THE CONTENTMENT PERSPECTIVE

 THE CONTENTMENT PERSPECTIVE

 A sage saying goes something like this: “I had no shoes and complained until I met a man who had no feet.”  It seems that the notion of contentment, like most things in our world, is a simple matter of maintaining perspective.  In a society that constantly encourages (even pressures) the pursuit of more-and-more, it is relatively easy to lose track of what is really important.

 Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor.”  Truth!

 Consider the story of an ancient Persian by the name of Ali Hafed.  He owned a vast farm with bountiful orchards, grain fields, and gardens.  People who knew him well described Ali as a wealthy and contented man.

 However, the farmer encountered a wise man from the Far East who told him all about diamonds and how wealthy he would be if he could only own a diamond mine.  Ali Hafed went to bed that night a poor man – poor because he was now completely discontented.  Desperately craving a mine of diamonds, he sold his farm and began a global search for those rare stones.  In his diamond quest, Ali traveled through several continents.  Ultimately, he became so poor, broken, and depressed that he committed suicide.  

 That same year, the man who purchased Ali’s farm led his camel into the garden for a drink of water.  As the camel put its nose into the water, that man noticed a brilliant flash of light glistening from the stream.  He immediately retrieved the clear stone that reflected all the hues of the rainbow.  That man had discovered the Diamond Mine of Golconda, the site of some of the most magnificent gems in all of history.  Had Ali Hafed remained at home and dug in his own garden, instead of his hapless quest that resulted in suicide in a strange land, he would have owned acres of diamonds. 

 The Word of God teaches us that “godliness with contentment is great gain.” (I Timothy 6:6)  While all of us stand in need of money as a medium of exchange for goods and services, it is a fool’s errand to allow money to make you, as opposed to you making money.  My friends, in this life, always invest yourself wisely, and learn to enjoy the magnificent riches that are found in contentment.

 Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!