In our journey to cultivate contentment, we have learned that Christ Jesus is the secret to contentment. Through His grace, instructions, and example, we can learn how to be satisfied with God regardless of our circumstances. Therefore, as part one of The Secret to Attain Contentment discusses, nurturing a deep relationship with Christ is essential. This means we should immerse ourselves in His Word, follow His commandments, and seek Him through prayer.
In the second part of this post, we will explore six additional steps to help us battle discontentment.
1. Trust in God’s sovereignty
Discontentment often arises when we have no control over our circumstances. Since we are finite creatures, we can’t govern our life’s outcome as we want. But God does. He is sovereign over everything. This wonderful truth is enough to cultivate a spirit of contentment.
For example, consider Job. When he questioned God about his misfortunes, God did not answer him directly. Instead, God revealed His total control over the world. He displayed His unmatched power. This led Job to recognize his limited understanding. Humbled and awed, Job realized God’s sovereignty and wisdom were enough for contentment. When we trust in God’s sovereign control, we can rest knowing that even what we don’t understand is part of His perfect plan.
As Ecclesiastes 7:14 says, “In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.”
God is not only sovereign. He is also good. Which means God will never use His power to destroy us. He may allow us to suffer as He did with Job, but always for our ultimate good and His glory. Hence, when you feel discontent with what God has ordained in your life, remember that God’s ways are higher than ours, and some things are too wonderful for us to grasp. However, He is always for us, and that can satisfy us.
2. Consider God’s grace in your life
Do you remember where you were before God saved you? Or where you would have been were it not for God’s grace? Before Christ, we were separated from God, a stranger to His promises, and without hope in the world. But through Jesus, God adopted us in His family and gave us the hope of eternal life. He saved us from our sins, wrath, and eternal damnation.
In light of His amazing grace and mercy on undeserving sinners like us, how can we ever be discontent with His provision? Whatever tempts us to discontentment pales compared to the priceless gift of eternal life He has given us. We deserve far more afflictions and far fewer blessings. We repeatedly broke God’s commandments, and He owes us nothing but wrath. Yet God showers us with mercies that are new every morning. So when discontentment creeps in, think about God’s manifold grace in your life and let that dissolve any dissatisfaction.
3. Treasure God’s Presence Above All
God’s manifest presence is one of the greatest blessings of believers and a motivation for contentment. We may not have that job or house, but we have Jesus. And He has promised never to leave or forsake us. Jesus, whose name means God with us, was there when we were in our Mother’s womb and will be there when we cross the veil.
Whether we walk through hills or valleys, His steadfast presence sustains and satisfies us. He cares for us, comforts, protects, and guides us. What matters if we lack certain comforts when we have Yahweh Himself with us? Moses would have rather stayed in the wilderness than dwell in the abundance of the promised land without God. Likewise, we should be satisfied in God’s steadfast presence, not His fleeting gifts.
4. Meditate on Christ’s sufferings and follow His example
When tempted to feel discontent, meditate on the sufferings of Christ. Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, endured suffering on every level—physical, emotional, and spiritual. He was rejected, mocked, beaten, smitten, and afflicted. He bore our sin on the cross and experienced God’s wrath for our sake. Yet Jesus never complained or grew discontent with His Father’s plan. On the contrary, Jesus embraced His suffering willingly “for the joy that was set before Him” (Heb 12:2), the joy of redeeming us.
If Jesus endured so much for our benefit and remained faithful and content, can we not endure our smaller trials without grumbling? Our discomforts and inconveniences pale compared to Christ’s suffering. His example should strengthen us to accept hardships with grace and gratitude, knowing that our Savior endured infinitely more for us. Trials are opportunities to become like Him.
5. Fix your eyes on heaven
This world is not our home. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we are merely passing through the world. Understanding our position as sojourners helps us manage our expectations. Our time here will include trials and hardships, but we are moving towards our true country where suffering will drown in seas of eternal bliss. It’s easy to become discontent when we lose sight of our final destination. But fixing our minds on our heavenly destination keeps us from placing too much weight on earthly things.
This life is not the only existence we will ever have. If we are without comforts or pleasures here, we can be content knowing we will have much better goods in eternity. As Paul reminds us, our “light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
6. Remember that life is vanity
Finally, consider the fleeting nature of this life and all earthly pursuits. James reminds us that life is like “a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). Everything we chase is temporary and will pass away. Material wealth, status, and pleasures offer little lasting satisfaction and cannot follow us beyond the grave.
So why grow discontent with God for not giving us things that are not ours to keep? Only one thing is needful, and that is Christ. Our relationship with Him is the only treasure that will abide. Everything else is vanity, a striving after wind. Let us focus on holding fast to Christ and letting go of our grasp on fleeting things. When we have Him as our greatest treasure, contentment will naturally follow.
Contentment is not by addition but by subtraction: seeking to add a thing will not bring contentment. Instead subtracting from your desires until you are satisfied only with Christ brings contentment.
Jeremiah Burroughs
In this series’s next and final post, we’ll explore some common areas where discontentment often creeps into our lives and practical, biblical ways to combat it.
Grace and peace to you!
