The Breeding of Discontentment

Discontentment. Again the other night, I felt the Holy Spirit's prick of conviction as I sat in the relentless cycle of comparing my life to others, then feeling guilty for feeling discontent in the face of all the blessings I have been given. Familiar thoughts of why can't I have..., why isn't my life like this, why does this have to happen to me...followed by the overwhelming guilt of I have more than I should want, all I need is Jesus, others have so much less, I'm not trusting God is good, I deserve is death and eternity without God...This vicious cycle attacks without warning, spinning me from dissatisfaction with God to self-loathing and wondering how He could ever love me. Obviously these are lies that I buy into believing. James tells us, "Every good and perfect gift is from above" and John tells us we have abundant life in Christ. We know also that God loved us while we were sinners, and there is nothing we can do to gain more of His love or separate us from His love - He already demonstrated it when we were at our worst. But what causes this discontentment and how can I begin to conquer this sin and say with Paul, "For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." ?
For me, the causes of discontentment come from several "portholes."
- Comparing myself to others
- My plans and desires being unfulfilled
- Insecurity in who I am
- Disappointment
The discontentment comes when I focus on these things rather than choosing to believe that God's way is best, good, and always done out of love for me.
How can I keep from getting on the cycle that just ends in more grief? First, I need to keep praying about it. Second, I want to not only be in the Word daily, but study what God's Word says about contentment and meditate on God's character. Thirdly, I need to limit my time comparing myself to others. For me that partly means limiting my time on Facebook, where I have often found myself wasting time checking statuses and neglecting more profitable things. I need to focus less on what is going on in everybody else's life and find joy in what God called me to do in my home and family. Fourthly, I need to practice praising the Lord in ALL things.
These are incredibly obvious in working on any area in our lives, not to mention clearly mentioned in the Bible (it is the guide for how we should live our lives after all), but so often we just keep getting on the cycle because we never take the steps to get off.
What are your breeding grounds of discontentment and how do you keep from getting there?

"Your sense of security must not rest in your possessions or in things going your way. I am training you to depend on Me alone, finding fulfillment in My Presence. This entails being satisfied with much or with little, accepting either as My will for the moment. Instead of grasping and controlling, you are learning to release and receive. Cultivate this receptive stance by trusting Me in every situation."
I know I quote Sarah Young quite often (probably more than I should based on good blogging tips), but if you do not have one of her devotionals, you are MISSING OUT!

Praise the Lord today!
Shannon