Would you like a FREE trip to an Amusement Park?

     We were recently on a website for a water/amusement park in Wisconsin Dells.  It said you could get FREE tickets for the water park, all you had to do was sign up.  We immediately signed up and planned on going. But in the back of our minds we were thinking "this sounds too good to be true."  Long story short it wasn't too good to be true, we got our FREE tickets no problem.  What was fascinating to me was how the park tried to lure you into not being content with just your FREE tickets.  First, was they not only had a huge sign up saying that you can't bring in outside food or drink, but they actually searched your bags to see if you were breaking the rule.  (they wanted you to buy a $5 coke instead of drinking the $.25 juice box in your bag, of course)  Next, not only did you have to walk through the gift shop to get to the water park but through the entire amusement park as well including dozen's of ways for you to spend money on the way: temporary tattoos, carnival games, food booths, extreme rides, and more gift shops.  The contentment of FREE water park passes was quickly wearing off, and I got to hear my kids for the rest of the day asking me to spend more money in countless different ways.
     I was recently reading in 1 Corinthians 10 (the Message) Paul was drawing a parallel between the Israelites who had been set free from slavery in Egypt and the believers of his day.  He was talking about how they quickly turned from their relationship with God and how we can fall prey to the same fate.  One of his warnings was the following: "We must be careful not to stir up discontent; discontent destroyed them."  This immediately led to the question "How do I stir up discontent?"
     As I was saying in my opening story, I feel like the world does a great job of stirring up discontent for me, but Paul wasn't warning me about that.  He said "I must be careful not to stir up discontent."  I thought of several ways in which I can stir up discontent:

• Complaining
• Focusing on what I don't have
• Neglecting to be thankful for what I do have 
• Thinking that the World/God owes me something 

     I want to take Paul's words seriously because he gives us a grave warning: "Discontent destroyed them."
So I leave you with these questions to ponder: (Leave a comment with your answer)
          What are some ways you are tempted to "stir up discontent?"
          What are some ways we can practice contentment?