When I was living in Asia, my Asian friends would say, “Why are you living here when you could be living in America? Life is so much better over there!” Then, when I moved back to the US, my American friends would say, “Why are you living here when you could be living in Asia? Life is so much more exciting over there!”
Funny isn’t it? From wherever we are standing, the grass can always look greener on the other side. But is it really?
This mentality can be like a trap that holds us back from experiencing the fullness of joy and purpose in the seasons of life through which God brings us. We think, “If only I was married…making more money…had my own family…then I would be content.”
Sound familiar?
It is tempting to dream about the green grass somewhere else. But one thing I have learned is that as long as we think in terms of ‘over there,’ we’ll never be content with what’s ‘right here.’ We will always be looking to the next thing to fill us up, when in reality none of those things will do the trick.
If anyone is qualified to talk about contentment, it is the Apostle Paul. He was a man who experienced power, wealth and prestige among his people and who was also beaten, abused, flogged, and thrown into the cold, dark depths of a jail cell. And yet, whatever circumstance in which he found himself, his joy in the Lord remained in tact (see Philippians 4:12-13).
He lived a life that said, “My satisfaction truly comes from my relationship with Christ, and there is absolutely no one or no thing that can take that away.” What a liberating thought. But is it really possible to live with Paul’s level of contentment in this modern world?
Let’s be honest, it is easy to brush Paul off as some kind of super human saint gifted by God. But the God who gave Paul contentment in every situation is the very same God we know and serve today. We must simply choose then, as Paul did, to live with absolute dependency on God no matter what life brings our way. Here are three secrets to finding contentment in our every day lives:
- Be Thankful in ALL things. Paul instructs us to “…give thanks in all circumstances…” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). When we intentionally live with an attitude of gratitude, a deep level of contentment is sure to follow.
- Refuse NOT to Compare Yourself to Others. God says, “For I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you…” (Jeremiah 29:11). When we let this promise sink into our souls, we will be content in how He is leading us, rather than comparing to how He is leading others.
- Seek God FIRST and Everything Else will Follow. Jesus says, “But seek first his kingdom…and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Our job is not to figure God out but to deepen our intimacy with Him and He will show us the way, one step at a time.
Friend, whichever season God has you in, choose to embrace it. Don’t be in a hurry to escape to greener pastures because, well, they simply don’t exist. God is doing something right now on the green grass where you are standing. Do you believe it?