Contentment is Hard Work

Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Joshua 21:43-44

Years ago, my family watched a futuristic movie, in which every desire of those in the movie was provided instantly. Unwilling to exert themselves even with walking, the sedentary characters rode around in mechanized recliners while robots fed them and met their every need. It was meant to be paradise, but we watched with horror and disgust. I’m not sure that I fully understood at the time though, why it was so disgusting.

Because of my addiction, I’ve now spent a lot of time thinking about the difference between pleasure and contentment. We all want to lead fulfilling, joyful lives. That’s not wrong. God desires that we experience love, joy, and peace. Where I’ve gone wrong, is in how I pursue the good life. If I can find immediate gratification – pleasure – without any hard work, I’d much prefer to try and find my happiness that way. The problem of course, is that pleasure is fleeting, and once it’s gone, I’m left feeling empty. So, I need more. In the case of my drugs, my pursuit of pleasure led to an addiction that destroyed my life. Pleasure didn’t lead to joy and peace, but rather misery and chaos.

In recovery, I’ve found that rather than immediate gratification or pleasure, it is far healthier for me to pursue contentment. Contentment though, has only come through hard work. It has been hard work to get sober and to put my life back together. I’m certainly far more content now though, in the rest of my recovery, even though it took hard work to get here.

This concept of delayed gratification, or contentment, is illustrated in today’s passage. In the story, God led his people on a conquest of the promised land. It was laborious, requiring tremendous sacrifice and obedience. At the end though, God gave them rest. This was a peace and contentment that they could only enjoy because of the hard work that got them there. If they’d have refused the hard work, they never would have found genuine rest.

This isn’t just about drugs for me. It’s about my approach to everyday life. Do I sleep in, or do I go work out? Do I eat the donut, or do I abstain? Am I selfish with my time, or do I go have coffee with that guy who’s struggling? Do I follow myself or do I follow God. I know which choice will bring me fleeting pleasure and emptiness. I also know which choice will bring me contentment and authentic joy. Daily, the choice is mine.