Friday, July 2, 2010

I'll Never Be Happy Because...

The more I study about contentment the more I realize so many people are not content. I have viewed myself as a fairly content person, well at least in most parts of my life. I guess to understand whether you are content or not would be to really understand what it means or what it does not mean. I don't have a very big audience so I am not really sure how I can reach very many people but I have learned that I can sometimes reach many by only reaching the right one who can reach many. Okay, about Contentment:


Contentment does not mean:
                I have to give up my hopes, goals, or dreams.
                I cannot wish things were different.
                I should never be disappointed or angry.
                Having to always appear happy.


Most importantly Contentment does not get trapped in the Comparisons. Come on admit it that is the real trap isn't it the comparison game? 
These :
                What I have vs. what I should have.
                What I have now vs. what I once had.
                What I have vs. what others have.  


In Philippians 4:10-13 Paul shares what he has learned about contentment:


                  Most of all contentment is learned. What? We have to learn to be content? How do we do that? Well Paul learned to trust God's goodness. He learned to extract meaning in the middle of difficulty, and also he learned to find causes for celebration.


So what have we learned? Well contentment does not depend on circumstances. Contentment does depend on perspective. So to be content does not mean you have to be complacent or that you will never be disappointed just that you need to always look for the positive(which is not always easy or immediate)but focus on the fact that God is good and He always has our best interests in mind. Whenever I wonder what that means I think about being a parent, I mean I have the best interests of my children in mind but that doesn't mean they will always agree, or like their circumstances but that doesn't mean it isn't what is best for them.