The struggle for contentment

Why is it that peace of mind seems so tough to come by? We long for things we don't have, and if somehow we attain them, we manage to remain discontent. Anxiety stirs deep within us as we dwell upon how much greater life was in a different place, at a different time, with different people. Yet if our minds will let us be honest with ourselves, we found no greater contentment in that place, in that time or with those people than we do in the present. We attempt to glorify what never was, as if to attain some sort of hope for the lack of peace in the here and now. Logically it makes no sense, but emotionally we continue to toy with the thoughts and memories of when the grass was greener. Color blind as we are, we remain blind to the opportunities that lay before us. There can be no peace without contentment. I heard of a man who learned to be content in all circumstances. It seems unbelievable. The secret, he said, is to be thankful in all circumstances. Are gratefulness and anxiety as inversely proportional as this man would suggest? I can't say I've run into any genuinely thankful worriers. I'm not exactly apt to be filled with gratefulness when my heart is burdened with anxious thoughts. Nor am I filled with discontentment when expressing genuine thanks. Can it be that simple? And where does a heart of gratitude come from any way? Many have convinced themselves that people are naturally one way or the other. “I'm a worrier”, one says, while you can't seem to punch a smile off of some people's faces. Certainly we are all gifted differently and we face varying levels and types of internal battles, but one cannot always let who they've been known to be define who they are becoming, or who they are all together.

Perhaps the most often quoted scripture was written in regard to this subject of being content, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” While the general truth remains for someone who is in fact strengthened by Christ, this was written to address peace in the midst of the highs and lows of life. Getting along with humble means and living in prosperity. Whether hungry or well fed. Suffering need or having an abundance. The idea is that there has to be something greater to be thankful for amidst those ups and downs. The object of our gratefulness cannot be something that can quickly be taken from us, or else our gratitude remains inconsistent. The object of gratefulness has to be constant. I know no constant, save Christ Jesus. Therefore, I can remain thankful no matter the circumstances, and say with those whose joy you cannot take, “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.”