Peace and Contentment

Better to have a little money in the bank and peace at home than to have a million dollars and a date in divorce court. A hard-driving, Type A corporate attorney happened to see a commercial fisherman in mid-afternoon, legs dangling off the pier as he helped his two young sons catch crabs. "Why aren't you out there fishing?" he asked. "Because I've caught enough fish for today," said the fisherman. "Why don't you catch more fish than you need?" "What would I do with them?" responded the fisherman. "You could earn more money and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. Then you could buy a fleet of boats. Soon you’d be rich like me." "What would I do then?" "You could sit down and enjoy life,” the attorney answered. "What do you think I'm doing now?" the fisherman replied.

This is not an argument in favor of indolence but a call for balanced living. The wise person realizes that some things matter more than other things, that your career is not the measure of your self-worth, and that having more money can’t replace the joy of spending time with people you love. Contentment means that you have everything you need right now. If you needed more, God would give it to you. Work hard but don’t make work your god. When you want what you already have, you’ve discovered the rare jewel of contentment.

Father, I praise you that I have everything I need for this moment. Teach me to enjoy what I already have. Amen.