Its the buzz word for young adults it seems. Everyone is searching for it. Hoping for it. It seems as though few have found it.
It hits different folks differently.
For some they're discontent in their job. They want to make more, be more, have a better boss or better co-workers.
For some its discontentment with their families, their home life. They want a better house, more understanding family or more free time.
For others its singleness. Or marriage. They want the opposite of what they have and seem to watch all of their friends enjoy either the 'freedom' of singleness or the blessings of marriage.
The list goes on and on. Point is, culture and simply our human nature makes it easy for unrest and discontentment to settle in and become the norm. And I think that as a culture we've mostly accepted it, deciding that discontentment is alright. After all, it causes us to work hard for what we want, right? Right??
Brene Brown discusses this in her book, 'Daring Greatly' (awesome read, by the way, pick up a copy ASAP-- its seriously that good!) She calls it the 'Scarcity Mentality'. It is this idea that has more or less, without question, been adopted by society. This idea that we never have enough. Not enough money. Not enough friends. Not enough popularity. Not a big enough house. Not a good enough body. We are lacking something that we need. Its wreaked havoc on our culture and our personal lives.
Its the opposite of the powerful nature of gratitude. And this Scarcity Mentality is the fuel of discontentment. Its the idea that what someone else has is better than what we have. How sad is that?
Gratitude may just be the hardest thing some of us may ever do. Its not our natural outlook. Its 'natural' to want more. But gratitude brings a powerful force to society and to our families and communities, and for Christians, it is what we are called to. Thanksgiving. Worship. Praise. Gratitude.
Contentment is difficult for me. So often I look at the lives of those around me and I want what they have. I want a stable job, an apartment, a relationship, a ministry.... and I miss the gifts I have been given that are unique and hand picked by our Father himself.
I imagine it hurts the Father's heart when I sit there, arms crossed, stamping my feet, demanding something that isn't mine to have. And yet, I do it all the time. And I encase it in words of 'its a desire of my heart' (it is) and 'I've waited so long, I don't know why they get it and I don't'... but all along I am missing what is right in front of me. Like an ungrateful child on Christmas morning, wanting the scooter that their brother got, instead of enjoying the bike that they received.
I am convinced that gratitude can change the world. And it starts with you and me, deciding to thank the Lord for the many, many undeserved and amazing things He's placed in your life and mine. I haven't earned them, but He's allowed me to have them anyhow.
Today I choose gratitude. And tomorrow (hopefully) I'll choose gratitude again. And I have a feeling that little by little I may just get a tiny glimpse of that contentment that Paul spoke of in Philippians (4:12), regardless of circumstance.
E u c h a r i s t e o
