Nina Fry, in an insightful article about raising girls to be godly women, notes a set of principles for cultivating contentment. These principles came from the diary of a woman who served as a missionary in the African bush for 52 years — in the most primitive of conditions and in extreme heat. How would this woman keep from cultivating a bitter and angry heart over the sacrifices she daily had to make? Her personal notes tell of her “prescription for contentment:”
- Never allow yourself to complain about anything — not even the weather.
- Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.
- Never compare your lot with others.
- Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.
- Never dwell on tomorrow — remember that tomorrow is God’s, not yours.
While not stated in her diary, all these principles are rooted in Biblical principles and thus served her well in all her years of ministry.
Words of Grace 