Pursue the Virtue of Contentment
A businessman bought popcorn from an old street vendor each day after lunch. He once arrived to find the peddler closing up his stand at noon. “Is something wrong?” he asked.
A smile wrinkled the seller’s leathery face. “By no means. All is well.”
“Then why are you closing your popcorn stand?”
“So I can go to my house, sit on my porch, and sip tea with my wife.”
The man of commerce objected. “But the day is still young. You can still sell.”
“No need to,” the stand owner replied. “I’ve made enough money for today.”
“Enough? Absurd. You should keep working.”
The spry old man stopped and stared at his well-dressed visitor. “And why should I keep working?”
“To sell more popcorn.”
“And why sell more popcorn?”
“Because the more popcorn you sell, the more money you make. The more money you make, the richer you are. The richer you are, the more popcorn stands you can buy. The more popcorn stands you buy, the more peddlers sell your product, and the richer you become. And when you have enough, you can stop working, sell your popcorn stands, stay home, and sit on the porch with your wife and drink tea.”
The popcorn man smiled. “I can do that today. I guess I have enough.”
Wise was the one who wrote, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” (Eccles. 5:10 NIV).
Don’t heed greed.
Greed makes a poor job counselor.
Greed has a growling stomach. Feed it, and you risk more than budget-busting debt. You risk losing purpose. Greed can seduce you out of your sweet spot.
Before you change your job title, examine your perspective toward life. Success is not defined by position or pay scale but by this: doing the most what you do the best.
Parents, give that counsel to your kids. Tell them to do what they love to do so well that someone pays them to do it.
Spouses, urge your mate to choose satisfaction over salary. Better to be married to a happy person who has a thin wallet than a miserable person with a thick one. Besides, “a pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life” (Prov. 13:7 MSG).
Pursue the virtue of contentment. “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6 NIV). When choosing or changing jobs, be careful. Consult your design. Consult your Designer. But never consult your greed.
by Max Lucado
Well said! I couldn’t agree more. I recently went through a spell of unemployment- from July until early December- and at first was very depressed about it. But the Lord revealed to me in that time that HE is my source, not my job. He led me to repentance, and I got to enjoy just serving my family in that time, becoming completely content to do as He’d called me to do at that time. My priorities now straight again, He has opened the door and I’m again a financial contributor to my household.
I, on the other hand needed to read this. I have been lost in trying to build my finances so I wouldn’t have to worry about my future, but in the same aspect I am not doing what I love. The job I have is stressful and doesn’t satisfy me in the least. I feel as though I have lost my view as to my purpose on this earth; I know that I am here for a reason a godly fulfillment, but I do not know what it is, hopefully I can get back to the basics, back to God where I should be.
God Bless:)
I am blessed to be doing a job that I love. However I may need to aquire another position that I love less in order to allow my husband to do the job that he loves the most but pays the least, in order to keep a roof over our heads and those of our 4 children. I know though that the God that I love and serve knows my heart and my desire to serve him above all things. I trust him to provide me with a job in which I can meet the needs of my family, serve him whole heartedly and find joy in each day. My prayer is that the job he provides will meet the desires of my heart and those of my husband also.
I couldn’t agree more with the prior posting. Not doing what you love, makes it difficult to apply our full potential. In my heart I know that my calling is in health care of other’s, yet I am trapped in this phase of my life, that offers no fulfillment. We make our own choices in life and if we choose to listen to God, and not HEAR Him, then the consequences will be our own. Funny how at the time we face the consequences of our own decisions,He will then get our attention. God finds a way to humble us through these times, for me it was my health. As much as I dislike the ride into work each day as I have done over the last 8years, two years ago I fell ill. A disabling lethargic condition left me too weak to even dress myself. One day, I remember dropping to my knees crying and saying, “Oh God, please just give me the energy and release me of this illness so I can return to work” (What was I saying..Return to work!)Yes,and He delivered, and I do praise Him for that. My lesson in all of this was to trust that His plan in time will come, and reveal his real purpose for me. Health is greater than Wealth, and in time we will know our place..God Bless & Merry Christmas