11:55 PM
As the world is continuously in a quest for advancement, the contentment bar is also tremendously increasing. With every new inventions and discoveries, we seem to clamor for more and more material things to be satisfied.
No matter how much we accumulate, it seems we never have enough. As we increase our possessions, our wants correspondingly rise up. More often than not, after undertaking every endeavor and acquisition, we end up vaguely discontented and unhappy because of dissatisfaction. Suffering is defined as the difference between the expectation and the reality. So when we don’t get what we expect, we suffer.
Apostle Paul presented a good definition of contentment as he said, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content… Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry … I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13).
Being contented is complimentary with being a good steward of our wealth and resources. If we have contentment, we will not be attached and be ruled by money. Money per se is not bad. It is the love of money that brings evil because it leads to greed and eventually to the vulnerability of a person to commit grievous offenses or sins just for the sake of possessing money. If we don’t care anymore about the means of how we obtain wealth even through dishonest means or even at the expense of other people, it is a sign that we have become too obsessed with accumulating worldly riches; therefore, perhaps we haven’t found contentment.
Being contented will also give us the right perspective and disposition on how to make use of the resources we have to harness our life to its full potential. If more wealthy people would use their resources to reach out to the needy and the less fortunate, such generous gesture can really contribute in alleviating misery and poverty in this world.
As 19th century author Maltbie Babecock said, “Contentment … is the grateful, faithful, and fruitful use of what we have, little or much”.
Nancy Paje
