“The Secret of Christian Contentment”

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation 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. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:10–13, ESV)

Discontentment in our spiritual lives is like a hidden parasite that attaches itself to every effort, every blessing, and every moment of worship. It quietly drains the joy and life out of the blessings of life, and it exponentially increases the pains of life’s troubles. You might be serving in ministry, praying faithfully, or giving generously, but if discontentment has taken root, it deceives you into thinking that what you have is not enough and that the circumstances of your life are perpetually less than ideal. It depletes your gratitude, starves your faith, and robs your efforts of spiritual vigor. Like a parasite, discontentment works from the inside out to destroy your life.

Discontentment produces so many destructive results in our lives, especially in the form of bitterness, anger, and anxiety.

• Bitterness is an expression of discontentment about the past—I am disgruntled about what God has already done.

• Anger is an expression of discontentment about the present—I am displeased by what God is currently doing in my life.

• Anxiety is an expression of discontentment about the prospect for the future—I am anticipating God will not do what I want.

Even worse, the Bible draws a straight line from discontentment to apostasy. Discontentment led Adam to eat the forbidden fruit when God's word was not enough to satisfy his curiosity.

Discontentment led Judas down the path of betrayal when the presence of Christ was not enough to satisfy his desires. And discontentment led Demas to default from ministry and abandon his faith because his heart was set on this present world rather than being content with the promise of eternal life.

In contrast with the dangers of discontentment, God’s word teaches that contentment is a virtue. The 10th commandment, which prohibits coveting what someone else possesses, makes it clear that creatures have a responsibility to be content with what the Creator has provided for them. In addition to this foundational commandment, there are a number of passages in the Bible that commend the importance of contentment. For instance, Hebrews 13:5 says,

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV)

1 Timothy 6:6-9 adds,

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” (1 Tim 6:6–9)

Contentment is important because God’s word requires it and because sinful thinking often enters into the mind of a Christian through the gateway of discontentment. As Thomas Watson put it, “Satan loves to fish in the troubled waters of a discontented heart.” When we are dissatisfied with our state in life and unwilling to lift our hearts in worship for the undeserved provision of God, our hearts become pliable to the influence of Satanic lies. Discontentment leads to destruction, whereas contentment produces peace.

What is contentment?

Contentment requires a heart that submits to God in all circumstances without questioning His goodness. It is not the result of acquiring more of what you desire; it is the result of submitting your desires to God’s sovereign will. This kind of contentment requires the faith to recognize that nothing you can gain or lose in this world is greater than what is offered to you in Christ. In the words of Jeremiah Burroughs, “Contentment does not consist in getting the thing we desire, but in God’s fashioning our spirits to our conditions” (130). In fact, as he goes on to state, “If I become content by having my desire satisfied, that is only self-love, but when I am contented with the hand of God, and am willing to be at his disposal, that comes from love to God” (Burroughs, 131). The contented believer can say to God, “You are good and do good” (Psalm 119:68) regardless of his circumstances.

Contentment is joyful, not bitter.

One of the defining features of contentment is that it is joyful, not bitter. We are frequently tempted to be bitter about the circumstances of our lives, the way people have treated us in the past, or the fact that others have more than us. In contrast, true contentment produces joy that is independent of our circumstances. Consider what Paul says in Philippians 4:10:

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.” (Philippians 4:10, ESV)

In this passage, Paul is acknowledging the fact that he had received a financial gift from the Philippians. However, he did not want his readers to think that his joy was dependent on a financial gift. Paul would have been joyfully content with or without the money, that is clear. But just as notably, he was not bitter that it took the Philippians so long to send him this gift.  He did not say, “it is about time” or “where were you guys when I needed you last year.” Paul was not bitter that there had been a gap in the Philippians’ support for him (“at length”; “revived”); he was joyful that God had used the Philippians to provide for his needs in the moment.

Without a hint of bitterness about the past or anxiety about the future, Paul was able to rejoice in the Lord. The word translated “rejoice” (Ἐχάρην) is from the same Greek word group that the word “joy” comes from. True joy is not primarily about how you feel about your situation; it is about being able to rejoice in what God is doing no matter how you feel about your circumstances. True joy is always related to a genuine contentment in who God is and what he is doing in your life. Paul’s joy was a uniquely Christian joy that was content in the reality that Christ is Lord over all and he is presiding over every detail of our lives. Only a Christian can experience this kind of joy in the Lord. Apart from Christ, a person may experience relief from stress or be distracted from problems, but only Christ offers us the true joy of knowing that God is working all things together for our good. That’s the kind of joy that Paul is talking about in this passage. It is a joy that comes from being in the Lord and being content with the Lord’s will for your life.

When Paul says that “he rejoiced greatly,” Paul is describing a joy that is undiminished by discontentment. Paul did not withhold expressions of joy over blessings because at the same time he was in prison awaiting Roman trials. By faith, he embraced the mega-joy of this gift from the Philippians even though he was also dealing with the mega-unresolved issue of facing execution. It is easy to resist such unrestrained expressions of joy because there are still problems in our lives. As a result of nagging discontentment, we experience partial joy rather than joy to the max. If this describes you, it may be because discontentment is robbing you of joy. Discontentment will steal the joy of the blessings that you do have with bitterness over the blessings that you don’t have. “What a foolish thing is this, that because I have not got what I want, I will not enjoy the comfort of what I have” (Burroughs, 158)

Contentment is learned, not automatic.

