Let’s be honest. No matter what moral high ground we try to take, many of us still yearn for more.
It could be more time, more money, more talents, more patience, or whatever “more” may be for you. Is enough ever really enough for human beings? What people sometimes don’t realize is that there is a comfortable middle ground between having what you want and wanting what you already have.
Could it be that this vicious cycle begins early in life? One person aptly described how people are never satisfied, “When you graduate from high school, you’re told to go to college. When you graduate from college, you’re told to get a job. Once you get that job, you’re then told you need to get a better job. When you get a better job, you’re told you need to get married. After you’re married, everyone tells you that you need to have a baby. When you have a baby, all of sudden everybody thinks your baby somehow needs a brother or sister and you have more babies. And then, because you had all those babies, and your body no longer is as thin as before, you’re told you need to go on a diet. So you go on diet and start looking great, then people ask you why you’re wasting your time trying to look so great. After your children leave home, people then tell you that you need to go back to college to “better” yourself.”
None of the things above are wrong—getting good jobs, having babies, etc. are fine, except that people wrongly learn that unless certain things happen, they somehow can’t be happy. In the Bible we are told that we should “be content in whatever state we find ourselves.” The best way to overcome the tendency to be unsatisfied with our lot in life is to practice an attitude of gratitude. Every morning praise Yahweh for the blessings you already have. Even when suffering trials, everyone can surely find something to be thankful for.
It is good to think of the future as long as we remember that we make our plans, but Yahweh directs our steps. Happiness can seem elusive in this modern world with all its problems. But a very comforting thought is that while we cannot change the world, we can change ourselves. Even if we can’t change everything about ourselves, we can at the very least change our attitudes even in the most distressing situations. We will wait forever if we are waiting for everything to be just perfect. Perfection will never happen in this world today. That is what Yahweh’s kingdom is for. The Kingdom will solve all of mankind’s problems once and for all.
Many people have actually found more peace in their lives by limiting physical possessions. Others keep everything and become packrats. They live cluttered lives and suffer from cluttered minds. Spring is a great time of the year to go through your closets and donate unwanted items to charity. Don’t rely on buying more things for comfort and security. Let Yahweh comfort you and keep you secure.