CONTENTMENT - THE STEERING DEVICE OF TRUE HAPPINESS

A ready Word from God slid into my mind this morning. I'v been meditating on it and how it affects my daily work. It's my desire to share this truth with you. 

"BEING CONTENT DOES NOT MEAN SETTLING FOR LESS, IT MEANS BEING GRATEFUL AND FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU HAVE AND WHERE YOU ARE AT."

You see, some people have this erroneous belief that:

* those that are poor have accepted and are settled in their poverty.

* those that lack are settled in their ignorance.

* those that are dead where unworthy to be alive.

* those that lost, had accepted their fate of failure. 

e.t.c.

Those are not necessarily true. 

You see, at any point in your life, you'll always be in the position of less. What do I mean? What you have right now is not enough and there will never be a time you will have every thing you desire. As long as you are alive, you will always have desires and needs that are above your present capacity. Contentment is the ability of achieving satisfaction in spite of your needs and desires. Contentment is a way of taking authority over your joy or the factors that make you happy. Thus ensuring that your joy is not dependent on success or failure, wealth or poverty, lack or abundance, strength or weakness. e.t.c. 

God said to me, being content does not mean that I have to settle in a place of lack or want or hopelessness or failure... it simply means that I can still find joy in the dungeon, water in the desert, success in the ruins-of-failure, love in desolation... 

A lot of people are waiting to "arrive". 

A lot of people have put their whole life on hold because they are waiting for that crushing need in their life to be sated. 

I've got news for you! 

YOU WILL NEVER ARRIVE (THE DESTINATION IS A MYTH - VIRTUAL REALITY)

THAT CRUSHING NEED - IT NEVER WILL BE SATED! 

Not that you will never have that particular need met. No, no, no. Needs are met every day. It's just that THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A CRUSHING NEED!

A friend of mine was worried that he may loose this girl he intends to marry because business has been so slow this period and there has been little traffic of money. So, he keeps postponing his decision to ask her! Do I think he love this girl truthfully? YES! Do I think they will ever get married? AT THE RATE IT'S GOING? NO! 

I'm not the devil and I did not tell him my thoughts. I tried to diplomatically offer him encouragement and wisdom (but you know people, you have to be careful how you talk or else your name finds its way to a paper in a prayer house as an "enemy of progress"). Listen brothers, you will never have enough money for marriage! Ask anybody that has undertaken this assignment. The money is never enough! The guy that budgeted N2,000,000 and the guy that budgeted N200,000 both got married (from the same family - TRUE STORY). So at the end of the day, it's not about the money or lack of it, it's about your willingness to face the mountain head-on. 

For some of us, the money did not come in bulk. For some of us, we still do not have any idea how it came to pass. For me all I remember vividly was a strong desire to get married to my wife at all cost. ALL COST! Monetary, pride, energy, e.t.c. 

See, when you are contented, YOU APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE, NOT WHAT OTHERS HAVE. 

When you are content, YOU SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES IN YOUR PRESENT CONTACTS, NOT THE POTENTIAL ONES. 

When you appreciate the people in your life, YOU SHARE WHAT YOU HAVE WITH THEM (WITHOUT SHAME), NOT WITH STRANGERS!

While meditating on this, I remembered a story that was published in various daily's about our (Common-Sense Senator), Senator Ben Murray Bruce. You see I always saw him as a man who has everything and couldn't possibly need anything, This man owns the Silverbird Group and several other amazing companies (I'm sure you know him). But the story tells us that the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) on June 23, 2016 seized several of his Silverbird media companies for failing to make payments on billions of naira in loans! 

The point I want you to hold on to is that even the rich needs more. I'm not faulting his loan or attacking him in any way (I love the man), but I want us to learn from this public billionaire. I truly thought that if I have certain amount of money, I won't ever have a need or desire ever again! That is a lie! There will always be a need or desire so crushing that if you don't control it, can destroy your life. 

Learning to control your desire is contentment. Being happy in spite of your present circumstance. Sometimes the rich borrow to tackle a project. So you think if you had N20 billion naira, you won't need to borrow again, right? Well, wrong. 

The richest man in africa, (actually he is the richest black man in the world, grossing at $14.4billion (USD)), Alhaji Aliko Dangote, actually borrowed $3.3 Billion For A Refinery Project.

You see, you will always have need for more. More money, More happiness. More love. More health. More pleasure. More enjoyment and parties. More education. More certificates/qualifications. e.t.c.

TRUE JOY LIES IN APPRECIATING WHERE YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU HAVE. THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU, THE OPPORTUNITIES OPEN TO YOU AND THOSE WITHIN THE SPHERE OF YOUR INFLUENCE. BE GRATEFUL, APPRECIATE THEM AND USE THE TOOLS AT YOUR DISPOSAL. YOU'LL BE SURPRISED WHAT YOU MAY FIND IN YOUR "SHOKOTO".

-E. I. OPUTA