Contentment

Contentment is not a quality that comes naturally, but a discipline to be acquired gradually. – Charles Spurgeon

I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:11-13

In the school of contentment, I'm probably in kindergarten, but these are some thoughts and recent revelations I've had on the topic...

We can see from Paul's words that contentment is something that must be learned. It is an instruction we receive from God. We have to be taught and we can only learn contentment IN the trial, not after the battle. It cannot be learned after the trial is over.

The word 'learned' here is the Greek word manthanó, meaning to gain knowledge from experience and often with the implication of reflection (Strongs 3129). There is no other way to learn contentment than to walk through the experiences and reflect upon them for ourselves. We can’t read books, we can’t observe others, we can’t muster our gumption to acquire contentment. It must be gained through experience and it must be an inward revelation.

"Are you teachable? If you're going to learn contentment, you're going to have to be teachable. Are you teachable from some sources, but not others? God sometimes assigns us strange counselors who have a word directly from God, but we are not meek enough to receive it from 'that' person." - Elisabeth Elliot

Now the word 'content' is the Greek word autarkés (ow-tar'-kace). This is an inward sufficiency, self-sufficient or satisfied (Strongs 842). A God-produced inward adequacy.

Proverbs 14:14 tells us that, "The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself." (KJV)

This is not a new-age, mumbo jumbo, 'find your own truth within' statement. As Christians, where does the Spirit of Christ reside? Within US. We are His dwelling place. This should cause us to understand that we have all the resources we will ever need. We don't have to look to anything physical, or material from the outside. We are satisfied by the God who indwells.

Paul writes that he knows how to abound, which is as equally important as how to be abased. There are those who do not know how to live with plenty, those who become careless stewards when acquiring much. Paul had learned, through experience, how to live in prosperity. When he had wealth, honor, praise, or position, he knew how to use it and not be used by it. He learned how to remain humble, and how to be a faithful steward. He learned how to give to those in need without virtue signaling or being stingy. Likewise, he learned how to be abased. He learned how to get by paycheck-to-paycheck. He learned how to be frugal, how to be grateful for the little things, and how to hold all possessions loosely; not finding identity or security in them. Thus he was able to say these words below...

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. - 1 Timothy 6:6-8

It is worth noting in our materialistic culture that, Paul doesn't even mention shelter, transportation, employment, family, or health. And this food doesn't have to be delicious, extra virgin, organic, grass-fed, (fill in the blank). And this clothing doesn't have to be designer, brand new, in season, or in duplicate. Be content with food and clothing, and if we also have a home, a job, family, and health - be GRATEFUL.

Paul makes it clear that we can be holy and not be contented. He says “Godliness WITH contentment is great gain”. There are many Christians who love the Lord, who pursue holiness, who mortify their flesh, are not entertaining sins, but they are not content. We can do all the godly things: pray, read the bible, go to church and still be completely discontent. Paul says that this amounts to nothing. It ain't worth much. BUT, godliness WITH contentment is GREAT gain. To be inwardly satisfied reading through scripture, serving in the nursery, praying for five minutes or five hours; or fasting one meal or one month - that is great gain! Those are the experiences that change us.

But what IS the great gain?

Let's first look at some biblical characters that suffered from discontent.

In Luke 15, the Pharisees had been questioning why Jesus entertains or associates with certain crowds of people. His response to their grumblings is to share a series of three parables.

In the first a man loses one sheep, 1% of his wealth. In the next a woman loses ten coins, 10% of her wealth. In the third, a man loses one son, half of his sons. We can see and feel the seriousness and value rising with each telling. If we walk into a store today, we would not pay the same amount of money for a TV as we would a tube of toothpaste. They have different values. But we do not. We are all worth the blood of Jesus. That's why He leaves the ninety-nine for one. That's why He desperately searches for one out of ten. That's why He rejoices at the return of half.

In the parable of the prodigal, the elder brother displays quite a scene of discontentment. When the younger brother returns and is welcomed by the Father, a celebration is thrown, but the elder brother is indignant, refusing to join the feast. His response to his father is, "I've been good. I've kept the rules. I've done everything right, so you owe me. How dare you celebrate him and not me."

"...'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!'" - Luke 15:29-30

The elder brother's anger has boiled to the point that he doesn't even acknowledge his brother as his brother, neither does he refer to himself as a son, and he doesn't even want his father. He wants the benefits that he thinks he is entitled to by being good. He can't even rejoice in the goodness of the gospel when it plays out right in front of him. Just like the Pharisees, who couldn't rejoice at a sinner being saved before their eyes, instead, they were angry that God would celebrate a sinner rather than those who had been 'good' and kept all the rules. Angels in heaven celebrate, but we cross our arms in judgment. If the miracle isn't happening for me, if the healing isn't happening for me, if the promotion isn't happening for me, then I cannot rejoice. The younger brother returned and said, 'I don't deserve to be your son, but I just want to be here serving you'. While the elder is blind to the fact that by staying near the Father, he had been spared from so many other hardships. But there is truly no difference between the soul that wanders and the soul that stays but wishes to wander. The elder brother physically remained with the Father, but his heart had hardened against Him through discontentment.

