There is incredible freedom in not wanting. Have you ever noticed that?
Think of a time, if you’ve ever had one, when you really wanted something, and it just didn’t happen.
Maybe you wanted a different job, more income, another place to live, a boyfriend, or time to hurry up. And it didn’t happen! How enjoyable was the time you spent agonizing over getting something you wanted and you never got it? Probably not fun at all.
There’s a lesson in all this. God always gives us what we need, but when we put our “I want…” list first before listening to what God has in store for us, we miss out on the supply already at hand.
Harboring an unfulfilled “I want” list is a sure recipe for living a frustrated and discontented life.
I used to have “I want” lists. I probably still do. But I’ve learned to temper them way down. Why? Because they often don’t work out, and something much better transpires.
God always has our best interests in Mind, and a good purpose is constantly being worked out for us.
Constructing “I want” lists is a sign that we see ourselves as lacking, as needing, as uncared for by God. It’s not a good thing, really. Life is much happier when we spend each day grateful for what we have and trust continued blessings to unfold according to God’s plan.
Let go of those “I want” lists and replace them with “I’m grateful I have everything I need to be happy coming from God right now” lists. You’ll feel much better!
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Paul
It certainly is.
Showing posts with label contentment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contentment. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
The blessings of contentment
Do you feel content today?
If not, you can!
Feeling genuine contentment is a priceless gift from God. It is part of being a child of God. It is a part of the life God has given you to live. It is built into your being, and it is natural and normal for you to experience on a routine basis.
How could that be when I feel so discontented with life? One might ask.
And this is where a material sense of life must be separated from the spiritual.
A material sense of life measures success, position and status in material terms. It connects happiness with cash in the bank, satisfaction with lusts indulged, and progress with things acquired, recognition achieved, or earthly goals reached. Material sense reasons out from lack and strives to fill perceived voids with some sort of material supply. It is discontented from the beginning.
Spiritual sense, though, is quite the opposite. It reasons out from the bounty and riches of Spirit, seeing completeness and wholeness from the beginning. Spiritual sense perceives the whole child of God made in the divine likeness where there is no lack. Spiritual sense does not strive “for more,” but is grateful for “what is.” Spiritual sense sees what God sees, and rejoices in it.
God’s creation is complete, whole, now! It does not lack. Man, as God’s image, is complete, whole, now! She/he does not lack.
Genuine contentment is the outcome of spiritual reasoning. It does not look around materially and see lack that needs to be displaced. Spiritual sense sees supply that never left.
Paul wrote, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Philippians.
Paul didn’t mean that we need to be content with lack, want and deprivation. Quite the opposite! He meant that right in the face of lack we can discern the spiritual supply that corrects that picture of want. Jesus did this every time he healed the sick, raised the dead and fed the hungry. He proved there is no lack.
Christian Science gives us the spiritual insight we need to do this—to look beyond the physical to the spiritual—and discern the riches and bounty of God at hand, here and now!
Rejoicing in the spiritual wealth of God, here and now, brings genuine contentment. It is a gift from God to feel this, and has been built into the spiritual perspective of each and every one of us.
Enjoy feeling content today!
If not, you can!
Feeling genuine contentment is a priceless gift from God. It is part of being a child of God. It is a part of the life God has given you to live. It is built into your being, and it is natural and normal for you to experience on a routine basis.
How could that be when I feel so discontented with life? One might ask.
And this is where a material sense of life must be separated from the spiritual.
A material sense of life measures success, position and status in material terms. It connects happiness with cash in the bank, satisfaction with lusts indulged, and progress with things acquired, recognition achieved, or earthly goals reached. Material sense reasons out from lack and strives to fill perceived voids with some sort of material supply. It is discontented from the beginning.
Spiritual sense, though, is quite the opposite. It reasons out from the bounty and riches of Spirit, seeing completeness and wholeness from the beginning. Spiritual sense perceives the whole child of God made in the divine likeness where there is no lack. Spiritual sense does not strive “for more,” but is grateful for “what is.” Spiritual sense sees what God sees, and rejoices in it.
God’s creation is complete, whole, now! It does not lack. Man, as God’s image, is complete, whole, now! She/he does not lack.
Genuine contentment is the outcome of spiritual reasoning. It does not look around materially and see lack that needs to be displaced. Spiritual sense sees supply that never left.
Paul wrote, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Philippians.
