Contentment

America is the land of never enough: never good enough, never measuring up, never achieving enough, or never having enough. We can easily find ourselves in the land of "never enough." In the land of never enough, how do we find contentment?  Chuck Swindoll defines contentment as "the ability to be thankful and joyful no matter how much or how little we possess or what mountains or valleys we face."  Some more words that parallel contentment are enough, sufficient, satisfied, full. 

I Tim. 6:6 says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." My favorite passage on contentment is Phil. 4:11-13 which says, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."  

Fact Number One about Contentment comes from verse 11: Good news! Contentment can be learned. Remember what it was like to learn something really hard? When was the last time you learned something? What was it? How did you learn to do it? You practiced. The Greek word in verse 11 means to learn by constant use and practice. So we can learn contentment by practicing it every day. 

Fact Number Two about Contentment comes from verse 12 (in any and every situation): Contentment is not dependent on circumstances or people. Have you ever said, If only this circumstance could change, I would be content? If only the people around me were not so annoying or unreasonable, then I would be content. If only my husband were a little less or more…. If only my kids would or wouldn’t…. If only my friends did or didn’t…. If only I had more… The common theme is it is human to want to find contentment in our circumstances or company, but it is not possible all the time. Trying to find satisfaction in circumstances and people leads us into an endless cycle of competing, comparing, controlling, and criticizing others to try and justify or validate ourselves. 

Fact Number Three about Contentment comes from verse 13: Contentment is only found in Christ (I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength): This is the secret Paul learned by practicing daily. By constant use and practice, Paul learned that the only lasting contentment is found in Christ. 

PRACTICAL STEPS: 

1. Recognize when you are letting circumstances dictate your life. When you feel dissatisfied, anxious, or weighed down, choose to surrender the circumstance or company to God. 

2. Recognize when you are letting stuff fill the hole in your heart rather than letting Christ fill it. 

3. Recognize when you have moved from concern over your circumstances to worry. Choose to pray rather than be controlled by worry. 

4. Recognize when the "never enoughs" of ungratefulness have slipped into your life and begin to list all the things you have in Christ to be thankful for. 

5. Recognize when you have moved into the negatives of life and choose to focus on the positive…even if there is only the one positive of knowing you can do everything through Christ who gives you strength…hang onto that and refuse to be consumed by negative thoughts. Here is a quote a wise mother gave to her negative daughter, “Two women looked through prison bars; one saw mud, the other saw stars (Calm My Anxious Heart, by Linda Dillow).

Christ waits for us with His strength to handle any impossible circumstance or any impossible person in our lives. The question is, will we see mud or stars. His perspective makes all the difference!

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