CONTENTMENT

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“Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circum-stances 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 be-ing filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” Philippians 4:11-12

“But godliness 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 ei-ther. And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.”
I Timothy 6:6-8

Recently, a friend and I decided to study the idea of contentment in the Bible. We knew from  I Timothy 6:6 that it is an ingredient of godliness, and we both have a desire for godliness. To be honest, I was a little surprised by what I found.

Let’s look at what the word contentment means. Webster’s says it is “the quality or state of being content.” Then “contented” is “manifesting satisfaction with one’s possessions, status or situation.” Unger’s Bible Dictionary says of contentment “The word means ‘sufficiency’" and is so rendered in II Corinthians 9:8. It is the disposition of mind, through grace, in which one is independent of outward circumstances (Philippians 4:11; I Timothy 6:6, 8) so as not to be moved by envy (James 3:16), anxiety (Matthew 6:25, 34), and repining [grumbling] (I Corinthians 10:6).

The part that surprised me the most as I studied the word, was the context in which it was used. In every New Testament passage that I could find, the context was coupling contentment with money or possessions. As you can see from the Scriptures at the beginning of the page, it says contentment comes from being free from the love of money or being content whether you have an abundance or have little, or being content as long as we have food and clothing.

In other words, we have contentment when we are satisfied with the material possessions we have no matter how much or how little we have. When we are content, what we have is sufficient. The Bible has a lot to say about money and material possessions. The way we respond to what we have is a mark of our godliness. Godliness is what Christian character is all about because it is the character of Christ.

The Bible never says it is wrong to have wealth or possessions. I do not believe that the Bible teaches a poverty theology (it is better to be poor), anymore than it does a prosperity theology (God wants you to be materially rich). It is our attitude about wealth and money that is the issue. Why does God say that it is harder for a rich man to be saved than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle? It is true as long as a rich person’s sufficiency or satisfaction is in their wealth. If this is true, then they have no need for God.

What is the connection then between godliness and contentment? You have to go back to Unger’s definition. It is a state of mind that is not connected to outward circumstances. So our contentment can not come from how much or how little we have. Our sufficiency cannot be in money. Biblical contentment finds its sufficiency and satisfaction in God and God alone. God is enough to satisfy me.

Is it wrong to have a desire for material wealth or to even increase your financial status? The answer has to come from another question -- “What are you pursuing?” Are you pursuing God and His will for your life or are you pursuing money? If your pursuit of God and His will for you brings a raise at your job or other income, then that money is part of His blessings for your life. But the Hebrew passage indicates that we can not have a love of money and contentment at the same time. So if you are pursuing money or financial gain, you will not have contentment or have a godly character.

Let me just share a simplistic personal example. When we moved into our house 12 years ago, there were many parts of it that we wanted to remodel. But the kitchen was the most out-dated and visible room of our house. I had been an interior designer for 14 years. Living in a house with coppertone appliances and hardware was highly offensive to my personal taste! But at the same time, I knew we couldn’t afford to remodel the kitchen. Ed and I had committed ourselves to pursuing God’s will for our life and that included the area of finances. So after 12 years we got to a point where we could afford to update our kitchen. What was my state of mind during those 12 years? Did I want the kitchen changed? Most certainly. Could I be happy, be contented, be satisfied with my life even though I didn’t like my kitchen? Yes! Why? Because God satisfied my life, my desires, my sense of purpose and value. And now that my kitchen is all new, I can en-joy it knowing God was still first in my life!

A Christian character, which includes contentment, comes through surrendering our will to Him and having that disposition of mind, through His grace, which is independent of outward circumstances.

God’s Grace, My Surrender