Godly Contentment

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” – Philippians 4:11 (NKJV)

Are you in pursuit of more? Can you find satisfaction in God alone? How do you achieve godly contentment?

Contentment is an interesting concept in a world of entrepreneurs who are all in pursuit of more business, more customers, and more money. How do you remain content in a world that rewards the pursuit of more and views contentment as defeat and failure? We also find ourselves in a marketplace environment that not only rewards the pursuit of more but does not care about the methods of that pursuit. The reality is that in order for you to understand Godly contentment, you must first change your paradigm of business. It is impossible for you to be content and maintain the world’s approach towards business because the worldly approach uses discontentment as a tool to motivate people to be innovative and productive.

A newly certified Biblical Entrepreneur teacher once told me a story about a company he worked for where his supervisor took him to a dealership to finance a brand new car. The supervisor’s true intention was to motivate his employee to increase his sales. TV ads are full of images that are designed to make us discontent with our current circumstances and want more. Contentment is not something we are born with, nor does it come automatically with salvation. It is a learned behavior. I read a story about a Quaker who put up a sign outside his house that said, “I will give this house to any man who can prove to me that he is content.” Shortly after, someone came knocking at the door and said he saw the sign out front and wanted to claim the house. He said he was perfectly content. The Quaker asked what he meant. He said, “I have everything I want, all the money I need, everything in life that could satisfy me. I am perfectly content.” The Quaker said, “Friend, if you are is so content, why do you want my house?” Many of us are like this man, we claim to be content but we do so while seeking more.

What does it really mean to be content? Contentment is the Spirit-led ability to accept God’s will for your life no matter what your circumstances are. It is a learned behavior that allows you to achieve great gain in Christ. I love Ray C. Stedman’s definition of contentment, “only wanting what you have.” The beauty of this definition is that it forces us to reverse our perspective and focus on what we have rather than what we want. If you are not content with what you have, you will not appreciate it. If you do not appreciate what you have, you will not take care of it. And if you do not take care of it, then you may eventually lose it. On the other hand, if you want what you have, you will appreciate it, and as a result, will also take care of it and may eventually have more. The key then to getting more is wanting what you have.

So, how do you achieve Godly contentment? How do you, as an entrepreneur, get to the point where you only want what you have and no longer focus on trying to keep up with the Joneses or the Gates?

To achieve godly contentment, you must keep the following seven points in mind:

Recognize that you have brought nothing into this world, and you will carry nothing out. (1 Timothy 6:7, Job 1:21)
Recognize that both riches and poverty are from God. (1 Samuel 2:7, Proverbs 22:2)
Learn the lessons God is teaching you when you are lacking. (James 1:2-4)
Master the art of stewardship. (1 Corinthians 4:2, Luke 16:1-13)
Learn to appreciate every blessing, no matter how great or small. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Put your trust in Christ and not in your resources. (Matthew 6:33, 1 Timothy 6:17 -19, Colossians 3:1-11)
Guard against the love of money. (1 Timothy 6:10, Luke 12:15-21)
Realize that the implementation of these things cannot be done by might, but must be done by the Spirit. You cannot will yourself to be content. Christ must empower you and give you the grace to achieve contentment. The dangers of ignoring these virtues are great.

1 Timothy 6:9-10 explains it best, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Therefore pursue contentment and Godliness, and you are sure to avoid great failure and attain great gain in Christ.

My prayer for you today is that God will give you the grace to be satisfied with Him alone and that you will appreciate His many blessings.