TO BE CONTENT
Have you found contentment?
10/3/20263 min read
TO BE CONTENT
How can we be satisfied? How do we find contentment? Content with what, content in doing what, being what, being where? What are you content with? With whom have you found contentment? As I think over these questions, I think the words satisfied, contentment, and content can be replaced with the word “peace” or the phrase “have peace.” So, the basic question turns into: “How do we find peace?”
In Philippians 4:9, Paul told us, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you”. He also said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ”.
What have we learned, received, heard, and seen from this man Paul? If we do what we have learned, received, heard, and seen from Paul, would we be content (or have peace)? What have we learned, received, heard, and seen anywhere or in anyone that would make us content or give us peace?
In Philippians 4:11-12 Paul says, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need”. In 1 Timothy 6:6 he said “But godliness with contentment is great gain” and in 1 Timothy 6:8 “having food and raiment let us be therewith content”. In another scripture, Hebrews 13:15, Paul says “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
What about following Christ? Is there contentment in following Christ? Is there contentment in walking by faith? What about being like Christ? Is there contentment in being a Christian? Philippians 2:5 tells us “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”. In Luke 12:15 Jesus said, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth”. Psalm 37:25 says I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. We are God’s children. (The scripture declares it in Ephesians 1:5, saying this: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.) In Matthew 7:11, Jesus tells us, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
Through reading the Word, we see that both Paul and Christ show us that we should believe that God will take care of us. So if we follow Paul as he followed Christ, or simply put: if we do indeed follow Christ, should we be content (have peace) with our current situation? To be content (have peace) does not mean that we ought never pray for anything, nor does it mean that we should not recognize personal, family, community, or worldwide needs. In Luke 11:9, Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given unto you”. Being content (having peace) is to recognize that our Heavenly Father knows what we have need of (Matthew 6:8) and is willing to supply our needs (Philippians 4:19) when we ask, so we do not need to be anxious or worried about what we need, even if it is not done in the way or time that we want it.
Because of these scriptures, we can have peace and focus on praise, thanksgiving, and praying rather than worrying. Let us be content with the fact that we are the dear children of God, and let us practice casting; casting all our cares on Him, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Colossians 3:1-15 tells us our life is hidden in Christ; when our efforts should not focus on satisfying our flesh but on behaving in godly ways as His children, the peace of God can rule in our hearts.
I definitely consider the peace of God ruling my heart as the ultimate place of contentment. There is no greater satisfaction to be found!
Psalm 119:165 says, Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Philippians 4:6-7 says, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Jesus said in John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace”.
So the answer to the questions above is this: we have peace in our Lord and Saviour, our Advocate and Intercessor, the mighty and majestic Jesus Christ! To Him be all praise and glory both now and forever, Amen!