What is the Secret to Christian Contentment?

The Secrets to Christian Contentment and 5 Ways to Cultivate it

The writer of Proverbs and the Apostle Paul knew the mystery, the secret to Christian contentment. Neither one of these God-fearing men hoped in things or others to meet their greatest need. They hoped in God.

Genuine believers can be genuinely content. It is a supernatural work of God in the heart and the mind. Everything has its beginning, except God:), and the beginning of contentment is the grace and power of God through Christ working in the inner man. Let’s examine the question what is the secret to christian contentment?

God Begins the Work of Contentment

The Apostle speaks with great confidence when he says, “God who began a good work in His people will carry it on to completion.” Philippians 1:6. I pray we believe it with great confidence! Hebrews 11:1.

Proverbs 19:23 teaches the fear of the Lord leads to life and contentment. Fear of God is not in the heart of the natural man. God puts fear, godly fear, in the hearts of His people, Jeremiah 32:40, and He continually works in our hearts to bring us to maturity. He works to pull the world out of our hands and minds, growing our faith and trust in Him, making us more dependent on Him, and as a result, we find our contentment in Him.

Contentment is the desired goal by the situations and suffering in which God plunges us. However, it is our work to pursue godliness in our current situations, work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and cultivate contentment.

It is Our Work to Pursue Biblical Contentment.

Men and women are created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. When we aim is to glorify God and ENJOY Him, we find contentment.

Where do we learn that contentment is possible? How do we know that it is possible? What is the secret to Christian contentment? We learned earlier that God begins the work in the heart and puts His people in different sufferings and situations to produce godliness. Paul tells the church that godliness with contentment is great gain. We brought nothing into this world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.”1 Timothy 6:6-7.

John Piper says this about 1 Timothy 6:6, “When we are content not to turn godliness into money-grubbing, we gain the peace that can die happily empty-handed.”

Godliness only pursues the character and will of God. It does not pursue fame, fortune, or approval of others for contentment.

The work of the believer is trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Ephesians 5:10. Pursuing Biblical contentment involves several steps.

Reading
Learning Plus spiritual Discipline
Hope and Finally Rest

Contentment Involves Reading

The Bible is our guidebook to Christian contentment. In it, we read what God requires of man. Through it, we renew our minds to know the will of God. That which is good and perfect. Romans 12:1-3.

By reading the Bible, we learn Who God is, the work of Christ on the cross on our behalf, and the power of the Spirit to teach and train. However, it is not enough for the believer to read about these things.

Contentment Involves Learning

The definition of learning is this: to gain knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, being taught, or experiencing something. I want to point out two things about learning from this definition.

1) God orchestrates many different situations with the intent to refine and grow us. He uses these situations to pull the world out of our hands so we can find rest and contentment in Him. 2) Learning also involves the study of the Bible. Reading is essential, but we must also study and study hard to learn what the verses and passages are teaching. We then pray, asking for wisdom and strength to conform our lives to the Truths in God’s word, then cultivating contentment.

Contentment Involves Spiritual Disciplines

We do the work of reading and studying to learn what God says in His word. Then we put into practice the spiritual disciplines we find in God’s word that promote growth not only in our own lives but also among believers in the gospel of Christ. John Piper describes spiritual disciplines this way, “The spiritual disciplines are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are habits of devotion, habits of experiential Christianity that have been practiced by God’s people since biblical times.”

Contentment Involves Hope

Have you ever been disappointed? I have many times. I believe disappointment is a natural feeling in our fallen state. Although real, you and I must cultivate love and the mind of Christ to work through it. We also must realize that our hope cannot be rooted in things or others. Paul tells us in Romans 5:5 that hope does not disappoint. The hope he refers to is rooted in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The love of God is poured out in our hearts that we may know and hope in Him and His promises.

Contentment Involves Rest

As I get older, I find myself hating sin more and more. As hatred for sin grows so does my desire for more contentment and rest. We can say that sin is discontentment in God. Discontentment says I do not trust God’s Character, Word, or promises.

Fully contented rest is only found in being deeply rooted in Christ. Relying on and expecting Him to fulfill every desire and need!

Do you find yourself content or discontented? What in this article has helped you see the sin of discontentment?

Jesus says this in Matthew 11:29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

Let Christ have the burden! Rest knowing He who promised is faithful!

One last word! I found this definition of contentment by Melissa Krueger. It summarizes Biblical Christian Contentment very well.

Biblical contentment is an inward trust in God’s sovereignty and goodness that produces the fruit of joy and peace and thanksgiving in the life of a believer, regardless of outward circumstances.