How about a Round of the Applause for Contentment

            Sometimes I wonder if we try too hard.  If we go through life always striving to be better people, always pushing into new levels with God, always looking for the new “thing”; I wonder if we will get to the end and realize we kinda missed it.  That in our attempts to go to new depths with God, we missed out on where he had us at the time.  That while we were struggling to become better people we really became quite self-centered.

            I feel like life will never be enjoyed unless it can be enjoyed now.  I’ve found that desire very rarely leads to contentment and most often just leads to more desire.  And I don’t think enough is said for contentment these days, in both the secular and church worlds.  The secular world tells me I need to make more money, the church tells me I need to become a better person, both leave me unhappy where I am.  Both tell me I’m not good enough right now, but neither tell me when enough will be enough.

            I know there will be times when intense spiritual growth is meant to happen, when we are meant to struggle forward into new places with God; A desert if you will.  But I don’t think our lives are meant to be one desert after another. I think I remember Jesus saying something about the “burden being light”.  And I, personally, would like to live lightly.  I would like to enjoy my life, enjoy my relationship with God and be content with what I’ve been given; spiritually and materially.

            So how about a round of applause for contentment?  Here’s to being happy where I am at, and so thankful for everything I’ve been given.  Here’s to wearing flip flops on sunny days, and sometimes reading Emily Dickinson instead of the Bible.  Here’s to thanking God when I wake up and living in grace instead of burden.

Hear Hear.