Pursuing Contentment

I believe there is great value in contentment. The Bible speaks of it often and I can certainly see the benefits of contentment manifest themselves in my life and the lives of those around me. Contentment can bring great fulfillment and joy, regardless of circumstances. I believe contentment puts us in a state of mind to focus on the blessings we do have rather than obsess on what we think we are missing. It is also empowering and freeing, as contentment allows us to find satisfaction despite circumstances rather than because of them, releasing us from reliance on external events to produce our happiness.

However, contentment does not mean settling nor does it entail giving yourself an out for the current state of affairs in your life. Contentment is a balancing act of living in and appreciating the moment but also seeking to progress and grow in the future. Please understand I am not speaking of progress in social status or wealth or power. Those may be a side effect of your increase in value to those around you, but it cannot be the goal. I think the balancing act requires us to separate the external from the internal, disconnecting what you can’t control from what you can. It’s being content in the circumstances surrounding you, but never satisfied with yourself and your benefit to the world around you.

You are an imperfect human – I hope that isn’t a shock to you. The bad news is you will never be perfect, and you will never fully “arrive.” You are a work in progress that will never be complete. The good news is, because of those very facts, you will always have room to improve. This can be daunting and overwhelming, but with the right mindset, it is exciting and freeing. You are never forced to be trapped by who you’ve been up this point and what you can provide today.

By living in a constant state of intentional challenge, stretching and self-improvement, you are also setting the stage for contentment because your fixation is not on where you are today and events going on around you, but you are looking ahead, anticipating who you are becoming. There is a paradox here for sure but refusing to be satisfied with WHO you are makes it far easier to be content with WHERE you are. You often can’t change the latter but the former always is up to you. That part of the equation is what you control. However, as you grow and learn to better serve and benefit others, don’t be surprised if your circumstances are enhanced as well. But the change must start with you.

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