The heart of a learner

In the span of two verses (Philippians 4:11-12), Paul says twice that he had to "learn to be content".  Whenever one reads Scripture, seeing something repeated is an important clue to its importance.  The bottom line in the issue of contentment - you aren't born with it, it's not a gift, it isn't natural.  It absolutely has to be learned.

If you don't believe that contented people are just born with it, have a conversation with any 2-5 year old (or adult for that matter) in the next month and a half as all the Christmas advertisements come out for all the new and hot toys of the year.  There won't be a contented person, kid, or youth out there!  Everyone wants the newest, latest, greatest.  Everyone thinks what they already have isn't good enough.  And to be happy?  I have to have new and better.

That's the trick of contentment.  We convince ourselves that it's good to be content because we hate envy (no peace!) but we think contentment comes when we have NEW, when we have THINGS.  Our tendency is to look for things that will make us content - those things that are better or those events that are next - rather than putting forth the effort required to learn how to be content RIGHT NOW.  Contentment is a skill - it's something that has to be practiced over and over again in order to learn it and incorporate it into our lives.  If I want to learn to ski, I don't go to the Double Black Diamond slope to learn, I start at the bunny hill (but since I hate skiing, I'll just stick to tubing).

Contentment is no different, it has to be learned.  So that means we have to make a conscience effort to learn, to take the things that make up our lives and learn to be content with them.  To take our focus off of things and stuff and put it on the deeper things of life.  You make that decision, it's a choice to learn a skill not necessarily a character trait you're born with.

So, start today learning a new skill.  Walk by those things that you think you "need".  Be grateful for what you already have.  Look to find meaning and significance in something other than new and better.  See if in 5, 10, 30 or even 100 days later you don't have a better skill set and better way of life having learned to be content "in every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in need..."