There is probably not one person in the world today or ever has been who doesn't want to be content. Being content can be learned (even Paul says that here). Actually I would argue it has to be learned. We see discontent easily in children at certain times of the year. No matter how close Christmas is they aren't happy with waiting. And if their sibling has something they want they aren't happy until they have it too. Children, though, also illustrate contentment quite easily when they are enjoying life. They live and play in the moment. They immerse themselves in what is right before them and find all sorts of lovely things about it. They see the beauty in whatever the task is -- they don't think like that of course, but that is what they are unconsciously doing. They kind of fall into contentment because of their age -- but as mentioned above, they can easily fall out of it.
We are to be childlike to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is within us. He tells us to pray for God's kingdom to come "on earth as it is in heaven." When a learned teacher comes to Jesus at night, Jesus tells him that "unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
When Paul was converted he was struck blind. And when he regained his sight, Luke writes that "there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he arose and was baptised."
The writer of Hebrews says in chapter 12 that "since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance . . . fixing our eyes on Jesus"
Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a pearl, a mustard seed, yeast, a hidden treasure, a dragnet, a owner of a vineyard.
When we believe in Jesus we become citizens of heaven and we can begin living eternally immediately. If we don't choose to live this way (and it deals with contentment and living in the moment) we will feel very frustrated. But there is power to learn to live in the moment and to be content (same thing really -- also go ahead and search benefits of living in the moment - -you'll find all sorts of entries).
So this morning I took some pictures of ordinary things just to show you the beauty in them. It took me about three minutes to take these pictures. I didn't seek out anything spectacular. I just took pictures of what I saw. If we focus on the beauty of everything in God's world we will stay grateful. And gratefulness will help us be content.