Shuck: Learning to be content

I had never given too much thought to the word "content", until I participated in a conversation with a friend, recently. We had both lost spouses and had been forced to make adjustments in our lives. We had to decide whether to give up or forge ahead with life. I approached Marla, after seeing her, a couple aisles over, in the store. She asked me how I was doing, and I answered, "Oh, I'm fine, how are you doing?" Marla then, responded with a statement, of which I hadn't thought and we discussed, somewhat, how we were coping with staying positive and going on. "Well," she said, "I'm content. I'm not OK, and I'm not good," and Marla repeated the words, "I'm content." She told me that she couldn't, necessarily say that she was happy either, because that word sounded more trivial. I mulled that perspective around in my head that day.

Her description of her morale as being content, weighed heavily on my mind, and I was determined to find out the depth of the seven letters. Upon arriving back at my home that evening, I hastily began to look for synonyms of the word, content. I found that some of the matching words were satisfied, pleased, gratified, fulfilled and happy. I felt that content went much farther and deeper than any of those. I then remembered that the Apostle Paul used the word content when he shared his way of coping with whatever happens or in whatever state he's in. He said, "I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I've learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:11-13). After reading Scripture, I found that there are numerous referrals in Scripture concerning being content. Paul indeed has the secret to contentment. In a nutshell, I summed the meaning up in the sentence, "Be satisfied with what you have and accept what you must, while trusting your God to be beside you. "

It's OK to say that we're not fine, we are sad, or whatever other feelings we are nursing at the moment. Regardless of what inner pain we are experiencing, if we continue to look for and glean the good in life, we can be content. Once we realize that we must take a different road, other than staying stuck in the negative and unhappy one on which we're traveling, we have a goal to pursue. Everything doesn't have to be perfect for us before we can feel satisfied, useful, loved and able to love others. Yes, life takes many twists and turns and we must stay focused toward the direction that brings us inner peace and calm, in spite, of outside circumstances.

I talked with a person, recently who said, "All I want is to get to the place where everything goes along smoothly. I'm tired or battling life. It seems that one bad thing after another continuously occurs. "She fantasized about retirement, the perfect job, a new husband, and a time when she could sample having all her ducks in a row. Darla believes that when all her criteria is met she can enjoy relief in her life. She will be happy, content and peaceful. I hinted, to her that she can learn to be happy and peaceful without the perfection for which she is striving. In other words, she can decide that she will become content even though she experiences hardships, disappointments, rejections and failures. As the Apostle Paul inferred; "It's possible for us to become content with the help of God." Contentment is a choice we make, a prize to be sought. Who among us would complain about the ability to accept whatever comes our way because we know that our peace and confidence comes from God?

As I finished talking with Marla, I recognized that it's possible for everyone to be content, if he follows the example of Paul.