Paul didn’t mean that we need to be content with lack, want and deprivation. Quite the opposite! He meant that right in the face of lack we can discern the spiritual supply that corrects that picture of want. Jesus did this every time he healed the sick, raised the dead and fed the hungry. He proved there is no lack.
Christian Science gives us the spiritual insight we need to do this—to look beyond the physical to the spiritual—and discern the riches and bounty of God at hand, here and now!
Rejoicing in the spiritual wealth of God, here and now, brings genuine contentment. It is a gift from God to feel this, and has been built into the spiritual perspective of each and every one of us.
Enjoy feeling content today!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Finding contentment
Have you ever been told to, “Be content with what you have”?
Grumblers might complain, “That’s easy for people who have plenty in the first place to say!”
Whether we agree or not, it is a wise adage and proven method for finding peace of mind in times of squeezed budgets. When the checking balance runs low and desired purchases must be delayed, it helps to step back from the “I want” or “I need” list and be grateful for what one has.
But there’s more to this wise adage than being grateful for immediate material possessions. Spiritually considered, the significance of the instruction extends far deeper than finding contentment with one’s material status quo.
It’s a call to be grateful for one’s spiritual assets and possessions.
“Be content with what you have,” to me, signifies a command to remember what I’ve been divinely endowed with and realize that those blessings from above are sufficient to meet human needs.
As Christian Science teaches, our substance is spiritual. It's not measured in dollars and by things bought at the store. It’s the wisdom, intelligence, creativity, sense of humor, joy, cheer, love and goodwill that are built into our being.
Each of us is richly endowed with spiritual qualities that meet human needs. These qualities, when recognized and actively expressed, translate into wise and inspired human action that leads to productive and profitable results. To express these qualities is to have everything we need to prosper and take care of our family.
When substance is measured spiritually, and correctly appreciated and valued, it’s very easy to “Be content with what you have,” because, honestly, you have everything you need. You do not lack. The wisdom and intelligence coming from above is sufficient to meet the demand of the moment.
“Godliness with contentment is great gain," Paul taught.
In light of this truth, you can now let go of all fears and worries about what you don't have, and rejoice in what you do have. It's enough!
Grumblers might complain, “That’s easy for people who have plenty in the first place to say!”
Whether we agree or not, it is a wise adage and proven method for finding peace of mind in times of squeezed budgets. When the checking balance runs low and desired purchases must be delayed, it helps to step back from the “I want” or “I need” list and be grateful for what one has.
But there’s more to this wise adage than being grateful for immediate material possessions. Spiritually considered, the significance of the instruction extends far deeper than finding contentment with one’s material status quo.
It’s a call to be grateful for one’s spiritual assets and possessions.
“Be content with what you have,” to me, signifies a command to remember what I’ve been divinely endowed with and realize that those blessings from above are sufficient to meet human needs.
As Christian Science teaches, our substance is spiritual. It's not measured in dollars and by things bought at the store. It’s the wisdom, intelligence, creativity, sense of humor, joy, cheer, love and goodwill that are built into our being.
Each of us is richly endowed with spiritual qualities that meet human needs. These qualities, when recognized and actively expressed, translate into wise and inspired human action that leads to productive and profitable results. To express these qualities is to have everything we need to prosper and take care of our family.
When substance is measured spiritually, and correctly appreciated and valued, it’s very easy to “Be content with what you have,” because, honestly, you have everything you need. You do not lack. The wisdom and intelligence coming from above is sufficient to meet the demand of the moment.
“Godliness with contentment is great gain," Paul taught.
In light of this truth, you can now let go of all fears and worries about what you don't have, and rejoice in what you do have. It's enough!
Monday, February 5, 2007
Do you really need to snack?
At 10:35 this morning I felt hungry and ready for a little snack. I headed for the backroom where I had a jar of dry roasted peanuts stashed in the cupboard. But midway I stopped and asked myself, “Will those 6-8 peanuts you’re going to eat cure this hunger?”
I went back to my chair, sat down, and replied, “No. I’ll only want more peanuts.” I that knew from experience!
It really wouldn’t have mattered much in the big picture of my life if I ate a few peanuts, but occasionally I like to check mortal mind’s reasoning and say no when appetite wants me to say yes.
I didn’t need those peanuts. Yes, I felt hungry. But so what? What are a few hunger pangs between meals? No big deal… I could wait until lunch time to eat.
