Designed for Purpose
Objects are sometimes used for purposes other than their original design. Who hasn't used a hair pin or a butter knife to unlock a closet door, or a baseball bat as bedside protection? And while we might use a book as a door stop or coffee table decor, books were designed to be a wealth of information. Their value is in their words, in accomplishing their purpose to inform, entertain, persuade, inspire, etc.
Why am I here? What is my purpose? So often we busy ourselves with life’s numerous distractions, constantly going through motions, without ever really tapping into our true purpose.
Sometimes we go about life making our own way, deciding our own use. But we will never be fuflly satisfied (nor fully productive!) until we are walking in the purpose we were uniquely designed to fulfill.
So how can we know our true purpsoe? Just as we can know any object’s purpose — just look at its design and its designer!
Only the Designer has the right to assign purpose. We were made in His image (Genesis 1:27). We are thus called to, "Imitate God, therefore, in everything [we] do, because [we] are his dear children (Ephesians 5:1, NLT). And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (v.2, ESV).
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10, ESV).
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28, ESV).
Contentment Quotes
“Our society has inundated us with the importance of importance. WE have been conditioned to believe in the big, the fast, the expensive and the far away. I’m still convinced that if you have to move even ten inches from where you are now in order to be happy, you never will be. Life becomes precious and more special to us when we look for the little everyday miracles and get excited again about the privilege of simply being human.” [Tim Hansel is a popular speaker and seminar leader, and author of several books, as will as the founder of Ignite!, an organization striving to motivate, encourage, and empower people.]
“He who has God and many other things has no more than he who has God alone.” [C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) was a British novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, broadcaster, lecturer, and Christian apologist.]
“It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.” [Dale Carnegie 1988-1955) was an American writer and lecturer and the developer of famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills.]
“Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness.” [Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) was an American writer and novelist. As the daughter of missionaries, Buck spent most of her life before 1934 in China.]
“For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain.” [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline.]
“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” [Socrates (470 BC - 399 BC) was a classical Greek philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy.]
“We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without.” [Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was a German philosopher who is considered the central figure of modern philosophy.]
“Being content is perhaps no less easy than playing the violin well: and requires no less practice.” [Alain de Botton (1969 - ) is a Swiss-born, British-based philosopher, writer, and television personality.]
“Disappointment is a sticky one, because no one can steal contentment, joy, gratitude, or peace - we have to give it away.” [Kristin Armstrong (1973 - ) is a professional road bicycle racer and two-time Olympic gold medalist.]
“True contentment is a thing as active as agriculture. It is the power of getting out of any situation all that there is in it. It is arduous and it is rare.” [Gilbert K. Chesterton (1874-1936) was an English writer, lay theologian, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, literary and art critic, biographer, and Christian apologist.]
“My main job is to live with deep contentment, joy, and confidence in my everyday experience of life with God. Everything else is job number two.” [John Ortberg (1957 - ) is an evangelical Christian author, speaker, and senior pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California].
“Man never has what he wants, because what he wants is everything.” [ C.F. Ramuz quotes (1878-1947), French Poet, Author and Essayist,]
“The fountain of contentment must spring up in the mind, and they who have so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but their own disposition, will waste their lives in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief they propose to remove.” [Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) was an English writer, poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer.]
“Discontentment makes rich people poor while contentment makes poor people rich.” [Unknown]
“To know when you have enough is to be rich.” [Lao-tzu (4th or 5th century BC) was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of the Taoism belief system.]
“Contentment has the ability to squeeze out of every situation all the good there is to get.” [Unknown]
“The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift, not a right.” [Unknown]
“A harvest of peace is produced from a seed of contentment.” [American proverb]
“Resentment comes from looking at others. Contentment comes form looking at God.” [Unknown]
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you don’t have.” [Epicurus (341 BC - 270 BC) was a Greek philosopher focused upon the philosophy of simple pleasures.]
“Until you make peace with who you are, you’ll never be content with what you have.” [Doris Mortman is a modern American fiction writer.]
“Contentment means wanting what you have, rather than having what you want.” [Unknown]
“What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh. [A.A. Milne, author and creator, WINNIE THE POOH]
“The happiest people don’t have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything.” [Unknown]
Many of the above quotes express their own points of application. They do not necessaily reflect the opinions of the editors.
The Law of Diminishing Returns and Satisfaction
John D. Rockefeller (1839 – 1937) was an American businessman who made his fortune founding the Standard Oil Company. He went on to become one of the wealthiest men of the early 20th century.
John MacArthur relates the following story about Rockefeller:
When [he] was a young man, a friend reportedly asked him how much money he wanted. “A million dollars,” he replied. After he had earned a million dollars, the friend asked him again how much money he wanted. The answer this time was, “Another million.”
[John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, as well as an author, conference speaker, president of The Master’s College and Seminary, and featured teacher with the Grace to You media ministry.]
"Covetousness and greed follow a principle of increasing desire and decreasing satisfaction," says MacArthur, "a form of the law of diminishing returns."
“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who love abundance with its income. This too is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).
The more you get the more you want. When we focus on material things, our having will never catch up with our wanting. It is one of God’s unbreakable laws.
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