Contentment

Be content with what you have, because God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never turn my back on you" (Hebrews 13:5).

Six months ago we were complaining about the heat and humidity; now we are complaining about cold air and dry skin. Six months ago we were complaining about allergens and mosquitoes; now we complain about being cooped up inside. We are never satisfied with what we have.

Each season has its drawbacks—winter is cold and delivers both ice and snow. Spring is muddy and makes us sneeze. Summer is hot and fills the air with annoying bugs. Autumn gives us leaves to rake. But each season also brings something special. Winter covers everything with a coat of sparkling white and allows us to enjoy sports that depend on snow and ice. Spring is filled with colorful flowers and happy birdsongs. Summer gives us comfortable days at the beach or out on the water. Autumn gives us colorful trees and fresh produce for the dinner table.

We all have the same bad habit—we take what we have for granted, while yearning for things that we don’t have. We ignore the good in our lives and focus on what’s missing. God gives us blessings every day, yet we always want more.

How much pleasure can you handle? Eat too much candy and you’ll get a bellyache. Drink too much liquor and you’ll get a hangover. Stay up too late partying and you’ll be crabby the next day. Overdosing on pleasure results in bad things happening.

God gives us a lot of pleasure—he provides beautiful sights for the eye, joyful sounds for the ear, delicious tastes for the mouth, wonderful scents for the nose, and luxurious textures for the skin. But God spreads these pleasures out so our senses are not overwhelmed. Each season gives us pleasure in its own unique way.

So it is with everything in our lives—God gives us enough to be content, but not enough to overwhelm us. We should be grateful for the care He shows in loving us, instead of whining like greedy children in a huge toy store. We don’t need more than God gives us; instead of focusing on what you want, take time to enjoy what you have right now.