It makes us stronger to put down temptation when excess bids us to overindulge, I remembered. Every success builds on the last and gives us more dominion over the body, over appetite, over everyday thoughts and actions. God gave us dominion over the earth and this means we have dominion over the body, the stomach, over appetite. I declared with emphasis! They do not have dominion over us, I concluded.
I prayed to know I had all I needed spiritually to be happy and content. I didn’t need a snack to feel any better than God had already made me to feel. I was a spiritually fulfilled child of God, not a forever hungry mortal.
After a few moments of prayer, the hunger went away, and I felt perfectly normal. No talking from the gut, and no desire for a snack.
“That was easy” I rejoiced. And I happily went about my work until the clock struck twelve and it was proper time for lunch.
I went back to my chair, sat down, and replied, “No. I’ll only want more peanuts.” I that knew from experience!
It really wouldn’t have mattered much in the big picture of my life if I ate a few peanuts, but occasionally I like to check mortal mind’s reasoning and say no when appetite wants me to say yes.
I didn’t need those peanuts. Yes, I felt hungry. But so what? What are a few hunger pangs between meals? No big deal… I could wait until lunch time to eat.
It makes us stronger to put down temptation when excess bids us to overindulge, I remembered. Every success builds on the last and gives us more dominion over the body, over appetite, over everyday thoughts and actions. God gave us dominion over the earth and this means we have dominion over the body, the stomach, over appetite. I declared with emphasis! They do not have dominion over us, I concluded.
I prayed to know I had all I needed spiritually to be happy and content. I didn’t need a snack to feel any better than God had already made me to feel. I was a spiritually fulfilled child of God, not a forever hungry mortal.
After a few moments of prayer, the hunger went away, and I felt perfectly normal. No talking from the gut, and no desire for a snack.
“That was easy” I rejoiced. And I happily went about my work until the clock struck twelve and it was proper time for lunch.
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” I Timothy
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Life is the hot cocoa
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests something to drink, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot cocoa and an assortment of cups--porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, and some exquisite--telling them to help themselves to hot chocolate.
After all the students had a cup of hot drink in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress."
"Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the chocolate. In most cases, it's just more expensive and in somecases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups...and then began eyeing each other's cups."
"Now consider this: Life is the hot cocoa, and the jobs, houses, cars, things, money and position in society are the cups. They are temporary tools we use to live by. The type of cup we have does not define nor change the quality of life we live.
"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the cocoa God has provided us.
"God brews the cocoa, not the cups. Enjoy your hot chocolate!"
Offering his guests something to drink, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot cocoa and an assortment of cups--porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, and some exquisite--telling them to help themselves to hot chocolate.
After all the students had a cup of hot drink in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress."
"Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the chocolate. In most cases, it's just more expensive and in somecases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups...and then began eyeing each other's cups."
"Now consider this: Life is the hot cocoa, and the jobs, houses, cars, things, money and position in society are the cups. They are temporary tools we use to live by. The type of cup we have does not define nor change the quality of life we live.
"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the cocoa God has provided us.
"God brews the cocoa, not the cups. Enjoy your hot chocolate!"
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Affluenza virus
Excellent article on Yahoo today…
“Beware the Affluenza Virus. An epidemic of mindless consumerism is sweeping the world with the compulsive pursuit of money and possessions making people richer but sadder….”
"We have become addicted to having rather than being and confusing our needs with our wants," said Oliver James, author of a new book coming out titled, “Affluenza.”
Monday, October 30, 2006
Release from "I need"
Have you ever been mesmerized by the belief that you had to buy something in particular to be happy? Maybe you wanted a new car, a widescreen TV, a vacation package, or an updated wardrobe?
Shortly after I graduated from college, years ago, some of my college friends bought new cars. It seemed the thing to do at the time. I felt left behind because my humble brown Dodge colt was far from “hot.” Now that I had disposable income, why not buy a new flashy vehicle like everyone else? I figured.
I don’t remember the specific model, but it was a smart 2 door red Mazda sports car that caught my eye. Problem was, back in the early 1980s, $18,000 was a lot of money. Still is today. Going into debt for a consumer item was anathema for me, but I budgeted out how I could buy the car in a couple of years with a strict savings plan.
For two years, the belief of “I need that sports car,” pestered thought for attention. I noticed every red car I passed on the highway. I watched the ads in the paper. I stopped to drool at the car lots.
After several months of wasting a considerable amount of mental time consumed by fantasizing about this red sports car it occurred to me that maybe I didn’t need it.