If you are a Christian, you might be tempted to think that contentment should automatically dominate our hearts. It seems to me that a lot of believers have been confused by the idea that at conversion there are desires.  In contrast, Paul speaks about the need for all of us to learn contentment in Philippians 4:11-12:

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation 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.”

Contentment is a spiritual discipline that we must LEARN as we grow in our faith and become more like Christ in every circumstance. Paul learned how to be content in need and abundance, which is an amazing declaration since extreme poverty and extreme abundance are the two most difficult situations in which to learn contentment (Proverbs 30:8-9). Paul is talking about being content when there is not enough food to go around and when there is more than enough to fill our belly. Christians need to learn how to be content in times when it seems like some of our needs might not be sufficiently met, but also in times when all our needs are sufficiently met.

It is easy to forget that you have to battle for contentment even in the seasons of life when your cup overflows, but we can’t forget that wealth is not the source of true contentment (Ecc 5:12). Sometimes we think that if we just had a little more then we would be content. However, simply observing the wealthiest people in the world dispels this idea and confirms that if your heart is discontent it won’t matter how much you have, it will never be enough. It is said that John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in the world during his lifetime, was once asked how much money is enough. He replied, “Just a little bit more.” Whether Rockefeller ever said these words, I am not sure. However, the quote illustrates the insatiable appetites of the flesh and it exposes the folly of thinking that wealth can make you happy. It is hard to be content when you are rich because you have a lot to lose and you have to battle the illusion that you are self-sufficient.

As believers, contentment will not come automatically. We must discipline ourselves to learn to be content with God’s provision in every situation. Paul’s own life is an illustration of learning contentment in all kinds of situations. In some places, he lived like a day laborer, needing to earn a few bucks to pay for supper. Occasionally, however, he was hosted by wealthy individuals like Lydia in Philippi, who made his life a lot more luxurious. Paul had learned to be content in both situations because he had learned to look to the Lord for contentment, not his circumstances.

Contentment is supernatural, not circumstantial.

We are frequently tempted to think that we would be content if only our circumstances weren’t so difficult. In contrast, true contentment is the result of supernatural grace, not earthly circumstances. In other words, true contentment is rooted in the supernatural grace of God, not in the circumstances we face. Consider how Paul describes this reality in Philippians 4:13:

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Paul specifically wants his readers to see that his contentment is not the result of his self-discipline or personal powers of restraint. His contentment was the result of God’s sovereign grace at work in his own life. The secret to Christian contentment is recognizing that contentment comes exclusively through an active faith in the power of God and a dependence on the means of grace that God has provided to us in Christ. This is what it means to say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The “all things” here does not refer to a supernatural ability to do anything that we want. The “all things” refers back to verse 12 and the capacity to be content in all situations, no matter how extreme. Paul’s point is that we have everything that we need in Christ to be supernaturally content in every situation.

Consider the deep theological resources that believers can tap into for contentment:

• Providence - Grasping the extent to which God is in control of your life will encourage contentment.

• God - Grasping the infinite goodness, holiness, and righteousness of God will encourage contentment.

• Salvation - Grasping the great lengths that God has gone to in order to save us will encourage contentment.

• Sanctification - Grasping the means God uses for our personal holiness will encourage contentment.

• Eschatology - Grasping the infinite and undeserved rewards that await us will encourage contentment.

The more we grasp the great truths of the Bible, the clearer it becomes that the number of our afflictions doesn’t even come close to the number of God’s mercies! Why is it that it is so easy for us to name our grievances even though it would be impossible to number the blessings that God has poured out into our lives? Why is it so easy for us to hold onto our disappointments even though we are the recipients of undeserved divine blessings? In light of all the great things that God has done, how could it be possible to complain about the difficulties he calls on us to endure for his glory, especially when he promises to use these trials for our good? Jeremiah Burroughs is painfully correct when he says,

“If you pour a pailful of water on the floor of your house, it makes a great show, but if you throw it into the sea, there is no sign of it. So, afflictions considered in themselves, we think are very great, but let them be considered with the sea of God’s mercies we enjoy, and then they are not so much, they are nothing in comparison” (Burroughs, 209).

The secret to contentment is to view our circumstances in the light of God’s immeasurable strength poured out on our behalf in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul was not dependent upon possessions to be content; he depended upon the personal presence of Christ, who is personally present with every single believer through the presence of his Spirit dwelling within us. Through his Spirit, Christ gives us the power to face any situation with full faith and contentment (Jn 15:5). The point is not that Christ will help you do whatever you set your mind to do. Paul’s point is that through the empowerment of Christ you can be content to submit to him in any circumstances. Through the power of the Holy Spirit it is possible for you to say no to the sins of selfishness, bitterness, and covetousness so that you can sacrificially serve the Lord with gladness.

Our Savior is the sustainer of our souls and  looking to him is the secret of contentment. Christ in us is the mystery of the Gospel and the secret to contentment. When Paul uses the Greek word for contentment he doesn’t mean that he is self-sufficient, he means that he has everything that he needs in Christ. The only way you’ll ever learn Christian contentment is if you believe this same reality.