All around us there are messages urging us to make life healthier, happier or better in some way. If it isn’t self-help books, it is home makeovers, higher education or a revolutionary new product!
It seems the population is being bombarded with the idea that nothing is good the way it is and if we have any smarts at all, we will find a way to improve. There is always something better, stronger, faster or newer that our society of instant gratification believes will make our lives perfect.
Unfortunately, it seems that once we get that thing, do that project or reach that goal, we are still not satisfied. Whatever the accomplishment may be is only a stepping stone for the next big endeavor. Somehow even though we get what we want or achieve what we worked for, it is never quite enough to satisfy.
Where did the concept of “more means better” originate? When did we lose the ability to enjoy the pleasure of simplicity? Even those who have done it all or acquired all they want cannot relax and enjoy life because good is never good enough. There is always something better to be had.
How sad it is to read in Ecclesiastes 4:8, “There was a man all alone…there was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth….”
I was asked recently what my childhood dreams had been. It was difficult coming up with an answer that sounded lofty enough to “matter”. The truth is, many of my dreams have come true. I wanted a husband and a home. Dogs and a garden were included on that wish list, and I also hoped to be able to share my writing with the world.
Low key and simplistic as it may be, that was what I imagined when I thought of being grown up. I wanted a life in which I could find joy in simple pleasures, be silly with the one I love, and feel true contentment at the end of the day. That, to me, is success.
I hope that my goal will be to match what is expressed in Philippians 4:11 & 12. “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
Some would accuse me of having no ambition, but if the burden of constant striving is how ambition is measured, then perhaps they are right. I would rather serve a meal harvested from my garden; enjoying the wholesome flavors with loved ones than to eat the most expensive gourmet dish among people who are consumed with seeking their own advancement.
Does this mean that goal setting and dreaming are something to avoid? That is absolutely not the case! Human beings thrive on the hopes and imaginings of what “can be”. Setting goals creates motivation and dreaming spawns hope.
It is when we cross the line of making healthy plans into striving for what is always out of reach that we become trapped in the debilitating cycle of dissatisfaction.
Consider these points. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “…success is to laugh often.” The Bible tells us in Joshua 1:8, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Can we put the rat race on the back burner and focus on laughter, Scripture meditation and learning contentment to make our lives better? The results of those endeavors are far more fulfilling than what we imagine we may gain from more possessions or prestige.
So, how do you measure success? Will you take the time to enjoy the moment, to live in the now and be content with what you have today? Yes, God wants us to increase and develop. But the goal is to grow more and more into His likeness, not a façade of what the world views as “better”.
A great place to begin is by praying, “Lord, provide the things I need and teach me contentment. Then increase your wisdom in my life so that I will recognize those pursuits that distract me from You. Give me your joy, and a heart for what is good, pure and holy. Let my goals and dreams be the kind that will bring you glory and help to further the kingdom. Amen.”
