Adventure. Excitement. Novelty. Who doesn’t love the feelings newness brings? And oh, there’s so much to do and so much to see on this little green earth. But sometimes we’re required to do something bigger than moving overseas or changing careers: sometimes we’re asked to stay.
And whether that looks like staying in a job or a church or a geographical location, sometimes not leaving feels like the hardest thing of all to do. And that’s not necessarily because you think the grass is greener somewhere else – it’s just because you’re bored of your patch. And you want to water the green blades somewhere else.
Sound familiar?
Well - before I get to the point – I’m going to look at something I learned in Economics at University. (If I’m honest, it’s about the only thing I remember from that class). And that is, the law of diminishing returns. Let’s take a look:
“According to the Law of Diminishing Returns … the value or enjoyment we get from something starts to decrease after a certain point. Let’s say we go to an amusement park and ride our favorite roller coaster five times in one day. The first time is exhilarating. The second and third times are also exciting. But after the fourth or fifth ride, we start to feel sick and bored - we’ve had enough.”
Law Of Diminishing Returns. (n.d.). In Alleydog.com's online glossary. Retrieved from: https://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition-cit.php?term=Law+Of+Diminishing+Returns
This stood out to me, not as an economic principle, but as an odd and seemingly unavoidable phenomenon; an unfortunate part of the human condition where repetition leads to lower levels of enjoyment and a (perceived) lessening of value.
The irony is that, in the example, the rollercoaster itself never changed – the person did.
The rollercoaster stayed as intrinsically valuable as it originally was.
Now back to real life (because who rides a rollercoaster five times in a row anyway?)
The truth of the matter is this: Changing scenery and countries and social circles and your hair – cannot make you sustainably happy. I know because I’ve tried. New places and new people and material things can give you a measure of satisfaction and temporary relief from boredom – but nothing that lasts much longer than five rollercoaster trips. (Or so I’ve heard). And this is because of one fact – a fact that is easy to say and sometimes difficult to live out:
CONTENTMENT IS AN INSIDE JOB.
And unless you take this to heart, you will constantly look for ‘the next thing’ - while taking your unhappy self along with you. How unproductive is that.
So, where to begin?
I’d recommend in the quietness of your time with the Lord.
Invite Him to fill the gaps you think you have in your life – gaps that shout at you to do more and be more and change things. He will fill those spaces with Himself and invite you to rest in the finished work of the cross. He may even remind you that the place that you’re wanting to leave is one that you asked to be in in the first place.
It’s in the waiting - in the patient endurance - where your true intentions are revealed and your heart motivations are exposed. It’s in the ‘not now, not yet, just a little longer,’ where your character is developed and the baggage falls away.
True contentment is knowing Christ and being known by Christ. True contentment is accepting that the battle is won, that victory is yours and that the striving can (and must) stop.
True contentment looks like embracing a lifestyle of gratefulness. Even if what you have is not what you want – or what you think you need.
11 … I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.12 I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. 13 I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who [g]infuses inner strength into me; I am [h]self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].”
Philippians 4:11-13
YOU ARE SELF SUFFICIENT IN CHRIST'S SUFFICIENCY
It’s time to forsake frustration and be at rest in the repetition.