Have you ever found yourself endlessly scrolling through social media, feeling a pang of envy at someone else’s seemingly perfect life? We live in a discontented age driven by the relentless pursuit of more—success, possessions, recognition, etc. Even Bible-abiding Christians can find themselves trapped in this dangerous cycle of discontentment.
To understand why this is so pervasive, we must grasp what discontentment truly means. Discontentment is the opposite of contentment. We previously defined contentment as trusting and finding satisfaction in God’s providence that results in pleasure and sufficiency, regardless of our circumstances. Therefore, discontentment is being dissatisfied with God’s providence. It is a state of unhappiness with our situation that stems from dissatisfaction with God.
Discontentment is sinful, as it impugns the character of God and implies He does not treat us justly.
The sin of discontentment is ancient, tracing back to the Garden of Eden. After God created Adam and Eve, He gave them dominion over the world and everything they needed—food, water, companionship, and communion with Him. Only one thing was off-limit to Adam and Eve: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But tragically, our first parents were not satisfied with God’s wise boundaries.
Eve, deceived by the serpent, saw that “the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6). Dissatisfied with God’s provision, she took its fruit and ate and shared it with Adam, who also ate. In that moment, Adam and Eve sowed the seeds of discontentment and mistrust with God into the hearts of men. And we have reaped its bitter fruits since then.
This post explores these destructive fruits of discontentment and illustrates how unchecked discontent can poison our lives and sever our fellowship with God.
1. Envy and Covetousness
Covetousness and envy are some of the most immediate and toxic fruits of discontentment. Envy is the resentful longing for someone else’s possession, while covetousness is an intense, obsessive desire, often leading to action to get it. For example, Saul envied David’s success and resented him to the point of wanting his death. Eve coveted fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and disobeyed God to obtain it.
Both envy and covetousness stem from a discontented heart. When unsatisfied with God’s provision, we constantly measure our lives against others, resulting in envy, covetousness, and even jealousy. Scripture repeatedly warns against these sins: “Envy will cause the bones to rot” (Proverbs 14:30), and “Coveting leads to fights and quarrels” (James 4:2). Covetousness is so grievous that Paul links it to idolatry (Colossians 3:5), and the Ten Commandments forbids it (Exodus 20:17).
2. Anger, Resentment, and Bitterness
Discontentment often leads to anger and resentment toward God. When we think God is not treating us right, our dissatisfaction can rapidly become anger toward Him. Consider Cain, for example. When God did not favor his offering as He did Abel’s, Cain became dissatisfied with God. He felt God did not treat him rightly and, in his anger, killed his brother. Jonah is another example; he was displeased and discontent with God’s forgiving disposition toward Nineveh and became furious at God.
Anger and resentment are destructive sins that taint our lives, hinder our communion with God, and damage our relationships with others. James 1:20 reminds us, “The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God,” Proverbs 29:22 cautions us, “A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.”
Furthermore, prolonged anger and resentment can lead to bitterness, which corrodes our spirit, hardens our hearts, and prevents us from thoroughly enjoying life.
3. Complaining
A discontented heart often leads to constant complaining. When dissatisfied with God, we are more prone to vocalize our grievances and focus on what we perceive as unjust treatment. Complaining is a grievous sin before God because it implies God is not managing things properly, and we could do a better job. The story of the children of Israel provides a poignant example of how much God detests this sin.
Despite God’s miraculous deliverance from bondage in Egypt, guidance to the promised land, and provision of everything they needed—including manna from heaven and God’s manifest presence—the Israelites remained discontent and complained about their circumstances. Their incessant complaining aroused God’s anger, leading to severe discipline (Numbers 11:1-2).
God’s character remains unchanged, and our complaints still provoke His anger. Paul also exhorts the Philippians to “do all things without grumbling or disputing” as complaining hinders our ability to shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:14-15).
4. Ungratefulness
Discontentment blinds us to the blessings we already have and fosters an ungrateful heart. When we focus on what we lack instead of what we have, we cannot appreciate God’s provision and goodness. The parable of the prodigal son illustrates this well. The younger son was discontent with his father’s provision and demanded his inheritance prematurely. His discontentment, fueled by ingratitude, led him to a life of wastefulness, debauchery, and destitution. Only when he hit rock bottom did he appreciate his father’s goodness and return home.
God’s will for us is to be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). He is always working for our good, but ingratitude blinds us to His ongoing works in our lives and the many blessings He bestows.
5. Joylessness
Discontentment strips away our joy. True biblical joy is a perpetual gladness of the heart that comes from knowing, experiencing, and trusting Jesus. This joy is not contingent on our possessions or external circumstances but on our union with Christ. Therefore, when we are dissatisfied with God, we sever ourselves from the source of this profound joy, seeking fulfillment in temporary, fleeting pleasures that inevitably fail.
Joylessness is detrimental to our quality of life, as it can cause depression, affect our moods, and reduce our ability to encourage and uplift one another. It is also a sin, as Scripture commands us to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4).
The apostle Paul exemplifies this lasting joy in his epistles, particularly in Philippians. Despite writing from prison and facing numerous hardships, Paul repeatedly emphasizes joy. He rejoiced despite his circumstances because of his contentment in Christ. Spurgeon captures this sentiment, “Believers are not dependent upon circumstances. Their joy comes not from what they have, but from what they are, not from where they are, but from whose they are, not from what they enjoy, but from that which was suffered for them by their Lord.”
6. Anxiety and Restlessness
A discontent heart is never at rest. Dissatisfaction with God’s provision keeps us in a constant state of wanting and pursuing more. This endless chase leads to restlessness and anxiety as we obsess over what we lack. Being perpetually restless is not God’s will for us. He wants us to worry about nothing (Philippians 4:6-7) and trust He will provide what we need (Matthew 6:31-33).
Psalm 1:3 beautifully illustrates a peaceful, content heart. It is like a tree “planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Even when the tree is not in a season of abundance, it is at peace because the streams of living water nourish it. But discontentment robs us of this peace and keeps us from living fully in the moment, leading to an unsettled life where we keep chasing after the wind.
7. Fruitlessness
Finally, discontentment can lead to a fruitless life. When we are discontent, we focus on our desires rather than seeking God’s will. This fixation can cause us to miss the opportunities and callings God has put in front of us. Consider King Solomon.
He began his reign with profound wisdom and devotion to God, resulting in unparalleled blessings. Yet Solomon grew discontent and pursued wealth, women, and other gods. His discontentment led him away from God and prevented him from fulfilling his high calling as the leader of Israel, ultimately hindering him from bearing fruits for God’s glory. Similarly, the Israelites’ discontentment with God’s provision led an entire generation to miss inheriting the promised land.
God created us for good works (Ephesians 2:10), and our first mandate is to be fruitful (Genesis 1:28). Discontentment disconnects us from God’s purpose and makes us wander aimlessly. It keeps us from fulfilling the unique callings God has designed for each of us, leading to a fruitless and empty life.
True contentment comes from understanding what your basic needs are—as opposed to the rampant materialism of the world—and rejoicing in how God consistently meet those needs.
John MacArthur
The fruits of discontentment—envy, covetousness, anger, resentment, bitterness, complaining, anxiety, ungratefulness, joylessness, anxiety, restlessness, and fruitfulness—are detrimental to our spiritual, emotional, and relational well-being. Recognizing these fruits is essential to understanding the dangers of discontentment and mortifying it. Remember that when we are discontent, we mirror the devil and his angels, who rebelled against God because they were dissatisfied with His providence.
In the upcoming posts in this series, we will dig deeper into biblical contentment and explore how we can attain true contentment in God, regardless of our circumstances.
