Discontentment

Right now I'm reading about five books. I know, that seems crazy, but I've always been like that. I've got one in my car for when I'm waiting in the drivethru somewhere, one in my bathroom for my long baths, and several on my Kindle. One that I just started is Resolutions for Women by Priscilla Shirer. She advised it's not a fun read. She suggested taking your time, reading each small chapter (three to four pages) a day at a time so you can absorb it. That's what I've been trying to do.

I'm also getting ready to start reading Made to Crave (again... I quit it about halfway through last year). This year, I'm participating in Melissa Taylor's Online Bible Studies through Proverbs 31 MInistries, and if you're looking for an online outlet, this one is a good one.

Anyway, the word of the week for the Resolution book sets up my entry into the Made to Crave... discontentment. As in, the state of not being content, dissatisfied, "a restless desire or craving for something that one does not have." Often, we crave something because we have a God-sized hole that needs to be filled.

I've been discontent. I think it's easy to do so in this world of so much, in a world where people post what they want to be on facebook as if they are really that way (I've been guilty... be honest, you have, too). In this world that tells us if it costs more it has to be better and that we'll be happy if only we have this gadget or fit into this size or have this kind of vehicle. We seem so small, and everyone around us... is more. Better. And my heart longs for something more.

As I've read the few pages, I've thought about why I feel this way. God has provided me with more than enough. I'm so blessed. I know that. The statistics for here in America are mind-boggling when compared to the rest of the world, yet still we are unhappy. Why? Why are we discontented? Not satisfied?

It comes with what we are trying to fill ourselves with. Think about a square peg in a round hole. It might fit, but it's usually loose, leaving room to squeeze something around it. Or it falls easily. That's what happens when we try to become satisfied with worldly possessions. The Bible tells us to "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33. Seek Him first, and you will be content. Because you'll realize that He came to give you life more abundantly, and his grace will be sufficient.