Contentment

Contentment

Alan Perkins
June 18, 2000

Introduction

Joy is a deep, abiding sense of satisfaction and fulfillment that flows from our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the birthright of every Christian, something purchased for us by Christ, something we all desire and which God desires for us. And yet joy is something which we don’t always experience. Too often, instead of joy, we feel restless, unhappy, vaguely dissatisfied.

Why? What’s the problem? If it’s true that we are to "rejoice in the Lord always," as Paul writes in Philippians chapter 4, what’s getting in the way? The answer is joy-killers. Joy-killers are attitudes that prevent us from experiencing the full, abundant, joy-filled life in Christ that God intended.

This morning I’m going to expose one of those joy-killers. We’ll examine what it looks like, why we fall prey to it, what we can do to overcome it; and in the process we’ll discover how we can reclaim some of that joy.

What is Discontent?

The name of this joy-killer is "discontentment." What is discontentment? Well, it’s easier to describe than define. It tends to manifest itself as grumbling and complaining. Where the seed of discontent is present, the focus is always on the negative – on problems, difficulties, disappointments.

"For sighing comes to me instead of food; my groans pour out like water . . . . I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil." – Job 3:24, 26

"I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul." – Job 10:1

Job is extremely discontented; really, he’s borderline despairing. Discontentment is often below the surface, hidden, covert. It tends to take the form of murmuring or whispering, while Job’s complaints are very loud and vocal. But you get the idea. Groaning, complaining, restlessness, lack of peace – these are all characteristics of discontentment. [Also characteristics of most teenagers]

So what does God think of grumbling and complaining? Not surprisingly, He’s really not much in favor of it. In fact, He hates it. It drives Him up a wall. And in the case of the ancient Israelites, it just about got them exterminated.

Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the LORD and the fire died down.

The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat! Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction. But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food. – from Numbers 11

"But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!’ Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died."
– Numbers 21:5-6

"We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us." – 1 Corinthians 10:10-12

As you can see from these examples, grumbling and complaining really ticks God off. In the case of the Israelites, he showed His displeasure through fire, plague, and poisonous snakes. Obviously, this is something He takes very seriously. Why? Why does God respond so strongly to this kind of discontent?

Because it shows a heart attitude of rebellion against God. It denies that God is good; it rejects the sufficiency of His provision for our needs.
A discontented spirit betrays a lack of trust, a lack of faith, an unwillingness to submit to God’s management of our lives. It says, in effect, "God, you don’t know what you’re doing. You’re blowing it. I can run this show better than you can."
Discontentment also reveals a deep ingratitude for God’s blessings [Example: how God had blessed the Israelites by delivering them from slavery and Pharaoh’s army; giving cloud and fire cover; providing manna to eat every morning]. [Example: children grumbling over the wrong breakfast cereal.]

How can I be content?

First, a definition: "Contentment is an inward attitude of the heart that submits to and delights in God’s care in every situation."

If discontent steals my joy and angers God, how can I cultivate an attitude of contentment?

Give thanks for what you have instead of dwelling on what you don’t have.

No matter how little you may have, it is more than you deserve. God owes us nothing; every good thing we possess is a gift of His grace. Our contentment, or lack of it, is directly related to our idea of what we deserve.

No matter your circumstances, there is abundant reason to give thanks to God [life itself; air to breathe; family and friends; clothing; shelter].
No matter how little you may have, there are others who have far less. Are they less deserving than you? No. But God has blessed you more than they.
Rejoice that everything you have is an expression of God’s love for you.
If you are suffering from disease:

give thanks that God gave you good health in the past and that your suffering is not as great as it might have been. Others have suffered more.
Give thanks for physicians, hospitals, drugs, medical knowledge, health insurance.
Give thanks that all suffering is temporary for a Christian.
Remember that suffering has a purpose. Give thanks that God cares enough to afflict you.

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:7-11

Recognize that God withholds no good thing from His children.

"those who seek the LORD lack no good thing." – Psalm 34:10

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" –Romans 8:32

If we lack something we desire, it is not because God is unable or unwilling to provide it for us, but because it is more beneficial to us not to possess it.
When we withhold good things from our children, it may be because we are unable to provide them (unlike God). But often it is because we know that the things they desire are not in their best interests, or because we have a plan to provide something better.

Seek after that which is eternal, rather than what is temporary.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
– Colossians 3:1-4

If your heart is set on the things of this world, you will always be discontent, because those things cannot satisfy the deepest longings of our heart [not money and possessions; not career and accomplishment; not even family]. God has made us to have fellowship with Him, and nothing short of that will give us contentment [this is a blessing].