Did you know that there are twice as many shopping malls in America as there are high schools? Why? Because we are a people who are never satisfied with what we have and are always in search of obtaining more. We've all seen the bumper stickers. “More is better.” “He who dies with the most toys wins.” “Who says money can't buy happiness?” More, more, more. It's all about wanting more.

I wonder how many people are over their heads in debt simply because they weren't satisfied with what they had. Now, don't get me wrong. I personally know some people who are in a lot of debt because of physical illness, job loss, and things of that nature. These are not the people I'm talking about. I'm talking about the ones who have to have the latest and greatest. And, I'll admit, I've been down that road. Some purchases were legitimate needs. Others were things that I felt I should have either because someone else had it or because I told myself that I could be more and do more if I had it. Discontentment can lead us down a VERY long road!

Look at the crimes in the world today, and you'll see a pattern. Adultery occurs when someone is not content with the marriage partner he/she has, so that person goes looking in “greener pastures.” Theft happens when someone feels they are entitled to more than what they have. Murder is often the result of arguments that revolve around issues of discontentment. On and on the list goes. When we focus on what we don't have instead of what we do have, trouble is bound to show up.

Discontentment isn't always based on material things. Often times we are discontent about the circumstances in our lives. We have a plan for our lives, and we get very upset when things don't work out the way we think they should. When illness strikes or a job is lost, discontentment can set in. When our new job is not as great as we thought it would be, our heart begins longing for more. In this way, discontentment causes us to lose precious hours playing the “what if” and “if only” games. You know, the ones where we say, “What if I had a million dollars in the bank account?” or “If only I were in better health. . .” These thoughts, though entertaining, do nothing but drain us of time and energy and cause us to sink deeper in our discontentment. We must be on guard. If we want greener grass, we should try planting some where we are!