Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like a lot of folks are running low on contentment these days. Can we even define that word anymore? Would we recognize it if we saw it?
In his letter to the believers in Philippi, the Apostle Paul writes, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want.”
In our current era of political polarization, institutional mistrust, fractured friendships, and economic uncertainty, wouldn’t it be great to know what Paul knows?
Boundaries
According to author and Christian speaker Sara Hagerty, the secret to contentment is a lot closer than you might think. In her book The Gift of Limitations: Finding Beauty in Your Boundaries, Hagerty makes the counter-intuitive argument that we discover true contentment when we stop trying to overcome our limitations and instead embrace them, even revel in them.
“The limitations God gives us can feel punitive and disruptive, out of time and deaf to our desires and dreams,” writes Hagerty. “Or they can feel light and caring, needed and deeply refreshing.”
What if God’s carefully orchestrated limitations actually allow us to soar, to know him well, and to experience the contentment our hearts long to find despite the cultural unrest and disappointments swirling around us? I explore that possibility with a review or Hagerty’s premise in my latest, long-form article for The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation and Culture.
Pursuit of Happiness
Alongside Hagerty’s book, I dive into another top-seller from co-authors Oprah Winfrey and social scientist Arthur C. Brooks—Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier. The duo relies on cutting-edge neuroscience, modern psychology, and ancient philosophers to offer readers practical applications for cultivating contentment.
Brooks and Winfrey argue that emotional self-management is the first step toward a happier life. From there, it’s all about relationships. As Brooks notes in a recent interview, “If you boil down all the research articles, you’ll find the happiest people pursue four things every day: faith, family, friendship, and work that serves others.”
When it comes to that contentment described by the Apostle Paul—hungry or fed, in plenty or want—I believe the secret lies less in research, science, or positive thinking and flourishes more fully in Scripture, sealed in prayer, and surrendered to God.
If you’re noodling your summer reading list, I invite you to hop over to the TWI platform and start with my article “Actually, You Can’t Have It All: Finding Contentment in Life’s Limitations.” My hope is you will be inspired to add a copy of The Gift of Limitations and Build the Life You Want to your reading stash as you continue your own quest for contentment.