There will always be opportunity to be discontent. It's just what you do with those moments that count. A lot like junk food, discontentment is always being dished out on a plate nearby and most likely looks good. Can you train yourself not to grab it and find a healthy replacement instead?
A discontented person is easy to spot. I know I'm a dead giveaway when I'm discontent. I'm unhappy, fretting, worried, negative, unthankful, ungrateful. No matter how many good things are going on, it's the one thing that isn't that becomes the focal point to fret about. In a state of pride, expectations of what is owed and what your life should be like becomes the central driving thought. Maybe it's the nature of being human. Most of us want something we don't have. Somehow we never seem to be satisfied. I think of all the jokes about women. Blonds want to be Brunettes. Curly haired girls want it straight. We're never satisfied.
The more a mind is allowed to find reasons to be discontent, the more spiritually unhealthy the soul becomes. Living in the moment is the most fruitful thing you can do and yet it doesn't come naturally. It must be learned.
When contentment rules the heart, there is confidence, joy and peace no matter what happens in your circumstances. But this kind of ruling takes focused effort. This is not to say that we should stop praying for better circumstances. Yet, contentment allows you to have a continual feast no matter what your circumstances.
When you're discontent, you're never happy. You never have enough. You'll always find something to fret about. It's a state of mind. It's an act of the will. To be content is a character trait we should add to our faith. When we live in contentment we live contrary to culture. It's a tough one, but it reflects the heart of our creator. When we live with contentment, we train our soul to desire nothing more or different from what we currently have by limiting our will and perspective to live in the moment and be thankful for what is in our lap at the time. Contentment is a choice and it is learned behavior as Paul showed us by Christ’s strength.
The opposite of contentment is wanting more than you have at the moment, wanting something that isn't yours, even if your desires are for good things. When we are discontent, we give ourselves over to grumbling, complaining, and being bitter.
Sometimes I wonder if discontentment comes because we have complicated our lives. The simpler the lifestyle, the less opportunity for disappointment. Obligations consume spirituality, time, and energy. If we spent half that time setting our affections and our time on things that count, things that are eternal, I wonder if we'd be so discontent.
I'm writing this today not because I'm discontent. Instead, there are many things in my life right now that are in a state of uncertainty. I want to remind myself to live with a thankful heart and not focus on the uncertain elements in life. I want to constantly remember to cultivate a thankful heart.
Some good friends of mine who are now planting a church in Marsaille, France, have trained their kids to go in another room and not come out until they have a "happy heart". It sounds funny to hear a parent say "Go and get a happy heart" but really this is the crux of life. You can be happy and content even when your expectations don't measure up knowing that contentment is a choice you can make right now, because right now is all you have.
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