For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV

I thought my word for 2022 would be contentment. The more I contemplated, the more I realized my word would be discontentment. I am not content with staying where I am spiritually. I want to know God more deeply. I want to pray more intentionally for my nation and family. I want to increase in loving and giving.

I couldn’t reconcile my feelings of discontent with Paul’s verses on contentment in Philippians 4:11-12. He said, I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances…I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.

Sitting in the church service the following day, I heard my pastor preach on this passage of scripture. He made a point to say that the Greek word for content, autarkeia, refers to contentment with our material possessions. 

According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, autarkeia can mean “a perfect condition of life in which no aid or support is needed” or “sufficiency of the necessities of life.” That settled it. I can be content with God’s provisions while being discontent to remain where I am spiritually.

According to our verse in 2 Peter, faith is a good place to start. But let’s not stop there. Peter admonishes us to add a pinch of goodness, then a cup of knowledge. Stir in some self-control and perseverance. Those can be tricky to get mixed in. Season with godliness and mutual affection. Top it all off with a dollop of love.

Well, that should keep me busy this year. The goal is to possess these qualities in increasing measure.

In which areas would you like to see growth in 2022?

Terri Vardeman