Philippians 4:12-13 " I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. "

Contentment is a funny thing and something I have struggled with for many years. I always want to be better in whatever I do; have more friends, get the highest grades, be the best at a sport, be the best musician in the entire band. Everything was a competition and I felt like I was always trying to grasp higher and higher. Grasping higher and trying to be a better person are all good things. As I went about my day to day life always trying to be better, I was majorly missing the point of contentment. I felt as if I would never be the happiest I could be. There was always something left to reach.

The difference between healthily reaching for goals and doing so in an unhealthy manner is contentment. Contentment is being happy with where you are in the present, being happy with what you have achieved, and accepting what you haven't yet reached. For a while, I thought that contentment was just being happy with what you have and not wanting anything else. While yes, this is an important component of contentment, it is not the whole story. It's all about perspective. It's about being content and happy with the blessing the Lord has given us, but also still striving to improve on ourselves everyday. We are called to be happy with the chapter of our story that we are currently in, while knowing that the Lord is still writing our story and we can strive to be more like Him every day.

In 2017 my goal is to be content. Content with my relationships, content with my financial standings, content with all the blessings the Lord has put into my life, and content with the parts of my life that haven't worked out the way I planed. While being content, I also want to always be improving and growing as a person. I want to find that happy balance. I hope to be content with my surrounding, yet also seeking the Lord for counsel on how to improve on myself. When a new year rolls around, it is an exciting time. A time for change, a time for a fresh start, a time for a new perspective. This year, my change is going to be contentment. My new perspective is trying to live a more content life.