Today’s culture of comparison makes contentment very difficult to attain and because of social media, I believe we will see greater levels of dissatisfaction and epidemic levels of depression in our society during this next decade. I love social media and use it regularly, but its effects on people is taking its toll. Three out of of every four people communicate today via some social media platform whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat, or any combination of the aforedmentioned. Studies continuing to link the use of social media to depression, anxiety, and lower self-esteem. And why? Because social meda causes people to compare their behind the scenes with everyone else’s highlight reels
The dangers of living in today’s culture of comparison will lead us into developing the wrong perspective about life. From that, we will begin to make presumptions about how we should be living, and then ulimately we drift into becoming someone other than the individual God created us to be. Proverbs 14:30 says, A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. How many people are rotting right now on the inside because they look at everyone else’s Facebook posts, and they begin wishing they had a little more of what everyone else has?
Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:6
So what’s the secret to being content in 2020? In today’s hyper-connected digital age, it’s virtually impossible to disconnect, so the solution lies in being able to navigate through today’s culture and find joy and contentment in the Lord. Philippians 4:11-13, the apostle Paul states, I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Finding joy and contentment in your current circumstances does not mean that all of your troubles suddenly vanish. I wish it were that easy. However, applying these three principles to whatever your current situation is can certainly help you regardless of what life throws at you.
Be Thankful for What You Have
In our culture of comparison, it’s so easy to look at what everyone else has and wish you had more. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do more, achieve more, excel more, and serve more. However, how many people are so busy griping about what they don’t have that they fail to reflect on what they do have?
I am reminded of the story of the feeding of the 5000. Let’s look at Matthew 14: 18-21. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. Jesus gives us the perfect model. While the disciples were looking at what they didn’t have, Jesus gave thanks for what he did have, and in this story, we see the power of God at work. How much more of God’s provision is available to those who first seek to give thanks for what God has already provided?
Make God Our Source
We read in 1 Timothy 6:6, Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. True contentment only comes from living each day walking in the presence of God. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 84:10. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. It reminds me that on my best day, my best is not enough. As we enter a new year, many people will start out their year declaring their New Year’s resolutions. However, I am taking a different path because I realize that God is not the least bit interested in my resolve. My resolve is the same as my strength, and that leads to pride and a false belief that I am capable of something in my own strength. Jesus says, ‘Apart from me, you can do nothing.’
God is not interested in our resolutions – He desires our resignation. What can we let go of from 2019? What areas of our lives can we yield to Him? Are you seeking significance from any source other than God? New Year’s Resolutions? No thanks. How about some New Year’s Resignations?
Live a Life on Mission
Putting God in his rightful place in our lives doesn’t mean that we are not responsible for taking proactive steps in 2020. One of my favorite quotes is from Pastor Mark Batterson who says, “Pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you.” Philippians 3:12-14 states, Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
What does pressing on look like? First and foremost, pressing on means living every single day on mission remembering that our first responsibility is to be an ambassador for Christ in every situation and in every setting. Pressing on can also mean letting go of our past mistakes. The best part about a new year/decade is an opportunity to get a fresh start. The worst part, however, is the potential likelihood that a new year will simply be a repeat of the previous year. No one wants that. When we live our lives on mission, that motivates us to live with intentionaliy, and with intentionality comes the ability to make some real resolutions that can lead to transformative results. Ultimately, true contentment comes when we live our lives in a way that honors God in every moment, every endeavor, and in every season remembering that God made us on purpose and for a purpose.
Happy New Year!
Bill Garner
