Wanting What You Get Series

Once upon a time, there was a man who lived with his wife, two small children, and his elderly parents in a tiny hut. He tried to be patient and gracious, but the noise and crowded conditions wore him down.

In desperation, he consulted the village wise man. “Do you have a rooster?” asked the wise man.

‘Yes,” he replied.

“Keep the rooster in the hut with your family and come see me again next week.”

The next week, the man returned and told the wise elder that living conditions were worse than ever, with the rooster crowing and making a mess of the hut.

“Do you have a cow?” asked the wise elder. The man nodded fearfully. “Take your cow into the hut as well and come see me in a week.”

Over the next several weeks, the man—on the advice of the wise elder—made room for a goat, two dogs, and his brother's children.

Finally, he could take no more, and in a fit of anger, kicked out all the animals and guests, leaving only his wife, his children, and his parents. The home suddenly became spacious and quiet, and everyone lived happily ever after (Hope Health Letter, 10/95; www.PreachingToday.com).

That man found contentment not in a change of circumstances, but in a change of attitude. The fact is even when we get what we want, we are seldom satisfied. People assume that if they achieve certain things in their lives, they will find happiness. For example, some say: “I’ll be happy if I get admitted into the right school.” “I’ll be happy if I find the right partner.” “I’ll be happy if I make vice president.” “I’ll be happy if I have my dream house.”

Harvard psychologist Shawn Achor says this “if-then” perspective cannot be supported by science, because each time our brain experiences a “success,” it moves the goalposts of what success looks like. If you got good grades, you have to get better grades. If you have a good job, you now have to get a better job. If you hit your sales target, now you have to raise your sales target. If you buy a home, now you want to have a larger home (Ken Shigematsu, Survival Guide for the Soul, Zondervan, 2018, p.29; Shawn Achor, The Happiness Advantage, Crown Business, 2010; www.PreachingToday.com).

Getting what you want rarely makes you happy, because real joy is not found in getting what you want. It is found in wanting what you get. Let me say it again. Real joy is not found in getting what you want. It is found in wanting what you get. Real joy comes from being content with what you already have. It comes from finding satisfaction even in your current situation, no matter how bad you think it is.

So how do you learn how to want what they get? How do you find contentment right here, right now, in your current situation? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 1 Corinthians 7, 1 Corinthians 7, where the Bible speaks to people living in less than desirable situations. Some endured difficult marriages. Some withstood slavery, and some suffered discrimination because of race. Look at what God says to people in such situations.

1 Corinthians 7:17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches (ESV).

If you want to find contentment…

FULFILL GOD’S CALLING ON YOUR LIFE.

Lead the life God assigned to you. Literally, walk about in that life. Complete the task God has given you in the place where He put you.

That’s the rule unless, of course, you are living a life of sin. For the key to contentment is not a different place or a different situation. It is found in God’s place for you, God’s assignment.

If you’re in a difficult marriage, realize that God put you there to be a channel of God’s blessing to your spouse and to lead him or her to Christ. That’s what we saw in vs.12-16. If you’re in a difficult work situation, realize that God put you there to represent Christ so that men and women could be drawn to Him. Whatever your class or station in life, realize that God put you there to reach people that nobody else could ever reach.

Happiness is not found in changing your situation. It is found in choosing to serve your Savior in that situation.

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In his book Pursuing Justice, Ken Wystma tells the story about an African Christian leader who spent many years helping some of the most vulnerable people in the world. Wytsma writes:

He was born and raised in what is one of the most war-torn regions on the globe today—eastern Congo. His life is regularly threatened, and he faces the seemingly impossible task of trying to restore villages decimated by rape, murder, and plunder.