It should be the norm... but it isn't... this thing I wrote about that we call contentment...having said that... that contentment should be the norm... let me say first what I am not saying...

I am not saying that contentment is supposed to be the goal... that's the same stuff the whole world is after... peace... joy.... fullfillment... success... the systems are hawking that stuff to us all the time... buy our products... eat this ... don't eat that... drive that car.... do this... do that... do the other... just try our way and life for you will be rich and full and exciting...

Our religious systems have just jumped on the same band wagon... I eaves-dropped on a facebook discussion the other day... a couple very intelligent men... each trying to pursuade the other with their particular view of the whole "follow Jesus and you will find true joy and peace and fullfillment.."  argument used to sell Christianity these days... they were going at it with some great presentations both ways....

I talked about it with a friend of mine... and we both kind of ended up wondering... "Would this discussion even be taking place, if we presented a different gospel... a gospel that says "following Jesus will cost you everything... everything that the rest of the world thinks is important... what If we were just offering the cross... suffering... losing your life... some of what it cost Paul to follow Him... you know.... like depression... prison... hunger... shipwreck...becoming the scum of the earth... losing my reputation is always a big hit... becoming poor...helpless... being perplexed... trajedies... sickness... death...you know... stuff like that.... hmmmmmm.

I wonder if that discussion would even have taken place on facebook...