The whole idea of a getaway or vacation is relaxation. It is supposed to be a time to sit back in your beach chair and just let the world melt away as you dive into a good book. But for me vacation is all about adventure, not relaxation. I need to constantly be on the go or I’m not content. I need to be walking, climbing, exploring, something! If each day isn’t filled with activities I am not a happy camper. Unfortunately this seemingly harmless discontentment on vacation is just a glimpse of a much larger monster in my life that has plagued me for years. So much so that it has at times left me in a debilitating depression.
I deserve better!
Over the years of fighting this invisible foe I have come to find that it feeds off of two factors within my life. The first is that when feelings of discontentment start to take over, they are deeply rooted in pride. A certain sense of “I deserve better!” Whenever things aren’t going my way, I deserve better. When I am feeling that my work and effort aren’t being appreciated at my job or a neighbor takes my parking spot. Right away, I need to change careers and move out of town.
But in reality what I have is far more than I ever could deserve. Not just speaking of material things but even more so on a spiritual level. When I consider the massive debt that I owed God, a debt far beyond what I could ever repay. I had broken his law and living in absolute rebellion against him. I was his enemy. (Rom. 5:10) Yet the scriptures state in 2 Cor. 8:9
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”
Jesus, the very son of God left all of his heavenly riches and glory to come to this earth and pay the ransom for the entire world. Paving the way to peace and relationship with God and securing eternal life with him. All free of charge. So do we deserve better?
Wrong soil
The second factor that contributes to my discontentment is that I find my contentment has a tendency to be planted in the wrong soil. It’s a conditional contentment. As long as I have a big project at work or home to keep me busy, I’m content. So long as the sun is shining and its warm outside I am happy. When my bank account is full, or when my health is good, the list goes on and on. The issue is, all of these things are temporary and subject to change often. I build my contentment on the foundation of sinking sand. And when the waves come crashing in, they wash my contentment out to sea.
I must constantly remind myself that the only true and unmovable source of contentment is found in the unlimited God. He is the one who upholds the universe (Heb. 1:3) He is the one who owns cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10) He is the only one who never needs guidance or counsel from anyone (Is. 40:13) He is the one who never sleeps, slumbers and never changes (Is. 40:28, Heb. 13:8) He is the sovereign Lord, King of all the earth. He is unmovable. When my contentment is secure in him (not just his stuff) my contentment becomes unmovable.
The secret of contentment
In Philippians chapter 4, the apostle Paul shares the secret that he learned to always being content. He states in verses 11b-13
“For I have learned in whatever situation I am in to be content…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
The secret is being firmly rooted in almighty God. The writer of Hebrews confirms this by saying
“Be content with what you have for he has said I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Heb. 13:5
What we have is Christ, and he is all we need. So let us constantly remind ourselves and strive to be content with Christ.