Contentment

"Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have.  Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless; it is like chasing the wind."  Ecclesiastes 6:9

There is a conversation that is often repeated in our house.  It begins at some store or web-site with this comment, "That's perfect!"  It continues later on at home where the once perfect item has now become well ... let's just say, not-so-perfect anymore.  The reasons given for this transformation from perfect to less than perfect are many.  However, it ultimately boils down to one word - contentment.

Here, in our verse for the day, Solomon weighs in with one of the cleanest definitions of contentment that you're ever going to find:  "Enjoy what you have."  He then follows up with an equally powerful definition of discontentment: "Desiring what you don't have."  He adds this commentary to discontentment ... It is an absolute and total waste of time, energy and resources.

Ouch!  There's way too much discontentment in my heart.  How about you?  Discontentment is an insatiable monster that leads people to bury themselves in debt, to break up their families, and to embitter themselves towards Jesus, the very one who died to rescue them.  Contentment, however, when fed and watered produces peace and joy.  Hmm ... Which of these two more accurately reflects your heart today?

Grace and Peace,

Tom
Location: Fall Creek Christian Church, 1102 West 700 South, Pendleton, IN 46064, USA

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