One of C. S. Lewis’ most popular books, The Screwtape Letters, is a novel in the form of a series of letters written by Uncle Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood. Screwtape and Wormwood are both demons. In these fictional letters, Screwtape gives advice to his nephew on how to contend with their enemy, who of course is God. The objective of Uncle Screwtape and Wormwood is to plot against and destroy the spiritual lives of people. They want to keep humans completely out of the enemy camp.

In one of the letters, Uncle Screwtape informs Wormwood that the enemy (God) wants people to learn how to live in and enjoy the present day. He tells his nephew that their goal is to prevent this. “It is far better to make them live in the Future,” Screwtape tells Wormwood. As long as humans are living in their future imaginings, their lives are not in harmony with reality.

Uncle Screwtape then explains that God does not want people to give their hearts to the future and place their treasure and happiness in it, but he says, “We do.” He concludes by saying that ultimately, “We want a whole race perpetually in pursuit of the rainbow’s end, never honest, nor kind, nor happy now . . .”

Lewis recognized that one of the reasons we struggle to find meaning and joy is because no matter where we are in life, no matter how well things might be going for us right now, we always seem to be able to contemplate a better life in the future, better than what we are experiencing currently.

If you had the power to change certain circumstances right at this moment, wouldn’t it be easy to imagine a life far more satisfying? As you think about your world right now, isn’t there some way you can imagine improving it, making it better and more rewarding? Couldn’t you be happier? Isn’t there something that could make it better? A very dispirited businessman once shared with me, “I am desperately searching for a life of contentment.”

We all yearn to find a sense of contentment in our lives. A content person is at peace with what they have, with who they are, and where they are in life. They do not constantly feel like they need to have more and accomplish more. They are satisfied with their life in the present.

(Next week in Part 2 we will consider how one becomes content.)

This blog was taken from The True Measure of a Man by Richard E. Simmons. Richard E Simmons III is the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Executive Leadership and a best-selling author.