Many of us live our lives perpetually dreaming about tomorrow. We know that we will be happier then and live for that vicarious, vague time that never seems to arrive–
When I am married, then I will be happy. Until we are married.
When I have children, then I will be happy. Until we have children.
When my children are more self-sufficient, then I will be happy. Until they are out of diapers.
When my children are in school, then I will be happy. Until they ride off on the bus.
When my children leave the home, then I will be happy. Until we are an empty-nester.
When I retire, then I will be happy. Until we don’t have to wake up to our alarm clock.
Somehow these transitions in life never bring us the perfection we anticipated. The next season is just another one filled with joys and heartaches; failures and victories — just like those before it.
The world tells us that happiness always lies just around the corner. Happiness is never where you are, but where you think you should be. Happiness is anything but this. But this is a lie straight from the “Father of Lies” himself.
Many of us have purchased this lie. We may be in a funk because we are not living our God-ordained “today” with joy, but instead have chosen to be discontent. Maybe we have worked ourselves into a state of frustration because today is not tomorrow. We probably all need a Biblical re-orientation.
A quick study of the words rejoice and contentment will make us hang our heads in shame. Here are a few to get us started–
“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
“Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” (I Timothy 6:6)
And once again, we realize that our worries, problems, anxieties, frustrations and confusions have a solution (notice I didn’t say easy solution) by immersing ourselves in scripture and knowing solid, biblical theology–
1. The doctrine of sovereignty reminds us that the day we are living is exactly the day that God has ordained for us. (Psalm 37:23; Psalm 139). We are in the season we are in by His divine design. Perhaps we are living the horrible consequences of our own sin and yet we know that He can make something beautiful from our bad choices (Romans 8:28) Perhaps we are living in a situation at the hands of someone else or even an evil government. But this, too, is not outside His Providence. We have to trust in God and continue to seek Him, realizing that we will never be content with any season we are in until we submit wholly and fully to His sovereignty.
2. If we have been saved by grace we have a real reason to rejoice right now! (Psalm 33:21; I Peter 1:8) Knowing that we have a Savior allows us to rejoice today, not tomorrow when we perceive that things will be easier or better. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)
3. Our citizenship is not in this world (I Peter 2:11). We are strangers and pilgrims and this world is not our home. If we can keep an eternal perspective, with our minds fixed on things above and not on things on earth (Colossians 3:1-2), it changes everything. It is just so easy to forget we are just passing through this world. It is so easy to allow our emotions to be driven by the temporal things of this life, leading to the disappointment, sadness, and despair that always ends in joyless discontentment.
If we have grown discontent because we perpetually long for tomorrow, perhaps we need to re-orient our thinking through our meditation on scripture. Let’s remember to live for God wherever He has placed us, to rejoice and be grateful for the many good things we have (including our salvation!), and to remember that this world is not our home. Hopefully, these things will help us to choose contentment today.
(Updated: January, 2025)