I have heard people comment that they do not believe that they have a testimony. Perhaps, they have known God and been in church their whole lives (like the elder brother always being with the father). Perhaps, their home was healthy and their childhood was good. You do not need trauma to have a testimony. You do not need to waiver or backslide to have a testimony (like the younger brother). Faithfulness IS the greatest testimony! Your story does not have to be dramatic to be impactful. There is a real beauty in the day-to-day consistencies. We have been positioned to ooh and ahh over the immediate deliverances, the powerful comebacks, or the courageous survivors. God has certainly wired humanity with a gift of resiliency. However, we must not make idols out of other’s stories. There is only ONE hero in every testimony: Jesus.

If we struggle with an elder brother syndrome, believing that if we keep the rules and do all the right things, if we pray, read scripture, go to church, serve others, etc., then God is obligated to do x,y,z... if that is how we think, we gravely misunderstand grace. Even worse, when bad things happen to those with an elder brother syndrome that shouldn't have happened, it is easy to begin to think that we must not have been 'good enough'. So, instead of running to the cross, we run further into works-based righteousness and legalism, ending up farther away from the Father than even the prodigal dared to go! A form of godliness, but without contentment. A form of godliness, but no power (2 Timothy 3:5).

I see a parallel to this in Matthew 11, when John the Baptist is in prison. He sends word to Jesus,

"Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another."- Matthew 11:3

I can imagine John, being Jesus' cousin and being in prison partly because of Jesus, that he may have been tempted to feel that same way.

I've been good.

I've served you.

I've loved you.

I'm here because of you.

I've seen you do miracles.

Where's my miracle?

And finally, in a desperate moment of discouragement, wondering, are you really who you say you are?

Rather than plan a prison break, Jesus sends word back to John telling him even more stories of what He's doing for others! He shares testimonies of everybody else getting miracles! Can we still believe, can we still have joy, can we still rejoice in the Lord when the evidence of His goodness is seemingly directed towards everyone but us right now? Jesus' final word to John is, "Blessed is he who is not offended because of me" (vs 6). Granted, I cannot imagine what it would be like to sit in first-century prison. But even here, contentment is necessary! John sits in prison and struggles to find contentment, but Paul wrote Philippians in a Roman prison awaiting death! This discipline of training ourselves to be godly and content in any circumstance and in any environment is possible and critical, lest we become offended at Christ Himself.

"And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another."

- Matthew 24:10

Matthew 24 speaks of the last days and how people will behave. In fact, we have been in the last days since Christ's ascension. What we can see is that it all begins with discontentment. Discontentment leads to offense, then betrayal, and then hatred. The Pharisees were discontented because even though they were 'good', the law kills. Once Jesus pointed out their wrong position, they were offended, then they hated him, and murder brewed in their hearts against him.

Satan was discontent. A high position and honorable purpose in the presence of God in heaven wasn't enough for him. Then, he planted that same seed of discontent in Eve. God had set a boundary. One, just one tree that they couldn't eat from. God set parameters. God had rules. Satan, the first humans, even the elder brother, had all lost sight of everything God the Father had already given them, they lost sight of the immediate access they had to Him and their focus settled upon the one thing they didn't have. Believing the lie that God was holding something back from them, that He was holding out on them, Eve and Adam made themselves susceptible to deeper deception. Forgetting that they were already made to be like God, they literally bit the bait.

"Whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent." - Ecclesiastes 10:8

Referring to the Israelites in the wilderness,

"We must not tempt the Lord [that is, test His patience, question His purpose or exploit His goodness], as some of them did - and they were killed by serpents. And to not murmur [in unwarranted discontent], as some of them did - and were destroyed by the destroyer"

- 1 Corinthians 10:9-10 AMP

When we complain, we tempt Christ and it opens the door for us to be destroyed by the destroyer. Why?

Because complaint is a public confession to the enemy that we are not surrendered.

If we think we have any good reason to be discontent now, if we start complaining, we will have even more things not go our way. Then we complain more, get hit again, complain more, get hit again. and then wonder why is God doing all of this. But He's not, we've positioned ourselves for it!

Why do we complain at all? Because we are discontent.

How can I reasonably expect myself to remain steadfast in the Lord through serious trial if I grumble when the temperature is over ninety degrees?

