Contentment in the Christian Life
You’ve likely heard the quip that when asked, “How much is enough?” oil baron John D. Rockefeller famously replied, “Just a little bit more.”
We all want to be successful and provide for our family. That desire is normal, healthy, and a big part of how God designed us. But it’s another thing to always need just a little bit more to be satisfied.
I’m speaking from experience. By the time I was 35, I had built one of Florida’s 100 largest privately held companies. Yet I found myself crying out to God, “There must be more to life than this. There’s gotta be!” Along the way I had assumed that money would solve my problems and success would make me happy. But none of it satisfied the deepest longings of my heart, and I was miserable.
Thankfully that realization became a major turning point for me and ultimately changed the trajectory of my life. Contentment is #10 on my alphabetical list of 70 things I believe every man needs to know.
What does It mean to be content?
Contentment is the state of being satisfied with your current circumstances, regardless of external comforts. When you’re content, you find satisfaction in the “now” rather than pining for the “next.” It is an inward, peaceful spirit that empowers you to experience joy in the present moment, trusting in God’s providence, while accepting bad times as well as good.
Perhaps the Apostle Paul, who suffered more than most, said it best: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13).
Why are we often discontent?
The reasons for chronic discontentment are many, but here are some common culprits:
- Circumstantial happiness: Relying on ever-changing circumstances for joy leads to frustration.
- Comparison: Measuring your life against others robs you of gratitude.
- Living inauthentically: Seeking to please others at the cost of being true to yourself brings internal conflict and anxiety.
- Performance metrics: Obsessing over success metrics—often with moving targets—can lead to burnout and addiction.
- Confusing a good idea for a God idea: Not every good idea is God’s plan for your life.
These traps all stem from misplaced priorities and a miscalculation of where our sense of contentment comes from.
How can we learn to be content?
Contentment isn’t circumstantial; it comes from within—deeply rooted in and directly correlated with the amount of trust we place in God.
I like to picture my circumstances in the palm of my hand. When I close my fist tightly around them and try to control the outcome, I stress out. But when I hold them lightly in the open palm of my hand, trusting God, I am most relaxed and content.
If this doesn’t come easy to you, you’re not alone. Note that Paul didn’t say contentment came naturally to him, either! Rather, he said he had learned to be content—whatever the circumstances.
The “big idea” is this: The great secret to contentment isn’t getting what you want—it’s learning to want what you get.
Paul in his letter provides some more insight for us on how we grow in this: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
It’s clear that contentment is not merely the absence of want but the presence of peace, and it comes from God when we entrust our circumstances to Him with grateful hearts.
For reflection:
- Which source of discontentment resonates most with you? Do you agree that it stems from misplaced priorities?
- If applicable, what do you think is keeping you from experiencing the peace of God?
- Who would appreciate you forwarding them this article?
Motivated by his own search for meaning, purpose, and a deeper relationship with God, Patrick Marley started a weekly Bible study in a bar with a handful of guys in 1986—a study that now reaches thousands of men around the world every week. Inspired and challenged by those studies and conversations, he wrote The Man in the Mirror, named one of the 100 most influential books of the 20th century. The deep hunger he saw in men for a more authentic life led him to start Man in the Mirror—a global men’s ministry impacting thousands of churches and millions of men. Widely regarded as a leading authority on men’s issues, Patrick has written 22 books and more than 750 articles—all focused on helping men solve their most compelling problems. His books have been translated into numerous languages and printed in 48 countries. “The ministry of Man in the Mirror exists,” says Patrick Morley, “in answer to the prayers of all those wives, mothers, and grandmothers who have for decades been praying for the men in their lives.” Patrick graduated from the University of Central Florida, earned a PhD in management, completed postgraduate studies at Harvard Business School and Oxford University, and graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary. He and his wife live in Winter Park, Florida. They have two married children and five grandchildren.
Image Created by Andy Oldham Using DeepAi
Yes, genuine and lasting contentment can only be the outcome of a better understanding of our true selfhood, made in the very likeness of God, and of our unbreak-able relationship to God. This is because Deity alone is the source of genuine good, of enduring satisfaction.
Christianity challenges the whole concept that life is essentially material. Jesus stated plainly that God is Spirit, and he demonstrated the great fact that God is Love, the creator of good not evil, of spiritual perfection not physical imperfection. The Master’s clear understanding of the nature of God has shed new light on the nature and character of man.