“Also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.” – Ecclesiastes 3:13
It’s easy to be unsatisfied all the time. Many of us have a natural bent toward unhappiness with the present. We find fault with today and imagine a better tomorrow. Advertising and social media radically increase this natural dissatisfaction because they’re designed to make us always want more, new, and different. They promise that we’ll be happier, more popular, and better looking if we just keep striving, pursuing, buying, and trying more and different things. That isn’t the road to satisfaction! Generally speaking, that’s the road to greater dissatisfaction.
The writer of Ecclesiastes tried all sorts of things. He realized there’s no lasting satisfaction in material possessions, fleshly passions, or monuments to his own glory. With the benefit of hindsight, he urges us to just keep life simple. Find vocational work, Kingdom work, and hobbies you enjoy. Then do them. Enjoy the simple pleasures of meals with people you care about. Rest in the knowledge of God and His presence with you. Be intentional about focusing on the present and enjoy the moments God blesses you with every day. Recognize that what you have now and the ability to enjoy that is a gift from God.
That isn’t to say you shouldn’t dream about the future or work to improve yourself. That’s good and also a blessing from God. But not when your mind is so completely focused on the imagined joy of the next job, next degree, next vacation, next house, next car, or next phase of your life that you miss the everyday blessings before you. So look around at your life. What should you be thankful for today? What should you enjoy more about what you already have? How can you be more mindful about the moments you’re passing through now? Celebrate God’s blessings in this moment.