#write31days: Sources of Discontentment

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. - Hebrews 12:1-2

So we've defined what contentment is and what it isn't. Now we are going to take a look at where our discontentment can come from. When you think about discontentment, what do you think about? Do you think about a heart of ingratitude? Do you think about how easy it is for you to get jealous of others? Do you think about times when you've been harsh or critical?

Discontentment can come from so many places, and for some of us, we may identify with all of these triggers:

Social Media

This source of discontentment is one that many of us are aware of.  Did you know that studies have shown that many people feel disillusioned and sad about the lives they are living after scrolling through Facebook? Wow. It is easy for us to scroll through the highlights of others' lives and compare their story to ours. It is incredibly easy for us to believe that they are portraying everything, but we know that isn't true? So why do we believe that what we see is the truth? Why do we think that everyone's got it better than us and we are behind? When we allow what we see on social media to dictate our moods, thoughts, and feelings, we've got a problem. Maybe there are some people that you need to "unfollow" during this season in order to guard your heart. I know I've done it! Let's take a good hard look at how we are using social media. Is it to connect with others? Is it a tool for our business? My hope is that above all, my social media pages are just another place where I can point others to Jesus.

Television/Movies/Books 

Our forms of entertainment are similar to  social media, but they are all comprised of people we don't know in real life! When I was younger, I lost myself in books and television shows, imagining myself in the stories. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a good book, and we all know that an evening of binge watching every now and again won't kill you. But the problem comes when we decide to place ourselves in these perfectly crafted stories and think that our real lives somehow come up short. Let's be sure that we use entertainment as a fun escape and addition to our lives instead of a means of fantasizing and wishing and hoping for anything but the life God has given us.

Friends, let's examine our hearts and examine our lives. If we want to be the world-changers God had made us to be, we won't get anywhere by looking to the right or left and allowing others' stories (real or imagined) to dictate our happiness. Let's stop playing games and start looking to Jesus.