Ben lands on contentment as the practical answer the article gets right: being content with what you have undercuts the chase for more, whether money or gas-station coffee in a Styrofoam cup. He riffs on John Newton's line about the best times being believable and the worst times bearable, noting that earth's good things are a shadow of, not alien to, the restored creation. The real issue is the compulsion itself: he proved he can exert self-control by fasting every Monday for a month, so the failure is choosing not to, and he urges grace toward others since what is easy for one person (his wife driving past gas stations) is hard for another.
More on Contentment
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Should following Jesus feel more comfortable as time goes on?
- Should following Jesus feel more comfortable as time goes on?
A host asks whether following Jesus should feel more comfortable as time goes on — noting the low-level tension many feel around am-I-doing-enough and the stigma that contentment equals laziness.
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Dear LFTP: how do I end the holiday newsletter?
- Is there any way to end a family member's holiday newsletter that makes the reader depressed with envy?
A listener in their sixties dreads a family member's annual braggy Christmas newsletter of accomplishments, expensive trips, and photos, and asks whether there's any way to end it — asking the hosts to tell everyone to stop with holiday newsletters.
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The satisfaction exercise
- What does it actually take for me to feel satisfied?
A host proposes an exercise: honestly write down what it takes for you to feel satisfied, then check how much of the list is shallow.
From No. 402 · It’s OK to Stay Home
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Dear LFTP: the self-talking, complaining coworker
- How can I get my constantly complaining friend to enjoy our daily walk instead of moaning about her job?
A listener walks daily with a friend who complains about her job nonstop and asks how to get her to enjoy the break instead of moaning for 20 minutes.