Discontentment keeps us from being satisfied.
- The job you were thankful to land is no longer good enough.
- Stay-at-home moms resent being stuck at home.
- Moms who work outside the home grumble about never having enough time to get things done at home.
- Preachers’ wives and elders’ wives resent the demands on their time or the time their husband gives to others.
- Bible class teachers resent being stuck in the same classroom for years.
What once were viewed as blessings or opportunities to serve can become sources of disgruntlement! Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are God’s people and that should satisfy us (Psa. 65:4; Prov. 19:23).
Discontentment blinds us to the blessings found in Christ.
- Hope and glory (Eph. 1:18)
- Grace (2 Cor. 9:8)
- Strength (Eph. 3:16)
- Love and fullness (Eph. 3:17-19)
- Might (Eph. 1:19)
- Peace (Phil. 4:7)
Those who are focused on self find the flaws and see only inadequacies. Even these blessings are no longer good enough. Contentment reflects a heart that focuses on God’s blessings and trusts Him with the rest.
Discontentment is a sign of a weakened spiritual state. In the passages that command us to be content, we see a direct correlation between our level of contentment and our relationship with God.
- Heb. 13:5- Make sure your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He himself has said, “I will never desert you nor will I forsake you.” Contentment is based on God’s promise to be with us. He will never turn His back on us, and that should be enough.
- Phil. 4:11- I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. How could Paul do that? By relying on Christ’s strength (v. 13). Discontentment happens when we try to rely on our own strength.
- 1 Tim. 6:6ff- Godliness with contentment is great gain…If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. Paul goes on to write that those who long for more have wandered away from the faith.
Be content. Who are you most drawn to…those who find fault and are never satisfied or those who are grateful and content? When we choose to be content, we lift up the cross and draw others to Christ (John 12:32). When we give in to discontentment, we keep the world from seeing the blessings of being in Christ (Rom. 10:12).
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities
Who heals all your diseases
Who redeems your life from destruction
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies
Who satisfies you with good things.
–Psalm 103:2-5
Suggestions for the Week:
- List the blessings found in these verses: Rom. 15:13; Eph. 1:7,8; 2:7; 3:20; Psa. 119:165
- If discontentment has taken root in your heart, determine the cause. Have you become self-absorbed? Have you allowed bitterness to color your thinking? Are you caught up in the world’s mindset of always wanting more?
- Read Rom. 12:2. How is this verse tied to contentment?
- As a parent or grandparent, focus this week on teaching contentment. Be mindful of ways you might be inadvertently encouraging discontentment.