Contentment

 

It’s a beautiful day today. It’s warm, the sun is shining, and there is a nice breeze blowing. The forecast is for storms tonight. I’m going to prepare for the storms, i.e. bring some of the plants inside and make sure there aren’t any loose items in the yard, but I’m not going to worry about them just yet. I’m going to enjoy the beautiful day.

 

We can worry so much about the future that we forget to enjoy the present. Jesus warned us about this, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Mt 6:34).

 

Some of our worries are unavoidable. If you or someone you love is facing a serious illness or just lost a job, it’s natural to be worried. We can go to God and ask Him for His help and comfort in these situations.

 

On the other hand, some of our worries are self-inflicted. We may put ourselves into situations, be they financial, social, or personal, that make us very uncomfortable. We can still ask God to help us with our problem but we may still have to face the consequences.

 

We should seek to lead lives of contentment. We should ask ourselves whether our plans will lead us to peace or to anxiety, lead us closer to or away from God.  The apostle Paul learned these lessons.  He wrote to the Philippians, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil 4:12-13). He advised Timothy, “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim 6:6).