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Be Content
March 24, 2012

Have you ever noticed that some people hardly ever seem happy? They may frown or they may show no emotion on their face at all. When they smile, it is for a short time, then they go back to the way they are. They might laugh at something, and that only lasts for a short time. They might be happy when they are given a gift, and when the newness of the gift goes away, so does their happiness. Have you ever noticed other people who seem happy most of the time? They seem ready to smile and laugh at just about anything, and they do not even need a gift to feel this way. The truth is there are people who hardly ever seem happy and then there are people who almost always seem happy. These are the people you see everyday. What type of person are you? Is there anything you can do to be mostly happy? There is a little known secret to happiness that those who seem happy most of the time practice, even if they cannot explain the secret. And those who are hardly ever happy do not understand this secret, even if they have been told this secret. The secret to being happy is to be content with your life. When you are content with your life, you are satisfied with your life. When you are satisfied with your life it is easy to be mostly happy. When you are not satisfied with your life, you will hardly ever seem happy. Paul wrote about the idea of being content. Many will take one verse out of context and this causes some to be confused with this idea. Let's take a look at what Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians.

Philippians 4:8-13
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Some will only read verse thirteen and focus on Paul's words, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." It is important for us to understand the things that Paul was talking about. Paul was talking about being hungry and well-fed, to have many things, and to be in need of many things. Paul was not talking about being able to do whatever he wanted to do. He was talking about being able to respond to the world and his role in the world around him. If I could do whatever I wanted, I would like to fly--not in a plane or helicopter, not in a glider or hot air balloon. I would like to be able to fly like a bird can fly--just using my body. As much as I really, really, want to do this and know that Christ strengthens me, this is not going to happen, because there is nothing I can do about this. I can respond to my human condition knowing that I cannot fly like a bird. I could never seem happy because I cannot fly like a bird, or I can seem happy most of the time knowing that I cannot fly like a bird. The choice is mine to make. I can be happy knowing I have other choices that a bird could never make. I can choose to learn to fly an airplane or fly in a helicopter. I focus on what is possible rather than focusing on what is not possible, and by doing this I am content. Being content does not mean you do not have dreams for your future. Being content means you focus your energy and efforts on what is possible. And when you focus on what is possible it gives you reason to clearly think about how to get from where you are to where you need to be. It means that on your journey from getting from where you are in life to where you want to go, you will not turn to the left or to the right. You will persist and never give up on your dream. In your mind, your dream is so clear you can clearly see it, even if sometimes you have a hard time explaining it to others. Clearly seeing where you want to go is so important this principle is written in the Book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 29:18
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

And another thought gets introduced with this thought. If you do not know where you are going, you are not going to make it, and if you keep the law you will be happy. So part of being content is doing what you are supposed to do. That's why we have rules. If you do what you are supposed to be doing it is easy to be happy because it would behard for somebody to be mad at you and have a really good reason why they are mad at you. More important, when you have a vision of what your future will look like, you begin to think about how to get from where you are to where you want to get to. You will be happy when you look at your life as a series of daily opportunities in making your dream come true. You will be unhappy when you do not see how your daily opportunities can make your dreams come true. Your dreams will shrivel up and die. Sometimes, we let our dreams shrivel up and die because things change in our life. And it is normal to change what we are interested in from time to time in our life. Things change around us all the time and this is also recorded for us in the Book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 27:23-24
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not forever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?

Ecclesiastes 9:11
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race
is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Things change all the time. Just because you have money right now, does not mean you will still have that money tomorrow. If you are poor today, it does not mean you will always be poor. These verses show that by being diligent we can minimize the chance of being surpised by bad luck, and we must understand that bad luck happens to all of us. What we need to think about, is how would we respond to bad luck? If we are down and out on our luck, how would we respond to something really good happening in our life? As things change, will we allow these changes to make us happy? If we do, other kinds of change might make us feel unhappy. The best thing is to find a way to be satisfied no matter what is happening in your life. When we are satisfied we are content, and when we are content we are happy. Be happy or be sad, the choice is yours. Choose to be happy. Choose to be content.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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