After all, I was fine without it. All my needs were met. I had money in the bank. No one liked me or didn’t like me any less or more because of the car I owned. Why would I want to spend such a huge sum of money on a car I didn’t need?
Wake up time!
I prayed about whether I needed the car or not, and the answer was clear. No! My needs were met spiritually, and I didn’t need a new rig to be happy. Happiness was spiritual, and came from God, I argued. It didn't come from a car lot.
It took several months of spiritual reasoning and convincing, but eventually I decided I didn’t need a fancy expensive sports car to be happy. I canceled my plans to buy one, put the money into developing an apple orchard, and came out far better in the long run financially, emotionally, and spiritually.
I have benefited from this lesson many times since.
My wife and I had been considering the purchase of three significant items for our household in recent weeks. We can afford the purchases, and they would be nice to have, but altogether, they added up to a lot of money. Yesterday, we decided together that we didn’t need any of them. We’d save the money instead. A major feeling of release and contentment swept over me. “We have enough,” I rejoiced. "We didn’t need to buy anything more."
I remembered the craving to buy that sports car, years ago, and how thrilled I was over time that I never went through with the purchase.
Be content with what you have, Paul taught.
Dropping “I need” and replacing it with “I have enough,” brings huge release. Not only release from craving, but release from a false sense of security, release from potential debt, release from thinking you need something more later when you grow tired of your acquisition…just general release from the gross materialistic wave of consumerism that has swept over our culture in recent decades and caused many people to feel like they lack all the time.
It’s not true! We don’t lack. God created us complete in Spirit, and the more we identify with our spiritual completeness, the less material things we think we need.
It’s ironic that buying more stuff often leads to a greater feeling of emptiness and lack, whereas the ability to say “I have enough” leads to deep settled contentment, satisfaction and joy within. The difference is where you’re looking for happiness.
Material things can never deliver what only comes from God. Completeness is a spiritual state of Mind. It’s a conviction of “I have enough and I don’t need anything from the world to be anything more than God already created me to be.” And it leads to stable peaceful living.
You have enough too!
Shortly after I graduated from college, years ago, some of my college friends bought new cars. It seemed the thing to do at the time. I felt left behind because my humble brown Dodge colt was far from “hot.” Now that I had disposable income, why not buy a new flashy vehicle like everyone else? I figured.
I don’t remember the specific model, but it was a smart 2 door red Mazda sports car that caught my eye. Problem was, back in the early 1980s, $18,000 was a lot of money. Still is today. Going into debt for a consumer item was anathema for me, but I budgeted out how I could buy the car in a couple of years with a strict savings plan.
For two years, the belief of “I need that sports car,” pestered thought for attention. I noticed every red car I passed on the highway. I watched the ads in the paper. I stopped to drool at the car lots.
After several months of wasting a considerable amount of mental time consumed by fantasizing about this red sports car it occurred to me that maybe I didn’t need it.
After all, I was fine without it. All my needs were met. I had money in the bank. No one liked me or didn’t like me any less or more because of the car I owned. Why would I want to spend such a huge sum of money on a car I didn’t need?
Wake up time!
I prayed about whether I needed the car or not, and the answer was clear. No! My needs were met spiritually, and I didn’t need a new rig to be happy. Happiness was spiritual, and came from God, I argued. It didn't come from a car lot.
“Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love.” Mary Baker Eddy
It took several months of spiritual reasoning and convincing, but eventually I decided I didn’t need a fancy expensive sports car to be happy. I canceled my plans to buy one, put the money into developing an apple orchard, and came out far better in the long run financially, emotionally, and spiritually.
I have benefited from this lesson many times since.
My wife and I had been considering the purchase of three significant items for our household in recent weeks. We can afford the purchases, and they would be nice to have, but altogether, they added up to a lot of money. Yesterday, we decided together that we didn’t need any of them. We’d save the money instead. A major feeling of release and contentment swept over me. “We have enough,” I rejoiced. "We didn’t need to buy anything more."
I remembered the craving to buy that sports car, years ago, and how thrilled I was over time that I never went through with the purchase.
Be content with what you have, Paul taught.
Dropping “I need” and replacing it with “I have enough,” brings huge release. Not only release from craving, but release from a false sense of security, release from potential debt, release from thinking you need something more later when you grow tired of your acquisition…just general release from the gross materialistic wave of consumerism that has swept over our culture in recent decades and caused many people to feel like they lack all the time.
