A Picture of Contentment

The whole world is looking for happiness! The search is worldwide. Constantly, we are bombarded with
messages from someone announcing that they have found happiness, and you can have it too. It might
be a vacation in the Caribbean or a new car or even a makeover. The truth is that these things and a
million more like them will not bring us happiness. Any lasting contentment we find in life comes from
being in an authentic relationship with someone we love, and they love us. The problem is that
authentic relationships are hard to come by. Jesus, however, promises that genuine relationship with
him.
Christ gives us life and life filled with contentment—the very thing we long for so deeply. He describes it
for us in a beautiful picture, with him being the shepherd and us being his sheep. He says, “The thief
comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”
(John 10:10). The thief is the allusion to happiness that says let me into your life, and I will make you
happy, but he only comes to bring pain.
This contentment is what the world is looking for and cannot find. Jesus is the source of the life we
want—a full life. It is the purpose and meaning of life, and it comes through our relationship with the
Good Shepherd! He leads us to green pastures and away from danger, and he makes us lie down when
we need to rest. He leads us to the still waters. How do we qualify for this shepherd? Is he looking for
the smart ones or the attractive ones? No, just those who will follow him and accept him as their
shepherd. It really is that simple!