Too often we don’t enjoy today because we’re looking so far down the road at our goals. We sometimes forget we are here to serve wholeheartedly today. Few people have arrived at their goals until they die. If you haven’t arrived yet, you have some years left to complete! So what is the balance between contentment with where you are and discontent enough to improve?
Paul stated: “I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have.” Philippians 4:11 CEV. Contentment is learned and not automatic. It is a choice. Today let’s focus on 3 things to become more content.
- Serve every day for God and others
Contentment is a constant decision to be happy with today in its imperfect form. That may take the form of a less than stellar performance or fellow workers not showing up. Like any good cook, you make stew with the left-overs. Some days the success is just not giving up. But each day did you serve somebody and make their day better? Perhaps the key to contentment is being okay with imperfect people and making our goals pleasing God rather than our lists of perfection.
- Give things time to grow
Half-hearted serving comes when we look to some fantasy day when we have the right salary or the right size of congregation or blame success on some lack. Vision always propels us to pray for more resources. But choosing to be content is to believe things will improve but it will take time. Just like a baby growing takes time to develop, so also we have to grow into the position to which we are called. Contentment is remembering that the people you serve are the big deal. Your position is not the most important thing.
- Be grateful while you continue to improve
Now I know that balance is important. We don’t want to get lazy and not improve. But while we are improving, can we choose to be content with the process? Can we enjoy the people in our journey and not put too much pressure on others to get where we want them to be?
Most importantly, contentment is taking time to thank God for what you have rather than what you don’t have.
