Contentment

Paul in Philippians 4:12: "I have learned the secret of being content…"

I don’t pretend to have learned this secret. I’m only getting a sense of what it truly means. It seems like every time I “reach” a place in my walk with God, I stumble and have to learn the lesson all over again. It’s the same with the secret of contentment.

But I’ve tasted it. I’ve tasted the true contentment that Paul seems to be talking about.

It’s easy for me to be content when things are going well. I’m sure this is true for most people; it really doesn’t take much effort. Contentment comes naturally on the weekends spending time with friends, or in the evenings when I’m out skiing or skating.

Yet I could feel my life slipping by with large parts of it spent discontented or living outside present reality. I didn’t want to wake up one day only to discover that large sections of my life had passed by underappreciated.

So for the past three weeks I’ve been trying to live in the moment. There’s a reason that Paul said, “Be joyful always… give thanks in all circumstances.” It might seem silly, but life takes on profound meaning when I stop to thank God for the snow banks that are gradually getting higher, a cup of hot cocoa (with the little mini marshmallows), working a smile out of a student with a negative attitude, or Monday mornings because it means I have a job...

Each day, each hour, each minute… for what are you thankful?

I know I keep coming back to this, but if Betsy ten Boom could thank God for fleas, how much more do we have to be thankful for?