Discontent. It’s palpable in so many aspects of our society, from politics to the economy. We’re always on the lookout for the next best thing. From a young age, we’re told at every turn that we don’t have enough.

The original meaning of the word “content” has a sense of containment, being held within bounds. Or consider the related word “satisfied”, which means “to make enough.” This is the opposite of the driving force in our culture. Just when we start to feel like maybe we’ve arrived, there’s a new model, upgrade, or fad to sweep us off our feet again.

There’s been a shift in recent years, and people are starting to catch on to the idea that consumerism isn’t a happy approach to life. Take as an example the popularity of Marie Kondo or thrifting. But at its root, consumerism doesn’t come down to how much stuff we have or whether or not we paid retail price. At its core, consumerism is driven by discontent. You can shop at thrift stores, declutter, and penny pinch all you want and still not be content.

Having a large family is a challenge, but it has also opened the door to contentment and peace. Part of that has come from finding joy in living a simple life. But our goal in living frugally isn’t simply to fight consumerism and have less stuff. The goal is to trust, deep down, that what we have been given is enough, and what we need will be provided. Having children has slowly shown me this reality in so many ways.

A few days ago I sat on the beach, watching our two teenage daughters laughing on their boogie boards and our 4-month-old baby happily coo on his beach towel. I was struck by how good it felt to be completely content with the present moment. Nothing I was doing cost money, aside from the gas spent to get to the beach. The beauty of creation, the happiness of our children…it was enough.

Of course, that’s easy when you’re at the beach and everyone is happy. If only I could find that sense of peace, of trust, in the everyday, seemingly mundane moments. Or to take it a step further, in the challenges and the pain.

That next-level contentment is hard to achieve because our minds are always on the go. Just as consumerism and non-stop busy-ness go hand in hand, so it is with contentment and rest. If our minds never stop moving, we’ll miss it.

In the Book of Genesis, when God finishes creating the world, He rests because it is good. Rest and contentment stem from the deep belief that life is good.

You’ve probably noticed that a lot of our blog posts revolve around trying to live simply. As we’ve tried to minimize our spending and simplify our possessions through the years, and especially over the last year, it’s been helpful to remember that all these efforts to not get swept away by all the upgrades and must-haves that are dangled in front of our faces, day in and day out, are at their root an attempt to engage deeper with reality. To be able to say, at the end of a long and difficult day, that it is good…and to find rest in that reality.