One of the rarest, but most sought-after commodities in society is contentment. Advertisers want us to believe that their product is the key to finding fulfillment and happiness. Television, radio, and internet programming all reinforce this message and fills our homes with images of things. It’s like this “stuff” is essential to our happiness.
Seeking satisfaction in things will never bring contentment; it just leads to deeper dissatisfaction and frustration. Collecting “things” in pursuit of contentment leads only to wanting more things so that we can feel more content. It’s a vicious cycle. How do we find contentment? Like so many things, contentment is a choice, it is a by-product.
A man who had more than his fair share of difficulty in life said, “I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances.” It was the apostle Paul who said that. How did he do it? The key was found in his relationship with Jesus. That the key for everyone, really. We all have the same opportunity to find contentment. It’s a by-product of our relationship with Jesus. And that is the key to contentment.