In the 5th Century, an Egyptian named Arenius set out to live a holy life by abandoning the community he lived in and living in the desert as a monk. After several years of living in the wilderness, he visited the city of Alexandria, where he spent time wandering through the markets and bazaars. A Christian in Alexandria asked him why he spent so much time wandering through the shops if he had renounced possessions and worldly comforts. He responded that he was filled with joy at the sight of so many things that he didn’t need. Arenius had learned an important truth that Benjamin Franklin later summed up well: “Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor.” It is a strange reality that the desire for more and better stuff is rarely related to how much we actually own. Instead, it is rooted in how content we are with what we have. In our day and age, there will always be something newer, better, and fancier coming along. There are so many new gadgets, toys, and possessions to acquire that it’s easy to reach a point where we are never quite content with what we have. Billions of dollars are spent by companies to get us to want to have more or to be discontent with what we have now. The problem is that it is a never-ending cycle of buying. With Thanksgiving fast approaching, the nation will collectively take a day to reflect on what we have and be grateful. Sadly, that time of reflection and saying ‘thank you’ is often overshadowed by the trappings of the holiday. Eating, watching football, and going shopping the next day often take center stage during Thanksgiving. Ironically, the next day is Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, where we spend money trying to get more stuff. I’m not saying shopping is bad or that getting deals on Christmas gifts is a sin. Rather, I am suggesting that contentment and gratitude to God for the things He has blessed us with is very important. Yesterday, I read that the middle class in America enjoys a higher standard of living than most kings and queens 2 centuries ago. We have a great deal to be thankful for. That gratitude, and the contentment that accompanies it, should be a daily effort. We should take time each day to thank God for what we have been given. A recent study found that people who take time daily to be grateful tend to live happier lives. I’d argue that this is because they are content with what they have and recognize that having more will not make them happier or better off.
