Contentment has nothing to do with what you own, the number on your bathroom scale, or a goal being reached. Contentment is all about your relationship with God. When you know Him deeply, you recognize that true peace, purpose and joy are the fruit of your faith.

When you are in tune with God, you begin to understand and follow His guidance. You recognize that His instructions are based on His reasoning, not yours. You obey and trust Him.

Keep your faith in check. Be sure to pray every day, not just when crisis strikes or you have a problem to solve. Develop a deep connection with God and keep Him informed of your fears and worries; ask Him for solutions before your problems escalate. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Spiritually, we grow when we learn to remove ourselves from the spotlight and shine it on others. By putting others’ needs in the forefront of our thinking, we become less self-conscious and more Christ-conscious.

It’s easy to see God’s goodness when the sun is shining and all is well, but His goodness is also present on cloudy, rainy days. All serve a purpose and all meet our needs. So if you face a gray day, or if the coming winter months seem a bit bleak, have faith and know in your heart that God’s plan is at work.