Craving Contentment
My dog, Jewel, is always entertaining and provides a lot of writing material. Sometimes when I hold a meeting at my house, I put her outside because she has a bad habit of jumping on visitors looking for attention.
Unfortunately, I don’t know what’s worse; Jewel’s annoying jumping, or the incessant scratching at the back door to come in while we are meeting. She is intense! Her desire to be inside the house consumes her, and it’s all she’s focused on. Scratch, scratch; whimper, whimper! Jewel demands attention!
What I find humorous is that when we finally allow Jewel to come into the house, she remains inside for a minute, then on her own, returns to the back yard through her doggie door. Didn’t she want to come in? Why was she so obsessed with what she didn’t have, and then yawned once she had it!
I thought, “Isn’t that how we act in our own lives?” We see something we think we need, whether it’s a new car, the latest phone or that beautiful dress hanging in the window at the mall. We let it consume our focus and we obsessively crave what we think will make us content. Scratch, scratch; whimper, whimper! Gotta have it! Really love it! Must have it! Then when we finally break down and buy what’s been haunting us, the jubilation lasts for about a day, and we are off to the next item we believe will deliver contentment.
Laurie Cole, author of the Bible study, There is a Season, believes few women find contentment in their lives and classifies women in three categories:
1) “Contentment Chasers”-Women who repeat a vicious cycle seeking satisfaction in many things.
2) “Commitment Cynics”-Women who have chased contentment but have found it to be only fleeting.
3) “Contented”- Rare group of women who have discovered real joy, meaning and purpose despite their season of life or their circumstances.
Which group do you fall into?
The bottom line is nothing in this world provides lasting contentment, except our relationship with Jesus Christ. In 1 Timothy 6:6-8, the apostle Paul says, But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
When was the last time you were happy because you had food at the table and a roof over your head? For most of us, that is not enough to drive contentment, but it’s a goal we should all strive for.