Acceptance Which Leads to Contentment
Some people live a perpetually unsatisfying life because their expectations are so unrealistic. They tend to overanalyse what people say and do, while applying the same rigid rule to themselves and to every experience they face.
A child of God, very especially, should know in advance that there is no perfection to be found in the world; everything has been adversely affected by the reality of sin in the universe. Even the philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau admitted that “all things are good as they come from the hands of God; all things degenerate when they fall into the hands of humans.”
To make the best of any situation you need to learn to accept things as they are, while employing every effort to improve conditions and all situations you are faced with. God has provided balance in the world on many fronts; where one person is incapable to accomplish certain things, many more will become available to fill that gap, and take care of that situation. There will also be times when you shall be the one to meet the need of another, and heal a hurt you may encounter along life’s journey!
Don’t be overly preoccupied with the life you didn’t live. Instead, concentrate on improving the life you still have, and make the best of it, with God’s help! Rather than being conditioned by circumstances, you should be affected and motivated by certainties, for only these give direction to a life of fulfillment. Even so, the road to joy and fulfillment is not devoid of obstacles!
You cannot have it all, necessarily, but you can learn to deal effectively with what is apportioned to you in life; the good may be magnified, while the bad experiences can be acknowledged and often removed. Author Lisa Engelhardt addressed this issue when she remarked that “contentment doesn’t mean getting all you want, but enjoying what you have. Don’t postpone enjoyment!”
This is pretty close to what the apostle Paul reported concerning himself. Writing to the Philippians, he stated: “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content; I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need” (4:11b-12). And this is the right perspective for all to observe!
When confronted by any impediments or difficult challenges in the course of your earthly journey, face them not as paralysing barriers but simply as signals to a better way to follow! After all, the best is always ahead of you, and only gradually will you grasp it, and enjoy it!
If you condition yourself to be a treasure hunter, you shall surely encounter happy surprises in life, even if by looking back, and recognizing previous experiences as golden nuggets you may not have noticed when they first happened to you.
You have only this one life to live. Thus, you should make the most of it; no one else can live the life given to you, nor can you live your life through somebody else. Remember also, for making the right decisions, there is no time for delays!
