We tend to think being “stressed out” is a normal state of affairs, and that contentment means sitting back and just bottling things up. For the Christian, however, contentment is something we must apply, work at, and make our own in every circumstance, because anxiety and frustration are not neutral behaviors.

It is certainly easier to go with our natural impulses when times are very hard or even just “annoying,” but contentment is an important part of our Christian life. Even the apostle Paul had to “learn” contentment. So we shouldn’t wonder why we’re still in spiritual kindergarten — repeating the same lessons over and over again — if we haven’t given ourselves to study contentment.

Thankfully, every test God gives on contentment is open book (even the pop quizzes!). In Learning Contentment, Nancy Wilson looks to the Bible and Puritans like Jeremiah Burroughs, Samuel Rutherford, Thomas Watson, and Charles Spurgeon to help us develop the practical, spiritual strength and the perspective that comes from contentment’s deep satisfaction with the will of God.

This encouraging little book follows after Virtuous, Nancy’s first study. Learning Contentment includes concise explanations, application questions and assignments that will involve and challenge everyone, and lots of biblical wisdom for individuals and groups.