How to Be Content

 "The fountain of content must spring up in the mind;" is the beginning of a quote by the late18th century English writer Samuel Johnson describing his take on how to attain happiness in life. Sadly, Johnson did not do a very good job of taking his own advice, yet his advice does serve as a steady reminder of where our contentment and just as importantly, our discontentment resides. The circumstances and the situations we deal with today may be out of our immediate control, but the perspective we take and the outlook we present are 100% ours to decide. 

There is a parable that I adhere to in my own theory of perspective = reality that aptly describes where being content originates. There once were two separate travelers, each seeking a new town in which to settle. As the first man prepared to enter a new city he encountered a wise, old man sitting outside the city gate. "Sir, what are the people like in this city?" he inquired. The older gentleman replied with a question, "What were the people like where you came from?". The traveler snorted and bellowed out "The people in the city I just left were a bunch of wicked, evil people. They gossiped and lied all the time. They were a bunch of thieves and liars." The wise man replied, "You will find the people to be the same in this town." After hearing this the traveler made the decision to keep searching for a city that was more like what he was looking for. Along came the second traveler and as he came upon the same elderly wise man near the gate, he too inquired about the type of people he would find in the city. The wise sage reissued the same question to this man. "What were the people like where you came from?". To this the traveler excitedly shared that the people in the town where he previously resided were, " Oh, it was wonderful, we had dear friends there and the town was so supportive of each other. There was never a lack for anything because the town was always eager to assist the people living there." As you might guess, the wise old man repeated his earlier response, "You will find the people in this town to be the same". I'll just say, if you didn't feel that last line coming, you may need to be doing more than just reading today's message! Regardless of your current circumstances, you have the ultimate ability to determine how you perceive your life's current state of being. 

Samuel Johnson's quote continues, "... he, who has so little knowledge of human nature, as to seek happiness by changing any thing, but his own dispositions, will waste his life in fruitless efforts, and multiply the griefs which he purposes to remove." I can't walk in your shoes, I do not deal with the issues you deal with in your current life's journey, nor do you fit into my size 9 1/2 treads. "To each his own" aptly describes how we should view the list of issues each of us deal with on a daily basis. I say that because I do not want to oversimplify what you are going through that may be well outside of my own experience. What I am saying though is regardless of what you are dealing with, YOU are the one who gets to decide how you will handle it and what your perception of the quality of life you are currently living is. I've said it countless times in my life, I am a relentless optimist and when it comes to the cup being half full or half empty, I can honestly say, I'm just glad I have the cup. I'll find something to put in it! I may have to dig a well, squeeze a coconut, or tap a hole in the dam, but I'll find something to drink! In my opinion, my optimism is a direct reflection of my faith in God's love and commitment to "never leave me nor forsake me" Hebrews 13:5.

To each person their "thing", which could actually be several things that have just compounded over time, is the worst situation possible. And it may very well be. That being said, regardless of what you are dealing with, it is also your choice on how you perceive your life's circumstances. I reference the Apostle Paul here because He is my beacon of hope when life seems to be full of despair. Paul endured so much in his walk with Christ and through it all he made the decision to believe that God can and does use our hardships to help us find contentment in Him. Paul had a thorn in his side. What kind of thorn, was it a literal thorn in his side or was it a figurative thorn similar to one of the varied thorns you may be dealing with today? Paul doesn't elaborate, but believe me he had several complications and issues in his life that he could have been talking about, the point is it doesn't really matter. Paul went to God not once but three times asking Him to remove the thorn and thus relinquish the painful condition he endured. Although Paul asked God to remove the thorn, who wouldn't, he also made the decision to trust in God's omnipotent power and boast of his personal decision to be content in his pain. "... I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." II Corinthians 12:9-10.

The choice is yours. You will decide whether you will thrive in your circumstances or if you will sit down in the middle of your very own pity party puddle and sulk. It is easy to be discontent, I don't know why it is so much easier to be beat down by our own mind, but as I used to tell my athletes it is much easier to drag someone down, rather than pull them up. I believe the same is true for our disposition, it is easy to be brought down when the going gets tough, but it is a challenge when we are stuck up to our necks in quicksand and it doesn't appear that a helping hand is available to pull us out to dry land. I choose to do whatever I need to do to keep on going! I'm gonna look for a hand from God when there are no other hands in sight and I am going to hold on to His hand whatever comes my way. Will I be content in the quicksand pits of life? No, but I will be content in Him who gives me the strength to endure and overcome whatever man has placed in my way! In God I am content and I am made strong! 

Coach Carter