Learning to be Content

Scriptures: Prov 30:7-9; Phil 4:11-14

Do you find yourself playing, Keeping up with the Jones?  Do you always need to have the next best thing or be the first on the block to have one?  Do you fall prey to the never ending flow of advertising that bombards us from every angle? Yes, then challenge yourself to be content with what you have, which may be nothing.

Contentment – something that seems to be elusive for many.   Why do we find it so hard to be content?

Webster defines “being content” as 1: to appease the desires of, or 2: to limit (oneself) in requirements, desires or action.  And so there are two different ways of achieving contentment, to appease or to limit our desires.

The easiest way to achieve contentment is to appease our desires.  The problem, though, is that too often we use credit (go into debt) to appease our desires. And, too often, what we purchase fails to truly appease our desires, not to mention how we hate to pay the credit card bills each month.

The harder means of achieving contentment is to limit ones desires.  We don’t like being told no.  But isn’t this what our parents told us when they knew what we wanted wasn’t good for us or we weren’t ready for it.  And despite our disappointment, we survived and went on with life.  Somehow we have forgotten this lesson.

The most important concept to recognize about contentment is that it must be learned!  Examine closely what Paul states in his letter to the church in Philippi; he learned to be content in whatever his circumstances – and so must we. 

One sure way of being more content is to watch fewer – even none of the – commercials on TV.  It’s been said that: “Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it.” (Anonymous) Shielding yourself from the constant deluge of advertising around you will definitely foster more contentment in your life.

Another way you can avoid the spontaneous purchase, that purchase of whim, is to wait 30 days before making the purchase.  If after 30 days, you still want to make the purchase, do so from a plan that involves no debt.  The cool thing is that you may discover that you really don’t need to make the purchase and life will go on, none the worse.

While one extreme to “living within our means” is the minimalist lifestyle that has recently become popular in society, it is never a bad thing to do without some of the things we buy.  And if we can learn to live without that something, contentment will follow!