Learn Contentment

Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed” (Luke 12:15 NIV)

"ALL kinds of greed."  I guess that means we can be greedy beyond financial and material gain.  We could be greedy for praise.  Or greedy for attention.  We might be greedy to be the favored grandparent of our grandchildren.  Or greedy to get ahead in our job.  Or greedy for someone else's talents or abilities.

The point is, our lives should not be consumed by accumulating more and outdoing everyone else at whatever we can outdo them on.  Life is not a competition.  But so many of us live it that way.  In Philippians 4, Paul says that he has "learned to be content with whatever I have."  That can apply to all we have a tendency to be greedy for.

Be content with the praise freely given without fishing for compliments.  Be content, even if your good work is noticed by no one.  Enjoy and love your grandchildren without competition even if you are Maw-Maw and all they talk about is Nana.  Enjoy your life where it is.  We miss so much of our lives when we dismiss the moments by striving for a "better" future.

It reminds me of the incessant family photo taker.  They have all the pictures to remind them of the fun they actually weren't really present for, because they were too concerned with framing those precious moments.

Learn contentment.  Be present in each moment and live it and breathe it and enjoy it.

Father,
Make us more mindful of the moments of our lives.  Help us to stop working so hard for future happiness that we don't notice how happy we can be today.  Amen.