It’s not true! We don’t lack. God created us complete in Spirit, and the more we identify with our spiritual completeness, the less material things we think we need.
It’s ironic that buying more stuff often leads to a greater feeling of emptiness and lack, whereas the ability to say “I have enough” leads to deep settled contentment, satisfaction and joy within. The difference is where you’re looking for happiness.
Material things can never deliver what only comes from God. Completeness is a spiritual state of Mind. It’s a conviction of “I have enough and I don’t need anything from the world to be anything more than God already created me to be.” And it leads to stable peaceful living.
You have enough too!
You have what you need
There must be more to life than having everything!
~Maurice Sendak
You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy.
~Eric Hoffer
The world is full of people looking for spectacular happiness while they snub contentment.
~Doug Larson
He who buys what he does not need steals from himself.
~Author Unknown
Who covets more, is evermore a slave.
~Robert Herrick
The happy have whole days,
and those they choose.
The unhappy have but hours,
and those they lose.
~Colley Cibber
The best way for a person to have happy thoughts is to count his blessings and not his cash.
~Author Unknown
~Maurice Sendak
You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy.
~Eric Hoffer
The world is full of people looking for spectacular happiness while they snub contentment.
~Doug Larson
He who buys what he does not need steals from himself.
~Author Unknown
Who covets more, is evermore a slave.
~Robert Herrick
The happy have whole days,
and those they choose.
The unhappy have but hours,
and those they lose.
~Colley Cibber
The best way for a person to have happy thoughts is to count his blessings and not his cash.
~Author Unknown
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Is bigger better?
I just read the article, “We are what we eat,” by William Saletan in The Washington Post National Weekly, (which I can’t find on the Internet) that says “…thanks to low-cost high-fat food, obesity has become a global condition.” He explains that in the past only rich people could afford to get fat. Now poor people can afford the same waist-busting eats and are likewise constantly letting their belt out to accommodate their indulgences.
With all the focus on keeping weight under control over the last couple of decades, and the utter failure to succeed, I can’t help but wonder if the problem is much bigger than simply what we put in our mouth.
We are in a culture of get more, more, more. People want more money, more status, more choices, more attention, more fame, and more success. Consumers buy bigger cars, bigger houses and bigger closets to house their overflowing wardrobe. Connected with the craving for more, we order bigger helpings, down larger quantities and spend more time indulging the senses and entertaining the palate.
Is the overweight epidemic only a matter of what we eat? Or could it include how we view eating altogether? As part of the “give me more” culture, perhaps we need a revision of our attitude toward consumption in general? Maybe less is better? Could it be possible…?
“Godliness with contentment is great gain,” the Bible mentions. True contentment doesn’t come from consuming more. It comes from spiritual mindedness and feeling close to God. Prayer, quiet moments with God, discipline, dominion and commitment to improving oneself spiritually and morally, lead to a truly happy state of mind.
God made each of us complete. We don’t need more things, more food, another dessert, an extra helping of food, to be happy and satisfied. It’s not more matter that makes us happy. It’s more spiritual understanding.
When it comes to “bigger is better,” the rule applies only if the “bigger” is a greater and grander view of spiritual reality. Go for it! It will have a good effect on your waist.
With all the focus on keeping weight under control over the last couple of decades, and the utter failure to succeed, I can’t help but wonder if the problem is much bigger than simply what we put in our mouth.
We are in a culture of get more, more, more. People want more money, more status, more choices, more attention, more fame, and more success. Consumers buy bigger cars, bigger houses and bigger closets to house their overflowing wardrobe. Connected with the craving for more, we order bigger helpings, down larger quantities and spend more time indulging the senses and entertaining the palate.
Is the overweight epidemic only a matter of what we eat? Or could it include how we view eating altogether? As part of the “give me more” culture, perhaps we need a revision of our attitude toward consumption in general? Maybe less is better? Could it be possible…?
“Godliness with contentment is great gain,” the Bible mentions. True contentment doesn’t come from consuming more. It comes from spiritual mindedness and feeling close to God. Prayer, quiet moments with God, discipline, dominion and commitment to improving oneself spiritually and morally, lead to a truly happy state of mind.
God made each of us complete. We don’t need more things, more food, another dessert, an extra helping of food, to be happy and satisfied. It’s not more matter that makes us happy. It’s more spiritual understanding.
When it comes to “bigger is better,” the rule applies only if the “bigger” is a greater and grander view of spiritual reality. Go for it! It will have a good effect on your waist.
