May We Be Content

“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given and then sink yourself into that.  Don’t be impressed with yourself.

Don’t compare yourself to others. 

Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” Galatians 6:4-5

I love this passage of scripture.  You’ve probably heard me talk about it before.

But I can’t get the middle part of this scripture out of my head… “Don’t compare yourself to others.”

Comparison is so quick to derail us from being grateful for what God has given us.

As I’ve watched the Honduran people this week, I’ve realized that most of them don’t envy our American lifestyle.  In fact, when their basic needs of food, clean water and health are met, they are quite content with the pace of their life.

You can’t envy what you don’t know you’re missing.  When you don’t know what you’re missing, you live more contented.

You can’t envy what you don’t know you don’t have.

I long to not know.

I wonder sometimes if some of our conveniences just create more opportunities to compare ourselves?  I see the happy things that you blog or tweet and I feel like my life doesn’t measure up.  I see your new car, new house or great pair of boots and I wish I had them too.  I see an ad on the TV and I feel compelled to go buy something that I really don’t need.

It’s a vicious cycle of discontentment that springs from my tendency to compare and compete with everyone else. 

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therein to be content.”  Philippians 4:11

May we be content.