Contentment

Contentment, what does this look like in your life? In mine I have not mastered it quite yet. I find myself being complacent more than content. As many Christians I have found myself saying, “God is enough” or “God fills me, what more do I need?” But that is not the case. I desire more. I know what the right answer is; I know that it’s my flesh or physical nature versus the spirit.  

The only real difference between the two words is one’s self. When we gain self-satisfaction we are complacent. When we get satisfaction not from our own doing we are content.

In my devotional Morning and Evening I read this: “These words show us that contentment is not a natural propensity of man. “Ill weeds grow apace.” Covetousness, discontent, and murmuring are as natural to man as thorns are to the soil. We need not sow thistles and brambles; they come up naturally enough, because they are indigenous to earth: and so, we need not teach men to complain; they complain fast enough without any education. But the precious things of the earth must be cultivated. If we would have wheat, we must plough and sow; if we want flowers, there must be the garden, and all the gardener’s care. Now, contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and if we would have it, it must be cultivated; it will not grow in us by nature; it is the new nature alone that can produce it, and even then we must be specially careful and watchful that we maintain and cultivate the grace which God has sown in us.”

It is not our nature to do what is right; it is not our nature to do the good and honest thing. I do believe we are all inclined to follow our sinful nature. It is a battle to be in the spirit. That is why it takes work to have faith.  That is why we are called to put on the amour of God. It is a battle and our physical self without Christ is strong. A friend of mine said something that goes like this, “me by myself is ugly, it is evil and wants nothing good, but with Christ I am beautiful and good.” We have to understand this disconnect to understand the idea of complacency and contentment. Self versus Christ has been a fight since the fall.

 The principle I have been trying to teach myself, especially as of late is what Paul said in Philippians 4:11: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” Being content as I said before is not something easy, even Paul spoke of how it was something he had to learn. In my life I find it so easy to be complacent, it is so easy to see what I think of done. My ego is a great beast that I must fight, because when I really look at things the only way I accomplish anything is through God. The only way we do anything in life is by grace and we are lucky it flows like a river. So often we abuse this.

So learning contentment is like anything else it takes time and effort and who wants to do that on top of everything else in life? Life consumes us and we get stuck with the me monster. Oh but we have church on Sundays so we can make ourselves feel better. I find this to be a sick practice many follow. We leave God at the church buildings on Sunday and the rest of the week we say we are enough, we can get through it. Then Sunday we ask God, where were you at? Why did you help me in my situation? Why wouldn’t you give me what I want? Does anything sound wrong here?  We forget to take the me or I out and see that it’s not our will or plan that matters. Otherwise you’re stuck being complacent and serving yourself. Don’t leave Christ at church it’s not a place to manage your sins or the only place to work on contentment.  To master something it is said to take over 10,000 hours. If the only place you’re doing this is church you have some work to do my friend. “Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person” (Albert Einstein). God does not want some or a little he wants all of us. So when learning to be content you have to go big or go home. God will spit you out for being lukewarm do you think it is any different if your heart is not in being content. Pride is a killer; do not let yours kill the blessing that waits.

I am still trying to learn this truth; I am no master of it yet. But I hope and pray and will continue on my way. Contentment is not easy it is not natural, but it is something I am working towards. I do not want to settle for complacency, my will is not good enough. Apart from Christ I am nothing, remembering that disconnect is one step towards being content. I hope you have been encouraged by this reminder and you to are on your way to learning to be content.