SERENITY
By Suzanne Benner

God, grant me the
Serenity
to accept the things
I can not change
Courage
to change the
things I can
and the
Wisdom
to know the difference.

Living ONE DAY AT A TIME;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardship as the
pathway to peace.

Taking, as He did, this
sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it.

Trusting that He will make
all things right if I
surrender to His will;

That I may be reasonably happy
in this life, and supremely
happy with Him forever in the next.

Amen.
by Reinhold Neibuhr

As I reviewed this famous prayer I saw a picture of contentment.
Serenity is the outward expression of inner contentment.

Most importantly, serenity is being at peace with my present circumstances, living each day with the strength that God gives. It means not rushing ahead, thinking "When will this be over?" Our lives are brief, so we should live with that awareness, making the most of each day God gives us.

That peace comes by trusting God. What is trust? It is believing that God is in control, knowing that He will look after me, and accepting that He knows what is best for me.

Therefore, I think being content is having confidence in our Holy, Loving, All-powerful God. I trust Him completely; therefore I don't have to worry about tomorrow. I am totally immersed in His love; therefore when bad things happen I know it's not because He loves me less. I am convinced of His righteousness; therefore I don't doubt that what He does is just. I hold to the truth that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Not that I have already attained all this, but that is the kind of person I long to become.

~Dear Father, this is my prayer for all women who believe in You, that You would help us to trust You, to know Your love, and to hold firmly to your truth. I pray that our demeanor would reflect these things.

Related Links

Choosing Contentment
http://www.christianwomentoday.com/health/content.html

About the Author

Suzanne Benner lives in Calgary with her husband and three school-aged children. She leads a small group Bible study in her local church and is passionate about Scripture memorization.