CONTENTMENT

A new study in Britain has found a surprising answer to an old question, "How much is enough?" Yahoo Personal Finance in Britain surveyed 2,500 people of working age, and asked them to make a series of choices based on having all the money they needed. The results suggest that money, if you have enough, can buy a measure of happiness.

Based on the respondent's answers, the cost of contentment is around 2.66 million British pounds. That is a little over 3 million US dollars. The cost of contentment was calculated from the average value of the choices concerning which food, cars, vacations, etc, that people would “choose if money were no object.” Occupational stress consultant Carole Spiers says, "While money alone cannot buy you happiness, a lack of it can mean a more stressful, less fulfilled and ultimately less happy life."

The study found that women generally said they needed slightly more money than men to keep them happy. Unfortunately, the study also found it would take the average worker at an average pay rate, 94 years to accumulate the needed financial resources to achieve financial happiness.

—Reuters, January 8, 2004, Money can buy happiness, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Philippians 4:12-13 NIV "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 everything through him who gives me strength."

As the NFL begins to look toward the 2004 season, Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Jon Kitna says he believes he is exactly where God wants him. The Bengals renewed Kitna's contract through the 2005 season, even though they announced that second year quarterback Carson Palmer will take Kitna's place as starting quarterback this season.

Kitna was the only NFL quarterback to play all of his team's offensive plays in the 2003 season. He posted career highs in completions, passing yards, and touchdown passes.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis says the new contract solidifies Kitna's position with the team. He says, "He is not only a very good player, he is one of our most positive team leaders."

Kitna has pledged his direct support to Palmer, his coaches and the team. He says, "I am looking forward to doing everything I can to make Carson's season go smoothly." He added, "It'll be great if I don't have to play much. But if I am called to go in there, I'm working in a system where I've had success and with coaches I know and respect." Kitna says his family is an important factor. He says he is happy in Cincinnati and does not really want to move his family around chasing jobs. Kitna said, "Jennifer (his wife) and I have prayed about this, and we feel this is exactly where God wants us to be."

—The Cincinnati Enquirer, Bengals extend Kitna's contract, Mark Curnutte, April 20, 2004, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

1 Timothy 6:6 NIV "But godliness with contentment is great gain."

Cultivating an attitude of thankfulness can be difficult. In an article published in Discipleship Journal, Karen O’Connor remembers how she discovered a simple way to count her blessings.

Karen says her husband and her oldest daughter were at odds with each other and her stepdaughter was growing distant and irritable. To make matters worse, her husband Charles lost his job, and Karen had a hard time finding the kind of work she wanted. Karen says that nothing was going the way she wanted she had dreamed. Her fairy tale life had been shattered.

A woman from their church invited Karen to attend a women’s prayer group. At that meeting, Karen met an elderly woman who listened to her concerns, and provided some good advice. The woman told Karen, “If you want to find contentment, focus on what you do have not on what you don’t. Start giving thanks every day—regardless of the circumstances.” She encouraged Karen to write her blessings on slips of paper and to keep them in a basket or bag. “From time to time, take a look at what you’ve written. No one can be discontented for long with so much to be thankful for.”

When Karen got home, she found a silver foil bag and printed the words “Our Blessing Bag” on a label and attached it. Karen says at first it was hard to imagine what they could be grateful for, but several months later the bag was overflowing, just as the woman had said. On Thanksgiving morning that year, Karen and her husband sat up in bed, and emptied the bag. Her husband said, “Let’s look at what the Lord has done. You first.”

The first slip reminded them of a surprise visit from some good friends. The next recalled a pleasant walk on the beach. One by one, Karen and her husband counted their blessings and found they had a lot to be thankful for. Karen says, in the years since, the blessing bag has helped them grow in gratefulness. Though their lives are not perfect, the family is filled with the grace and gifts of God. Karen writes, “Learning to count our blessings has brought joy to our lives we might not have known otherwise.”

—http://www,navpress.com, Discipleship Journal, Jan/Feb 2001, Issue 121, Blessings in a Bag, Karen O’Connor. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Philip. 4:11 NIV “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

In her book, Dancing in the Desert, Marsha Crockett writes, “God created us with a need to be fed and filled, yet out desires seemingly go unmet. In striving to find fulfillment, our longings may swing wildly out of balance into realms of addiction. Left unchecked, our misplaced contentment crashes into our empty lives as we attempt to fill up on treasures that devastate not only our pocketbooks but also our souls.”