How can I reasonably expect myself to stay the course and walk in love towards my family (who I know intimately and who know me) if I am short-tempered and impatient with a total stranger at the grocery store?

How can I reasonably expect the Lord to grace me with true riches if I sink with envy or even self-criticism when someone else is recognized over me?

How can I reasonably ask guidance of God if I'm bothered to read the Bible and it feels like a chore to me?

When the Israelites were in the wilderness, 1 Corinthians 10 says that they were blind to all of the ways that Christ was manifesting Himself to them through the Rock, the Bread, the Cloud, the Fire, etc. Christ was manifesting and they grumbled. They were bored with Christ miraculously providing every morning, and would have rather gone back to Egypt to eat better. To eat better.

"Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things." - Philippians 3:18-19

What causes discontent? Our appetites.

What is it that we crave? What are we longing for? What drives our hunger?

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself... at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies."

- Daniel 1:8 & 15

Daniel predetermined ahead of time that he would not compromise or violate his conscience by being bribed by the king's delicacies. He learned to curve and discipline his physical appetite. He learned to be content with vegetables because this is better than steak seasoned with manipulation. If he couldn't say no to steak in his flesh, how on earth would he be able to say no in his spirit to an edict reprimanding death if he prayed? The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Thus we must train the flesh.

"So Esau swore to Jacob, and sold his birthright. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentil; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright."

- Genesis 1:33-34

Esau could not tame his appetite. Unlike Daniel, Esau was ruled by his hunger. He had no temperance over his roaring stomach. He did not value the spiritual things over the physical things. He did not train his flesh. I believe that for these reasons, fasting is a good way to learn contentment. If we put a hold on what our flesh demands the most, it will become grateful and satisfied for even a tiny morsel. After not eating for a while, you actually become full and satisfied with far LESS than before.

If we lead with our own desires, we will ultimately become discontent because we were not made for ourselves. With discontentment, we will complain. When we complain, we solidify our discontent and we will not experience peace.

I have learned that discontentment can make it difficult to hear the Lord properly. For example, if I am discontent with my car, I may begin mentally listing off what I do not like about my car, everything that I think is wrong, everything that doesn't meet my preferences. I will begin thinking about what it would be like to get a new car. What kind would I get, make, model, color, etc. I may even tell the Lord, that I would really like a new car. After all, we have not because we ask not, right? I lose gratitude for what I already have and as I imagine myself riding around with the new wheels, a longing, an appetite, grows. I'm not satisfied or content with my 2018, with my ninety-thousand miles, or with my cracked windshield. Then, all those lists and reasons I created in my head, begin spilling out my mouth as complaints. Then my breaks need replaced and I say to myself, "See! It's time for a new car." Then I need new tires, a muffler, or a battery, "I should just get rid of this junk." Everything that goes wrong becomes a confirmation of what I've already decided in my heart. While if anything goes right, my dissatisfaction can barely acknowledge it. I may start comparing, "So-and-so just got a new car." I may start looking around, saving new listings and calculating monthly payments or trade-in values. But, now, I decided to pray, "God, do you want me to get a new car?" The problem is that my discontent has propelled my every action up to this point and so hearing God over the noise of my own will, can prove difficult.

If we fail to control our appetites and desires, they will propel us to make decisions out of discontent rather than discernment.

Are you thinking about a new job because God is calling you to a new season, or because you are discontent with what you do?

Are you wanting to move because God is opening those doors, or because you are discontent with your neighbors?

If we make decisions out of discontent, we will NOT suddenly become content once the decision is made or circumstances are different. If we were discontent leaving the old season, leaving the old circumstance, that discontent with travel with us.

The grass is not greener on the other side. It is greener when you water it.

Gratitude for what already is - this safeguards our appetite for more.

Contentment properly aligns our motives.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

We began with Philippians 4:11, but if we back up to these verses we see the evidence of contentment. The peace of God. That peace guards us from discontent, offense, jealousy, envy, and fear. It guards us from being susceptible to the lies of missing out, or of God holding out on us, or holding something back from us.

So, what is the GREAT GAIN that Paul refers to when we practice godliness with contentment?

PEACE.

I've never been one to have a favorite Bible verse, but one that I find myself quoting or reciting aloud when I need to remember to be content is Psalm 34:10, "Those who fear the Lord lack no good thing".

That is a promise.

I do fear the Lord.

Therefore, if something is good for me, I WILL have it.

If I do not have it, it must not be good for me.

Or, it's just not good for me this instant.

Perhaps, it will be good for me next week or in ten years.

But, if I do not have it right now, then it is not good to have.

And so, if I do not have it, I must also learn to recite, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want."

"God Almighty loves thee better and more wisely than thou dost thyself." - E.B. Pusey

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