contentment, part 3

III. The Challenge of Contentment

With Jesus the Source of true satisfaction, we come to the epistles, where believers are both challenged and commanded to “be content.” What does it truly mean to be content? Let me give you a few definitions. The first is from Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary. He defined the word “content” as “rest or quietness of the mind in the present condition; satisfaction which holds the mind in peace, restraining complaint, opposition, or further desire, and often implying a moderate degree of happiness.” Next from the Bible dictionary: Contentment is a positive assurance that God has supplied one’s needs, consequently releasing one from unnecessary desire. Warren Wiersbe has written the word content actually means “contained.” It is a description of the man whose resources are within him so that he does not have to depend on substitutes without.

The apostle Paul models true contentment when he says in Philippians 4:11-13, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” I like the Amplified Translation which adds, “I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency.” The writer of Hebrews commands, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

What are some practical ways we can learn contentment, especially when the world around us seems to conspire to create a constant sense of dissatisfaction? Well, first let me encourage you to take time to develop contentment. It is an active, not passive, process that is learned not in a week or two, but over a lifetime. I have three challenges to get us started.

A. Learn to satisfy your soul in God, not His gifts.

What is the least satisfying place you can think of? Wouldn’t it be hell? Do you realize that to the degree you seek to be satisfied in the things of this world, your soul is going to be getting a taste of what hell will be like? Remember the verses we read in Ecc. about wealth leading to misery and dissatisfaction? That Jesus warned a man who seeks to gain this world may lose his soul? On the other hand, what is the most satisfying place you can think of? Isn’t it heaven? Have you ever thought that to the degree in which you seek to be satisfied in God, you will experience a taste of what heaven will be like? Are you making time to meet with God each day? Do you bring your needs first to Him, seeking how He may fill them? I’m talking about real, deep needs such as significance, companionship, rest, power, wisdom, and forgiveness. Do you talk over with Him the material, spiritual, and emotional needs of yourself, your children, your family? Is your soul willing to wait on Him to see how He will supply? Are you so filled up with God Himself that one look at the world and you are ready to say, “No thanks, I’m satisfied” as you may pass on dessert after a hearty meal? Take note of an areas where you recognize compulsion and write down what need you are trying to satisfy. Then take it to God and ask Him to fill that need.

B. Learn to give.

The best way to combat a passion to acquire is to cultivate a passion to give. Listen to God’s promise in Isaiah 58:10-11. “If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” What can you do to develop a passion for giving your money and your life to things that are eternal? What are some ways we can develop the habit of giving in our lives and the lives of our family? Let me offer just a few ideas, and hope they are a springboard to creativity in your own family.

-Develop a passion for people and find a way to minister to them in a way that makes an eternal impact.

-Set aside money in an account that is designated for giving. As needs arise and are brought to your attention, you are prepared to meet that need. When you have a bump in income, make it first priority to bump up your giving. I’ve been challenged by the example of George Muller, the director of orphan houses in the 1800’s. Over his lifetime he served over 10,000 orphans and in a typical year, gave away 92% of his income. He knew how to be content!

-Hold a garage sale and give the proceeds to a charity or cause your children have chosen. Get them into the act: they can have a lemonade stand, help price items, make change, etc. The more ownership they have, the more excited they become about the outcome. It is so freeing to know every dollar you make is going to someone who needs it more than you do!

-Let each family member give to the mission of their choice. We did this over a year ago and it was wonderful to see how God used the interests of each person to bless another ministry. My son enjoys playing basketball so he chose to give to Above the Rim, which runs basketball camps in New York City for inner city children. My daughter chose the African Children’s Choir, I gave to Voice of the Martyrs, my husband Ministry and More, and on behalf of our youngest who was still a baby, we donated to the Pregnancy Resource Center. Those ministries continue to have a special place in my heart, I think because Matt. 6:21 is true: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

C. Leave your children a legacy of contentment.

One of the greatest motivators for me to change is to look into the eyes of my children and picture their future if I continue on the current course of my life. Do you and I want to leave them a legacy that leads to emptiness or one that leads to contentment and satisfaction? What are your current spending habits teaching them about money and its use? What would they think if they saw their parents make radical, heart-altering changes while they are still young?
I found a great book called Raising Unselfish Children In a Self-Absorbed World, and would highly recommend if you’d like more ideas for building contentment into your children. In that book I read a story of a father who was raising his children in an affluent section of London. Concerned about his son’s attitude toward wealth, he planned a trip to the country to visit relatives who lived modestly on a farm. There was little complaint from his son as he dashed off to join his cousins in exploring the countryside and helped out with chores. When they got home, the father asked how he enjoyed his visit. “Very good, Dad,” the son responded. “Do you see how poor people can be?” his father asked. “Yes, sir,” said the son. “I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool in the middle of the garden, but they have a creek that has no end. We have fancy lamps in the garden, but they have stars. Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!”

What are your current lifestyle choices teaching your children:

-about helping those in need?

-about the True source of contentment: Jesus?

-about living a life of eternal rather than temporal impact?

What are you hungry for this morning? Where are you seeking to satisfy that hunger? Let me challenge you and challenge myself, to look to the only One who truly satisfies our soul: Jesus. In Him we will find true contentment.