Contentment is not merely a feeling, but an attitude. The word for greed in the Greek language is the pleonexia. This word translates to always wanting more. It's the opposite of contentment, and it could be for a variety of reasons, but you're never satisfied with what it is that you already have. You're always in pursuit of what that next shiny thing might be. A big reason why so many of us continue to struggle with contentment is that we don’t change how we approach our worldly possessions. If we think that contentment is a place that we will automatically arrive at in the future once we have acquired a certain amount of wealth or have attained a specific item, then we be consistently disappointed every time. We have to embrace contentment today instead of waiting for it to find us one day in the future.
Many of us are on the constant hunt to find the next item or object that we think will bring us contentment in our lives. We have to work on reining in our impulsivity and spontaneity when it comes to satisfying what our wants are at that precise moment. In Proverbs 21:5, Solomon says, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” It takes some intentionality and practice, but ensuring that possessions have their proper place in our hearts and minds can make big difference in the contentment that we experience.
Reflection/Discussion Question: What type of possessions or status do you find yourself seeking in order to find contentment?
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