While driving down country roads you might see a cow sticking his head through the fence surrounding his pen. Why? Because the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Have you had to turn off the news recently because you find the state of our world depressing? I turned off the radio frequently this week because I did not want it to keep telling me how much less valuable my money is because of inflation. On my trip to the grocery store, I felt like I was milling around in a sea of other shoppers, in a stupor, not sure what to buy because everything is so expensive. $5.00 for ground hamburger?? I told the kids we were having crushed locusts from the backyard for dinner because I cannot afford meat prices. Have you wondered what weeds you could harvest from your yard in case of real food shortages? Full disclosure: I am absolutely hoarding canned meat in case it becomes no longer available in the grocery store.
Many of us might find ourselves feeling a bit discontent recently. I have probably been hammering this home a lot in the last few weeks as I work through my own feelings of discontentment, I will share what has been on my heart lately.
Just googling overall what the world tells you is necessary to be content. The list included; cleaning your house, exercising, sleeping, eating healthy and breathing. Don’t you feel better now?
While living in Ukraine We were often asked the question; “Why are you coming here when we are all trying to get to the United States?”
It is a human tendency to want to be somewhere else. Often people think maybe “If I just go …” and you can fill in the blank because it does not matter where. Just anywhere but where I am.
We all know wealth is not the answer to feeling content. According to a study conducted in 2010 at Princeton, higher pay influenced family’s overall satisfaction with life only up to $75,000 after that benchmark, money had no impact on the family’s report of happy they were. http://Study conducted by Princeton University. Eight of the world’s billionaires race to build a space program to get off the planet. I wonder if they will find fulfillment out there. https://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/23/8-iconic-billionaires-who-plan-to-conquer-outer-space.html
Matthieu Ricard a French philosopher and Buddhist monk in Tibet is reported to be the most content man on earth. He claims his secret is meditation. (Nuwer reports in the Smithsonian 2012) Nuwer failed to mention however the sex scandal in Tibetan monasteries Ricard is accused of covering up. I guess he might not have found the secret to being content after all.
Many people feeling discontentment will seek out divorce, career changes or wild purchases. Discontentment is an issue of the heart.
The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:6-12:
“Now godliness with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into this world. And it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. For which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Paul Likely wrote the book of 1 Timothy after his Roman imprisonment and around the time Rome burned to the ground that
touched off Nero’s intense persecution of Christians. A time of political uncertainty to be sure. Paul warns Timothy of the sin of materialism. The stuff we think we need can be a burden that can keep us from experiencing a deep dependence on God’s provision. Discontentment is like a ravenous hunger that can never be filled. We often think “I just really need…” and then as soon as that need is filled its replaced with another “need” And like breadcrumbs we are led away from the very thing we do need, Jesus Christ.
As I deal with my discontent, I remember an old song, you might know it too.
Count your blessings
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
Sometimes we strive so hard for what we do not have, we forget to appreciate what we have.