Suggested questions — feel free to pick and choose, or come up with your own. You can also find the video script online here.
Q1: What words would you use to describe contentment? Is it a feeling or an emotion? Is it a particular way of thinking, or even a discipline or practice? And how does it differ from being ‘fulfilled’ or ‘satisfied’?
Q2: What is the very first thing that comes to mind when you complete the sentence “if only…………..”? To what extent do you think this reveals where you hope is placed, instead of God?
Q3: What methods have you found effective in transferring your hope back to God, when you’ve felt your heart get dislodged, or pulled in the wrong direction?
Q4: Have you ever battled with an inner sense of ‘entitlement’ — that God should be blessing you in more ways than he currently is, or that he should do more to alleviate the difficulties you’re experiencing? If so, what’s helped you combat that?
Q5: Romans 12:10 says “Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.” An outworking of this could mean that we’re happy for others when they receive things we would desperately love for ourselves, whether that’s a form of blessing, provision, position or healing. In the spirit of love, we actually prefer the good things to happen to others, before ourselves. This is a key part of contentment. Is this something you’ve thought about, or perhaps struggled to practice? Or have you felt blessed (even ‘released’) as you’ve positioned your heart in this way?
Q6: Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, which speaks about how the power of Christ can rest on us amidst all our weaknesses and difficulties. Paul even says “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.” Three questions:
— how have you seen God work through your weakness and difficulties?
— is it possible to adopt this same mindset that Paul is speaking about, or do we just feel like that’s too difficult?
— Have we considered that adopting this mindset doesn’t itself invite trouble, but instead fills it with purpose and makes it easier to deal with?