Scrooge: A 5 Day Devotional Based on the Charles Dickens' Classic TaleSample

The Second of Three Spirits: The Ghost of Christmas Present

Searching for Contentment

Restless.

Jittery.

Foot bouncing up and down.

Checking your phone for no reason other than just to check it.

An inability to focus on any one thing for more than a couple of minutes.

We’re not content people, and it shows.

Even though our culture is all about “living in the present” and “soaking in the moment,” in reality, we’re anything but. The present isn’t always a place where we want to live, and neither did Scrooge. As this second ghost shows him around his present-day Christmas, Scrooge simply scoffs at everything going on around him: his nephew Frederick’s Christmas party, the destitute pedestrians waiting in line for soup, the simple merriment of Bob Cratchit’s home.

There’s a flaw to be found in everything he beholds—nothing is good enough.

Though it may be hard to admit, how often do we find ourselves sporting the same attitude?

Whether it’s feeling disappointed that we don’t have room in the budget to get that new gadget as a gift or simply being annoyed that we have to attend yet another Christmas party, feelings of discontentment seep out this time of year. Our discontent is only second to how disengaged we tend to be when we’re actually in the moments that should make the season meaningful. It might be in the midst of a candlelight church service, watching our kids open presents, or sharing a meal with people we haven’t seen in a while that we find ourselves worrying about the next thing, thinking about what else needs to get done, or checking our notifications.

But if the Ghost of Christmas Present is telling Scrooge (and us) anything, it’s this: contentment isn’t found in looking ahead or behind but through embracing what you have been given today. Cherish the gift before it is gone.

It doesn’t matter if restlessness comes in the form of wanting more or simply not appreciating the present moment for what it is—God makes it possible for us to be content in all things. A man named Paul discovered that and shared it in a letter to others needing the same.

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13).

As the ghost challenged Scrooge, God challenges us: where can we be content this season? Sure, we may not have everything we want, or things might not look the way we planned, but how can we take the current circumstances we’re facing and find contentment—find His hand—in the way things are today? When we open our eyes to all that’s around us, it’s hard not to see God at work. Even though he chose to ignore it, Scrooge saw it too—the merriment at Frederick’s party, the camaraderie in the soup line, and above all, the simple happiness of Bob Cratchit’s family.

Blessings are there for us, but only if we make the effort to be present and pay attention.

Question: Where do you often find yourself restless or discontent? Why do you think that is? How can you practice the gift of presence and contentment this season?

Jump into the world of Scrooge: A Christmas Carolby listening to the companion podcast from Hope Nation here!