What is Biblical Contentment?

 Contentment is not a new longing. Throughout the centuries and in different arenas, contentment basks in the spotlight. Regardless of language, nationality, or belief system, contentment is a cardinal virtue. It is perceived as more precious than gold. 

The Bible encourages us over and over again, to find contentment in Jesus. The question begs, how do we find contentment?. How will we find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? How can we find contentment in our modern, crazy, and consumeristic world?

This article seeks to give a few reasons why contentment is important. It will also seek to give a definition of biblical contentment. We will end with a few more characteristics that make up biblical contentment. The end goal would be for you not only to understand contentment but to possess it.

Drinking Ocean Water

I want you to imagine yourself next to the ocean. Now, I want you to imagine you're very thirsty. You are so parched that even the terrible salt water will do. So, you kneel down and start gulping the water. But there is a problem. The more you drink, the more thirsty you get, ocean water makes you more thirsty. You frantically gulp faster, until you can't breathe. You eventually stop, but you become ill from drinking the contaminated water. You eventually are rushed to the hospital, on life support, all because you tried to quench your thirst.

Can you see the irony?

There you were, so thirsty and next to the largest water source on planet earth. You had more water in front of you than could be drunk by a billion humans. Yet, you were dehydrated, you became ill and eventually were near death's edge. 

If were honest with ourselves, we live our lives gulping down ocean water. We drink in the news, tabloids, and gossip, and yet we wonder why we are discontented. 

Why Study Contentment?

If the story wasn't obvious I want to supply a few reasons. It really is important we know the "why" of anything.

For starters, contentment is not about being happy. It's not about avoiding the devilish. It's not about avoiding the pains and the problems in the world. We don't need contentment that only survives in good times. We need contentment rooted in Jesus so that when the storms come our contentment will be unwavering. Contentment is not established by circumstances.

What are some additional reasons?

Reason 1- Contentment attracts outsiders

As Christians we want the world to look at us conspicuously. We want the world to notice we are different. We want the world to be drawn to Jesus. And what is a better way than to be content with Jesus? 

The world is anything but content. It is busy drinking in ocean water. If you want to be different, be content with Jesus, especially in your pain. When you are afflicted, persecuted, and wronged, if you respond with peace and contentment you will be different. People will notice. It will give you an opportunity to share Jesus with them and they will listen. Why? Because you have something they need, contentment.

Reason 2- Contentment encourages the Church

Contentment is like a soothing balm to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Not only will outsiders perceive, but the Church will also. The Church can be a cranky place sometimes, and the sweet contentment that the gospel provides can be what your inside circle needs too. It's healing from the inside out. I would encourage you to focus on contentment in your church gatherings. Make an effort to bring peace with you wherever you go, especially in your small group and on Sunday mornings.

Look at the words of the Apostle Paul,

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 3:7-8, NIV)

There is a shared camaraderie and bond in the faith. When others are faith-filled, we remain faith-filled. Likewise, if others show contentment, we will be filled with contentment. Never underestimate how you affect others. The pendulum can swing in both directions. We can be a positive or negative influence on the Church. Choose contentment.

Reason 3- Jesus died for your contentment

Jesus didn't die to give you a "ho-hum" life. He died to give you resurrection life. He died, rose, and ascended to provide the Holy Spirit to you. The fruits of the Spirit are as follows:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23a, NIV)

Through the death of Jesus, we have access to His abundant gifts. Contentment is one of them. 

But not only that.

Jesus on the way to the cross and all the misery that would follow was worried about our joy. He died to make our joy complete.

"and your joy will be complete." (John 16:24b, NIV)

Jesus did not die so you would be miserable. There is perfect satisfaction, love, joy, peace, goodness, gentleness, and contentment in Him. 

What is Biblical Contentment?

There are lots of ways to define contentment. But we want to define contentment in a biblical way. I want to start by looking at what contentment does not mean so that we can encapsulate biblical contentment.

Biblical Contentment is not emotionless living

You are not a robot. You have emotions, a will, and suffering to endure. Biblical contentment will never look like stoicism. Contentment will never leave you on edge. It will always be like, 'refinement through fire'.

The best-case example is Jesus. Jesus felt an array of emotions. He wept at Lazarus's grave, He got angry and flipped the tables in the temple, and He endured distress in the garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion, so much so, He sweated blood.

Whatever Biblical contentment is, it is not absent of pain and emotion.

A Definition

I would define Biblical contentment as, "trusting in the sovereign God, despite circumstances, and experiencing the joy that comes through a relationship with him, even while enduring pain". 

Notice contentment is not mustered by oneself. It is created by a personal relationship with the triune God. Where there is a right relationship with God there is contentment.

Characteristic 1 - Inward not outward

It is through the internal work of relating with God; that peace, joy, and contentment come. Notice, I said internal work. Despite the outward chaos going on around us, we can have inward contentment as we relate to God in our spirits.  

Contentment will never be based on circumstance. Paul and Silas, Peter, and all the martyrs have one thing in common. Despite the chaos going on around them they were rooted in Christ. They were so content, that even death couldn't take their contentment away.

When we live our lives with the truth of who God is before us, outward circumstances will never shake us. They will be mere blips on the radar.

Characteristic 2 - God-focused

Contentment ultimately is about trust. To be content, we must trust God and not ourselves. When we look at God's attributes, namely, his sovereignty, omnipotence, omniscience, omnibenevolence, and immutability, we have someone to be hopeful in. 

Contrast that to yourself. When I look at my attributes there isn't much there. I am contingent, incredibly fragile, not very smart, not very loving, and ever-changing. So, when the world tells me to look inside and find myself, no wonder I'm discontented.

It really comes down to the object of your faith. Anything less than God, as the object of your faith, will leave you infinitely discontented. Without God filling the void, there will always be a black hole in your life.

Characteristic 3 - Independent of material goods

Money will never satisfy you, completely. Sex will never satisfy you, completely. The dream job will never satisfy you, completely. Where there is completeness, there is contentment. 

We are whole and complete in Christ. Only through him and by him, can any contentment exist at all. What is important to see is that contentment is independent of worldly resources. 

You can be in a hole in the middle of the artic circle and be content. If you have Jesus, everything else gives way. Contentment will never be dependent on anything in this world. Contentment will always provide independence from the cares and concerns of material goods.

Planted By the River

The Bible is full of imagery and I want to leave you with one of the Bible's images. In Psalm 1, we see a beautiful picture,

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither whatever they do prospers. (Psalms 1:1-3, NIV)

True contentment will always come in the Lord's presence. Notice, that the "tree planted by streams of water" is the "person" who "delights" and "meditates" on "God's law". This person "yields" fruit "in season" and has leaves that do not "wither". 

There is a stark difference between guzzling ocean water and being a tree planted by a stream. A tree planted by a stream is rooted, but a rootless reed is tossed by the waves. 

I promise you if you trust in God, in due season, contentment will come. In the meantime, through the waves, the wind, and the storms, grow your roots deep in His word. Be planted like a tree near the river. God will meet you there. Where God is there will be contentment. Find him and you will find everything you need to be contented in this life.