What one thing do you wish you could have, or believe that if you had it your life would instantly change and you would be happy? Think really hard about that one thing, and then think about how you could rearrange your life to turn every effort towards that one goal.
Before you actually start that new way of life, you should know this: After all of the planning and the work and the time investing in getting that one thing you want, when you get it, you still won’t be happy.
Why? Because there is a conspiracy at work to keep you from being content. It’s a conspiracy that involves three parties, and one of those is your own heart.
Check out this trailer video for the book, and then read on for my review.
“The Greener Grass Conspiracy” by Stephen Altrogge reveals the forces that keep our hearts from contentment, and shows that it is possible to live without everything we want, but still live content with what we have.
One key element of a life that is content is to recognize all that we have received. We have many physical blessings in this world, and maybe we should take to heart the message of the hymn “Count Your Blessings.” Beyond that, we also have countless and amazing blessings through Jesus Christ.
In fact, we will never be content with things. We were created to only find contentment in real relationship with God.
True contentment is found in a Person. It’s not found in getting what we want or in having difficulty removed from our lives. (p 87)
Only Christ is able to help us find our contentment in God and not in things. Apart from Christ, our love for God will be smothered by the things of this world. (p 90)
“Conspiracy” reveals the lies we believe that keep us discontent, and the effects of complaining on our hearts. We also find out that contentment is not automatic, but has to be learned.
No heart is immune to the conspiracy. I’ve been looking for a way to communicate the message of contentment, and this book is the best I’ve found. I recommend it to any one who struggles with a desire for more, newer, bigger, or better. And I think that’s just about every one of us.
Chris MacKinnon 