—Dancing in the Desert, Page 20 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

1 Tim. 6:6 NASB “But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.”

For more information on Dancing in the Desert, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0830823840/freshministry

In his book, Every Second Counts, Lance Armstrong writes, “Maybe the difference between a boy and a grown man, and the difference between a chipped shoulder and nice smooth lines is the way you handle yourself when you don’t get what you want.”

—Every Second Counts, p. 71 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Philip. 4:11 (NASB) “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”

For more information on “Every Second Counts” go to http://www.freshministry.org/books/armstrong.html

Marvin Lacy suffers from Parkinson’s disease. The disease often makes his hands tremble. Though he has this disease, when Marvin sits down to create his works of calligraphy, his hands are suddenly stable and still. Marvin says, “It’s a gift from God.”

Marvin says the key to his art is in the eyes, not his hands. He says, “The artist has to see what he wants to accomplish in the mind’s eye. If you can’t see what you wan to paint, you can’t paint it.”

Lacy’s faith influences what he sees. He says, “The Lord is important in my life. I wouldn’t want to leave out that aspect of my life. One of the sayings I’ve put into calligraphy is a philosophy I picked up. ‘I will make that which I do today important. I am exchanging a day of my life for it.’ I feel strongly about the message behind what I do, and the things that I write, even the fun things.” He adds, “ The scripture says that a merry heart does good like medicine. To me, that kind of stuff is fun.”

Lacy’s artistic ability covers a lot of ground. He is a retired church music director, a former country music disc jockey, and songwriter. Lacy says, “ At the end of the day I’m tired, but I feel good. I think God has allowed me to live a lot of experiences.”

—http://www.polkonline.com, Calligraphy teacher overcomes Parkinson’s with a ‘gift from God.’ November 26, 2002. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Martin has learned the secret of contented living the Apostle Paul spoke of.

Philippians 4:12-13 NIV “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 things through him who gives me strength.”

The song says, money can't buy you love, but according to a new British study, it may buy some happiness. A new study in Britain suggests winning just a modest $1000 can be enough to change a person's view of life. Winning less than a $1,000,000 is not likely to have a lasting effect on a person's happiness. Researchers also discovered that a strong marriage and good health were more likely to make a person feel content than having extra money.

Professor Andrew Oswald, who led the research said, "We found a strong link between financial windfalls and being happy and having much better psychological health." Oswald admits, "A small amount of money is not going to solve a major health problem or solve a major psychological problem." He found that happiness in life followed a U shaped pattern. Most people begin life happy, become discontent in their early thirties, and then recover their happiness as they move into their sixties.

Money can't really buy happiness. The results of the survey are likely affected by a cultural mindset today that connects money with happiness and security.

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 everything through him (Jesus Christ) who is my strength."

—http://news.bbc.co.uk, January 9, 2002. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

CONTENTMENT

German officials say a man who won the lottery two years ago apparently decided he was better off supplementing his income as a thief than claiming state welfare benefits. A representative for the court said the man confessed to 60 offenses. After he frittered away the last of the 760,000 euro ($921,000 US) prize, he turned to robbery looting cars and houses for whatever he could find.

The court spokesman said the man quit his job after winning the lottery in 1997. He was too ashamed to go to the welfare office when the money ran out, so he turned to a life of crime instead. The official said, "He didn't want it known he'd spent it all." The man faces several years in prison.

—Reuters, Lottery winner turns thief after blowing cash, June 14, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Proverbs 30:7-9 (NIV) "Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: [8] Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. [9] Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.'"

Andy Dappen, author of Shattering the Two-Income Myth says, "Your life can become less stressful, happier, more directed and fuller by embracing one simple idea, one that runs contrary to what we expect as Americans: you can't have it all."

—Reader's Digest, August 1999, p. 136. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Philippians 4:12 (HCSB) "I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret [of being content]—whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need."

In her book, "Who Put the Cat in the Fridge?", Rhonda Rhea writes, "In those days when parenting was simple and I had all the answers (yes, before the kids), I was convinced a parent could just insist that children be content and that would do it. Adding kids to the equation provided a new revelation: contentment has to be learned." "To build content kids, we have to start with content parents."

—"Who Put the Cat in the Fridge?", pg. 109, 111. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Phil. 4:11 NASB "For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."