The one thing I remember from Kindergarten, besides the endless naps and writing the ABC’s over and over again, is that there was a quote on the wall that said, “Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest till your good is better, and your better is best.”
While this is a great quote to live by, in the sense that you should strive to be better than you were yesterday, but I personally think the quote should go a little more like,”Good, Better, Best. enjoy the good, enjoy the better, and enjoy the best.” In life, it is easy to focus on the next thing instead of enjoying what you have in the present. There will always be something greater, someone smarter, faster, prettier, funnier, really any descriptive word that ends with an “er”. Spending a life chasing these things constantly can never produce any type of fulfillment and will leave you worn out.
If you haven’t heard the story “How Much Land Does a Man Need” by Leo Tolstoy, it is about a poor man who had the idea in his head that if only he had enough land he would not fear the devil. Well, the devil took this as a challenge and gave him many opportunities to acquire more wealth and land. You guessed it… Pahom was never satisfied with the land he had gained. One day he came across a very good deal. He would be able to have whatever amount of land he walk in a day, but if he did not return to the starting point by sundown he would lose all his money. Pahom’s goal was 35 miles. He worked and worked the whole entire day, and got pretty far. He barely made it back to the starting point in time, and he had gained many miles of fertile land. When his servant went to lift him up, he saw that Pahom had died right after.
As you can see. in the story, the constant yearning for “enough” will leave you empty and lifeless. The truth is “enough” is never really enough, and the words “if only” are toxic. Once you obtain the goal you had set, you find yourself still wanting more. Why is that? It is because money, fame, good looks, societies idea of true happiness are all worldly things. We strive for happiness on Earth, but how can you have happiness all the time in a broken and sinful world like the one we live in? The truth is …this is our temporary home, and it is tremendously easy to forget that. Instead of longing for money and fame on this Earth, add up treasure in Heaven, our… eternal home. A good question to ask yourself in all situations is, where is your heart? Is it set on the things of this world, or is it set on Heaven?
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
– Mathew 6:19-21
WE CAN NOT FIND CONTENTMENT ON OUR OWN
When you look at your life through the lens of God’s eyes, you will see that He has you right where you are supposed to be. Every circumstance, every number in a bank account, every grade, every score to every football game is the way God planned it to be.Being content in rain or shine is something that is truly impossible without the help of our Father. We need to have an eternal mindset. Our goal should be to lead as many people as we can to Christ, so we can run on streets of gold with them in Heaven.
God will provide. God will provide. God will provide.
We worry to much about things that are in the King of all Kings hands. When we spend all our time being anxious, we lose opportunities to advance His Kingdom.
The key to contentment is trust. Trust God in every season of your life. Bad, Good, Better, or Best. Do not dwell in the superficial, materialistic things of this world, but the salvation and mercy that we receive from Christ.
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
-Psalms 118:24
