Contentment

Not a word we hear much about these days. What does it mean to be content? Does it mean we don’t strive to improve ourselves or our situations? No, but it does mean we can be appreciative of where we are even while we take thoughtful steps to improve ourselves or our surroundings or situations. One trip to the library to read about previous historical times can set our perspective straight. Historically there have been many times when whole populations didn’t have enough to eat or were under persecution with the goal of eliminating certain groups of people. While our times aren’t perfect, and no nation or group will be perfect, at least not when they are peopled by, well, people. Each person carries their share of flaws just like the rest of us.

So how can we find contentment despite a world that leaves a lot to be desired.  By focusing on what is good in that particular moment in our lives. After we identify something good in our lives. Then we can take the next important step.  We can express thankfulness for that good spot in our lives and specifically thank our God for those spots of blessing we have identified.  If we ask, we can find more than one thing for which we can be thankful for even in the middle of a dump-heap of problems.  If we are breathing and thinking, there are two things right there we can thank God for instead of taking those blessings for granted. Just read the front page of a newspaper with an eye for finding your blessings. The ugliness of the world will open our eyes to a lot of good in our lives, which we have taken for granted.  Do we have a roof over our heads? Do we have nourishing food available in stores. Do we have the money to purchase food with regularity even if it requires scrimping sometimes. We can practice becoming content by making lists of the good in our lives and acknowledging them before our God in spite of the problems we confront. We get to choose what we focus on, the good or the bad. And we get to seek God for His wisdom on how to change that which we have the power to change with His help. Let’s go to God for a dose of contentment and then place our situation before Him for His ideas.