Christians often misunderstand contentment. Some believe contentment involves halting all aspirations and being happy wherever one is. Although this definition has some truth, it falls short of the more profound meaning of biblical contentment.
In the previous post, we described contentment as trusting and finding satisfaction in God’s providence that results in pleasure and sufficiency, regardless of our circumstances. However, we often find it challenging to achieve this contentment because we might unknowingly settle for counterfeits. These imitations may look similar, but they fail to provide the lasting peace and joy that genuine contentment offers. As a result, they leave us frustrated, discouraged, and ultimately dissatisfied with God.
It’s crucial, therefore, to distinguish true contentment from its counterfeit form. A key step in this process is understanding what contentment is not. In this post, we will explore five misconceptions about contentment. By gaining insight into these counterfeits, we will better understand what true biblical contentment entails and how to cultivate it in our lives.
1. Biblical contentment is not perfection.
Have you ever found yourself thinking that you would finally be content if only you had __? It’s a common mindset; we often equate contentment with having an ideal, trouble-free life where all our needs are met, and we are satisfied. But this perspective doesn’t align with biblical contentment. Biblical contentment is about finding satisfaction in God’s providence, in His perfect plan for us, regardless of life’s circumstances, even when facing seasons of sorrow or lack. It is about trusting in God and knowing He will provide what we truly need.
Paul beautifully explains this in Philippians 4:11-13: “For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”
It is worth noting that Paul penned these words while in prison. Despite his challenging situation, Paul found contentment in God’s providence and rejoiced in the Lord. He proves that true contentment is not contingent upon our circumstances but on our relationship with God, regardless of whether we achieve our goals or struggle during the journey.
2. Biblical contentment is not resignation.
Biblical contentment is not passively accepting an unhappy circumstance without seeking change because you have resigned to your fate. If you face adversity and your situation remains unchanged despite your best efforts and prayers, surrendering to your circumstances in despair is not genuine contentment. Contentment doesn’t mean giving up.
When the apostle Paul was in prison, chained to a Roman guard, and facing the possibility of execution, he was not content because he had given up on being free. He indeed desired to depart and be with Christ; however, this desire stemmed not from resignation but from an abiding contentment in Christ’s presence. He still desired deliverance from his Roman imprisonment, prayed for it, and valued the prayers of others on his behalf. Yet he was satisfied with his lot because his ultimate contentment was in Christ.
Paul writes to the Philippians: “Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:18-21).
As Paul shows, contentment involves a deep trust in God’s provision and timing. It is striving and hoping for change, all while trusting in God’s perfect plan.
3. Biblical contentment is not laziness or complacency.
Contentment does not mean laziness, either. Being content with your situation does not mean you cannot strive for better. It must not serve as an excuse to avoid hard work. If your undesirable life situation results from not working hard and you make no effort to change it, that is laziness, not contentment. Consider Paul again. When he was in prison, he faced an execution and lived in terrible conditions. Many people might use such a situation as an excuse not to work, considering he was essentially on death row.
However, Paul did not succumb to laziness. During his imprisonment, he continued to care for his churches, wrote epistles, evangelized those around him, and maintained his evangelistic outreach through Timothy. Even when beaten, shipwrecked, hungry, and stoned, Paul pressed on for the gospel. He never used his sufferings as an excuse to avoid hard work under the guise of contentment. Instead, his satisfaction with God’s providential grace allowed him to work harder than all the apostles. He wrote, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:10).
4. Biblical contentment is not indifference or stoicism.
Contentment doesn’t mean practicing stoicism—enduring pain or hardships without complaining and displaying feelings. Being content does not require us to be happy all the time or numb ourselves to the struggles and desires of life. We can still desire things we do not have (if these desires are not sinful) or crave relief from our troubles.
When Paul was afflicted with his mysterious thorn in the flesh, he was not stoic about it. Instead, he fervently pleaded with God to remove it. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul expressed contentment with being in prison for Christ’s sake. Yet, he also yearned to be with the Philippians, to encourage them in their faith, and to continue his work for Christ.
Even the Lord Jesus, shortly before his arrest, was greatly distressed and pleaded with God to be spared from the anguish of the cross, if possible. His contentment in God’s plan did not prevent Him from being emotional and praying for deliverance. Feelings and contentment are not mutually exclusive.
5. Biblical contentment is not relative.
Finally, contentment is not a “it could be worse” attitude. We tend to compare ourselves or situations with others and feel better if we perceive we are better off or worse if we perceive others have it better. We must not equate this relative satisfaction with contentment.
For instance, saying, “I couldn’t afford a new car and had to get a used one, but it could be worse; I could be taking public transit, so I am content,” is not genuine contentment. Biblical contentment does not rely on external circumstances or comparisons, only satisfaction in God. If you find contentment by comparing your circumstances to what could be worse, then you have a superficial form of contentment focused on material possessions rather than the profound inner peace that comes from being content with God.
A man’s contentment is in his mind, not the extent of his possessions. Alexander the Great, with all the world at his feet, cries for another world to conquer.
Charles Spurgeon
Recognizing and rejecting counterfeits of contentment will help us experience the bliss of true biblical contentment. This contentment is not about having a trouble-free life, giving up, or denying our desires. Nor is it ceasing to strive for improvement. Instead, it is trusting in God and finding satisfaction and sufficiency in His providence, regardless of our circumstances.
In the next article in the series, we will shift our attention to discontentment and explore its bitter fruits in the Christian life.
