Contentment: Do You Have It?

What do you call that feeling you get when you come across a beautiful scene, like the one above? Are you peaceful, do you experience serenity, equanimity or contentment? I was hiking up to the Lake in Glacier National Park, through the ferns on a small path, when I came upon it, deep blue-green water with the sunrise just coming over the snow crested mountains, it was breathtaking. I felt at peace, a contentment I haven’t felt for a long time, that was 1989. At that time in my life, I thought I needed to be in a special place in order to experience contentment. I discovered much later that godly contentment was more than what I experienced at that Lake, and the Bible calls it great wealth, I Timothy 6:6.

What are people searching for today? More money, power, genuine love, fulfilment at their jobs? If you broke these down to the underlying motivation of each you would find the same thing, they might call it happiness, but in reality, what they are seeking is contentment, to be at peace. People want to be untroubled, peaceful; experience a mental calmness and serenity. Some Christians think, that going to a conference, or a Christian event will fulfill them and give them contentment. Some have written that Christians travel to Asbury University hoping to get the experience they have read about, sadly for some they return home unfulfilled. Why? Because contentment is not found outside your Bible.

The Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned to be content.” Why did the Apostle Paul seek to learn contentment? It is because true godly contentment is very powerful; could you or I say with Paul, “…If we have but food and clothing, with these things we will be content? Paul had learned to be content with only food and clothing! Think of all the stuff American Christians have and yet, most are not content. Why? Because many Christians believe that their happiness is in the abundance of the things they possess. Hebrews 13:5, tell us, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” John the Baptist said to the soldiers who came to be baptized, in Luke 3:4, “Do not extort money, do not accuse falsely, and be content with your pay.”

Therefore, we have the example of Paul and the verse of I Timothy 6:6 we should desire and seek how to obtain contentment. Turn to Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I am speaking of being in need for I have learned in whatever situation that I am to be content. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” Paul is telling us that he learned how to be content whether he has plenty of money or flat broke. It’s almost as difficult to be content when you have plenty of money for you are tempted to think that just a little more will help. Whereas the poor man is tempted to be discontent by coveting his neighbor’s things. Paul has learned the secret of contentment with both! What is the secret Paul?

Verse 13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Here is it! This isn’t referring to an athlete who spikes the ball after a great catch and says, “I can do all things through Christ”, or race car driver who breaks the 1/4-mile record and is interviewed afterwards saying, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!” Not that these are wrong to apply, but we can’t miss the true meaning of the text, Paul is saying that the secret of contentment is to draw upon Christ’s strength by faith. Are you poor? Ask Christ Jesus for strength to be content, then read James 2:5, that states, “…God has chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith.” To the rich he warns them to not be a friend of this world, James 4:4…“do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” Use your money for the Glory of God and be content with what you have, for Paul states in I Timothy 6:10, “For the Love of money is the root of all kinds of evil...and this craving has caused some to walk away from the faith.”

If you learn to be content beloved, you will find the peace and the mental calmness that we all seek. Having contentment with godliness is great gain.

Christus Omni Nova,

John