lives.  I call it "divine discontent" because I believe the Holy Spirit is truly our helper, working to help us see and make necessary changes in our lives, and those niggling discontents are often Him trying to get our attention. 

When I feel discontent, I tend to want to blame someone else for it.  It often manifests itself as discontent towards another person or situation, when in reality, I am the one who is being spurred to change.

We might feel discontent with a relationship that has gone stale, or a situation that has not changed.  Perhaps our spouse hasn't made changes that we think he/she should.  Perhaps we see a need in our community that we think should have been met by "so and so".  Such disconent is a signal that the change we are looking for probably lies within ourselves.

I remember feeling discontent with the level of romance in my marriage.  I mentioned things to my husband, dropped hints, etc., but nothing changed.  When was the last time I got flowers for no reason at all?  Then I decided that I would do the changing.  After making some adjustments and making the effort to speak more of my husband's "love language", he began to bring more romance into our relationship.  My change opened the door for him to change.  Discontent resolved!

It is a waste of our time, energy and love to wait and expect change to come from someone else when we have the power to bring change when we choose to.

Parents can feel discontent when they see a child consistently make choices that they disapprove of.  Years can go by with no change, and often parents will begin to focus on that discontent, placing pressures of expectation upon the child.  Children, even grown ones, want to please their parents, and the weight of a parent's discontent can be a binding burden, making it even more difficult for the child to change.  What may be helpful is for the parent to change.  If you've been saying the same thing over and over and it hasn't worked, quit saying it!  Find something new to say or do that will speak to the heart of your child, releasing them to change.  Acceptance and affirmation are tremendous motivators for change to occur in someones life.

Fabulously, when we make the change, we are happier.  Happier with ourselves, happier with the ones we were discontent with.  The atmosphere of our relationships begin to change.  Love begins to flow again.  What a great perk!

Where are you feeling that "divine discontent" in your life?  Take a close look and ask yourself, "What can I do, where can I change?".  You really can't force change on others, but you can certainly make changes in your own life. So, embrace the discontent as a signal that change is needed and go on, make the change.  You'll be glad you did!