The following is a selection from my second book, Christ-Centered Contentment. If you like what you read, you can pick up the book on amazon here.
God’s Definition of Contentment
What exactly does God say about contentment? Thankfully, God’s word has not left us uninformed. Through the counsel of scripture, we can get a clear picture of the contentment with which God desires us to live our lives. Unfortunately, the Bible does not simply say: “Contentment is __________”. We must piece together the evidence into a solid definition. As we dig further and further into the Bible’s teaching on the subject, we will see the definition become narrower with each passage yet more life-giving.
The simplest place to start is in First Timothy:
“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” (1 Tim. 6:6-8)
“If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” Wow! How far have we wandered from this simple definition? I think the average American, myself included, finds it difficult to even conceive of assets topping out at food and covering. Could you imagine the cultural revolution if we began to see everything beyond basic necessities as blessings instead of entitlements?
At the outset, the Bible simplifies our understanding of needs and wants to steer us towards genuine contentment. I believe one of the greatest obstacles to living contently is confusion when it comes to needs and wants. When we take a want and make it a need, we drive our discontent. Think about the things we think we need—the things we have to have just to survive: a hot shower, a reliable car, a cup of coffee each morning (the way we like it of course), a good school zone, a parking spot close to the door, and the list goes on. I don’t know if God laughs or cries when He sees our list of “basic necessities”! Either way, the Bible tells us we have a ticket to “great gain” if we are willing to partner our faith with contentment.
If your conviction muscles are already tired—be warned, for we have only just begun. In another letter, Paul narrows the definition of contentment even further:
“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:11-13)
This is where things begin to get a little tricky. Up until this point, a faithless follower could find agreement with the Biblical arguments. Simplifying your life, though it can, does not necessarily require spiritual involvement. However, we can go no further into God’s definition of contentment without His Spirit. In this passage, Paul argues that contentment can be found “in any and every circumstance.” We can no longer connect contentment entirely to the physical realm. Paul learned to be content in whatever circumstances he found himself: humble means, prosperity, being filled, going hungry, abundance, and suffering need.
At first it sounds like Paul is contradicting his instruction in First Timothy, but closer inspection reveals that this is not the case. In the first passage, Paul urges that if you have food and covering you should be content. This does not prohibit the source of contentment from lying at a deeper level. Here, he is exposing that Biblical contentment can be found not only when basic necessities are satisfied but also in times of dire need.
How can a believer be content while suffering need? The answer is found in the book of Hebrews:
“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,’ so that we confidently say, ‘THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?” (Heb. 13:5-6)
This is by far the best verse on contentment in the whole Bible. In it lies the key to understanding God’s definition of the term. This passage calls us to be content because: “He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently can say ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.” This is the secret. A Christian can be content no matter what circumstances he faces simply because God is all-powerful and God is on his side. This is exactly what Paul argues when he says that he can navigate any circumstances with contentment because it is Christ who gives him strength.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom. 8:31) If we do not grasp this, we will not understand anything the Bible says about contentment. For example, we would not be able to comprehend how Paul could tell the church at Corinth that he was “well content” with weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecutions, and difficulties (2 Cor. 12:10). Before moving forward, close the book and take a moment to reflect. You must grasp this point before you can make sense of anything that follows.
In attempting to capture the height and depth of God’s definition of contentment, I came up with the following: Christian contentment is a conviction that Christ’s power, purpose, and provision are sufficient for any circumstance. In its simplest terms, contentment is saying out loud in your heart and soul: “I have Christ and that is enough.”
For more on Christian contentment, pick up your copy of Christ-Centered Contentment today!
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