Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

  • Books
    • After Cancer
    • Loving Your Friend Through Cancer
  • Speaking
  • Blog
    • Videos
    • Guest appearances
    • No Matter What Monday
    • Cancer
    • Family
    • Faith
  • Free Ebook
  • About
  • Contact

“Calm My Anxious Heart” by Linda Dillow

February 4, 2008 by Marissa 4 Comments

I highly recommend this book I’ve been reading lately–thanks to my friend Janet for recommending it to me! I’ve read the first half so far, and she has been talking about contentment. This is a constant struggle for me (see a post I wrote 7 months ago on the subject, for example). There have been several poignant words of wisdom in this book that have made me even more aware of how pervasive discontentment is in my life. She shares a “prescription for contentment” found in the journal of missionary to Africa:

“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 another’s. Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise. Never dwell on tomorrow–remember that [tomorrow] is God’s, not ours.” (p.13)

These words are extremely convicting and seem impossible to put into action. But keeping them in mind has brought me to repentence often for my envy of others and dissatisfaction with the day God has given me.

Dillow describes contentment as “accepting God’s sovereign control over all of life’s circumstances” (p. 18). She shares a quote from J.I. Packer that says, “Contentment is essentially a matter of accepting from God’s hand what He sends because we know that He is good and therefore it is good.” When I look at it this way, my discontentment is a matter of unbelief. I am refusing to believe the truth: God is sovereign and God is good, and therefore, if my kids are at home driving me insane instead of at mother’s day out, that is what my loving Heavenly Father has for me today. If I’m yelling at them and wishing they’d be quiet so I can go on with my pity party, I am not accepting what the Father has sent. I need to repent and joyfully accept that which He has given. God has decided that the other options (such as a day to myself) were not best–I need to put them out of my mind as well. (I’m describing myself last Thursday, in case you were wondering.)

More to come when I get a chance . . .

Share

Filed Under: Faith Tagged With: contentment, j.i. packer, Parenting, reading

Comments

  1. Ashley says

    February 5, 2008 at 7:46 am

    Hi M,
    I too am in the middle of this book- it is excellent! I have been convicted and long to know contentment on a day to day basis! It does seem impossible but I serve a God in which ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!! Love you, Ash

    Reply
  2. Marsha says

    June 12, 2008 at 11:28 am

    Hi. I just came across your website, and saw this post on Linda Dillow’s book. It is one of my very *favorites*…oh my goodness, definitely a lot of pearls of wisdom in this book. Whenever I start to feel worried or discontent, I can pick this book up (which I keep at my bedside in my stack of favorites)…and once I delve into it, I am reminded to once again take my eyes off me, and put them on *Him*.

    Linda Dillow is a wise Christian woman, and this book is definitely up there with what I call recommended reading!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Grumbling « By Grace Alone says:
    November 20, 2008 at 4:36 pm

    […] know contentment is important to God, but this verse shed new light on all the “small” complaining I do […]

    Reply
  2. Grumbling - By Grace Alone says:
    August 23, 2010 at 8:05 pm

    […] know contentment is important to God, but this verse shed new light on all the “small” complaining I do […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome

marissahenley.com

I write to remind myself of the truth of God's promises. I share my writing here in case you need to be reminded sometimes, too.

Let's Connect!

Books

Books

Click the image above to learn more about Marissa's books: After Cancer and Loving Your Friend through Cancer

Recent Posts

  • God’s Faithfulness in a Winter Season – Part 3 {Guest post for enCourage}
  • God’s Faithfulness in a Winter Season – Part Two {Guest post for the enCourage blog}
  • God’s Faithfulness in a Winter Season – Part One {Guest post for the enCourage blog}

Looking For Something?

Copyright © 2025 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in