My Goal

Contentment and satisfaction are vastly different feelings.

The pursuit of satisfaction rarely leads to contentment. It is pure folly to believe that once a desire gets satisfied, the feeling of contentment will follow. Satisfaction is, at best, a fleeting feeling of accomplishment. Yet, most people will continually sacrifice contentment in order to pursue the feeling of temporary satisfaction. Some people are never satisfied or happy regardless of how many goals they achieve.

Contentment is a state of being that is not dependent upon accomplishments, possessions, recognition, immediate circumstances, future expectations, or even past failures. Contentment is a decision to be content in all circumstances. It is an acceptance that God always has me exactly where he wants me. It is trusting God completely.

I don’t know how a non-believer could ever feel content. Apart from God, I would need to be constantly measuring my stuff. With God, the things that are important are immeasurable. Integrity doesn’t have a size or a weight or a volume. Integrity isn’t something I can achieve if I work hard enough or long enough or smart enough. I can’t buy integrity with my vast amounts of wealth. I either have integrity or I don’t.

There is nothing wrong with setting and trying to achieve goals. Part of my contentment is knowing that I am moving in a certain direction; a hopefully better direction. However, I’ve learned throughout my life that I will never reach of point in this life where I have gotten where I’m going.

Contentment is my goal in life. Satisfaction isn’t worth the bother.