It’s hard to be content.
For we seem to be chasing the wind, always reaching but never grasping true satisfaction.
We live in a world that constantly insinuates that we are just one purchase, promotion, vacation, or upgrade away from true happiness. We therefore live in a perpetual state of collection, hoping the ‘next’ thing will finally bring contentment, but deep down knowing our efforts are in vain. No sooner have we grasped what we sought than something new emerges to pursue.
The fundamental challenge is that contentment isn’t something out there for us to acquire, but rather something we must cultivate where we are. My young daughter frequently quotes a phrase she learned back in kindergarten, “You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.” She loves to say it, but her application is at best ‘selective.’ She may struggle to apply it, but there’s an essential truth in her words—contentment isn’t about getting what we want but about receiving what we’ve been given with gratitude.
Contentment isn’t about settling for less, it’s about seeing more in what we already have. What if “you get what you get” is actually a grace-filled gift? What if God knows exactly what we need, and what we don’t? Maybe contentment begins not when we have everything we want, but when we trust that what we have is enough.
“Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote,
God is here, ready to help;
I’m fearless no matter what.
Who or what can get to me?
”
Contentment, as described above, is not the absence of desire but the presence of trust—trust that God isn’t holding out on us, that peace isn’t found in possessions, and that His presence is enough. It isn’t merely about resisting the urge to acquire; but about learning to receive. What if we approached today—the people in it, the challenges, the ordinary routines—not as obstacles or stepping stones, but as gifts in themselves?
Maybe it’s time to step away from the constant chase and pause to reflect on what we have already been given. For where gratitude is present, contentment is never far behind.