The problem of man is not having a need or meeting the need but comparing oneself with someone. The compared standard may be high to achieve; hence he/she ends up murmuring and disappointed. We have no dearth of comparisons. We have neighbors, friends, social media, colleagues to make us feel inferior… Man today is not content.
Contentment for people have always been measurement by material things as they are tangibles. A recent news recorded a man in India who came to Dr Sunny Garg consultant oncologist and complained suffering from severe insomnia and anxiety. He said, "Doctor, I think I'm very poor. I can't sleep at night.". He earns around $42,000 (Rs 40 Lakh a year) drives a BMW, lives comfortably, and still says he feels poor. Dr Sunny Garg described this phenomenon as a form of "modern poverty", not the absence of money, but the inability to feel satisfied because expectations rise faster than income.
According to the doctor, the man's reference point has shifted dramatically over the years. Instead of comparing himself with people from his hometown or those with more traditional careers, he now measures his success against startup founders, entrepreneurs, and social media personalities who have accumulated wealth worth tens or even hundreds of crores at a young age.
"Statistically, he's in the top 1% of earners in India. Yet he feels poor. Why? Because his reference point has shifted. Earlier, he compared himself to the neighbor in his village whose son worked as a clerk. Now he compares himself to a 28-year-old on LinkedIn who sold a startup and is sitting on Rs 80 crore," the doctor explained. Comparison is a race with no finish line. No matter how much you earn, there will always be someone richer. Contentment is one of the things money cannot buy.
There is also another problem with people who earn sufficiently yet find themselves in debt because of EMIs (monthly installments). Sometimes expenses are more than the income flow. A big percentage of people are trapped debt ridden in this way. I urge you to plan your income with wisdom and discretion.
Don’t forget to acknowledge that you are blessed with a life and are surviving when millions ceased to exist. If you are still breathing, you are privileged. You may have all the money you need and still never be satisfied and live securely. Position, money and things are never meant to satisfy human lives because you are made with a soul. Man can never be content with worldly things or religious obligations. Man needs to find His Creator not the one whom he has created as god but the true Saviour of your soul.
The Bible records one of the best prayers from Agur son of Jakeh from the book of Proverbs 30:8 (Bible) "Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread". Anxiety increases when you have too little or too much. When God is your portion, you can stay content. King David in the book of Psalms acknowledges, "Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future". Jesus is not an idea of God but God, who was resurrected from death and is alive, a fact that cannot be easily ignored. When you trust this Jesus, you will not be apprehensive and find a need to compare with someone whom you assume to be richer than you but can stay content because He promised to never leave you nor forsake you in any circumstance.
Resources: NEWS
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