Finding Contentment in a Discontented World
The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
Proverbs 19:23 (NIV)
Money doesn’t buy contentment, but neither does poverty provide it.
Many of us believe that as long as we have enough, we will be content with life. But how many of us know that the human heart is never satisfied? The more we acquire stuff, the more we want. It is never enough.
So how is contentment attained? How do we find contentment?
By Knowing Christ
Earning a living and raising a beautiful family are great things to do. But they’ll never bring contentment in our hearts.
Jesus is our only source of contentment. Do you know why?
- He loves us unconditionally
Although he knows our flaws, Jesus loves us unconditionally. He will never reject you, even when you mess up.
- He is Our Source of Strength
Paul learned how to remain content in every situation. This came about when Paul realized that he could do all things through Christ, who strengthens him.
Like Paul, we can also find contentment through Christ, who strengthens us (Philippians 4:12-13).
- Without Him, we can do Nothing
Jesus said that without him, we can do nothing.
It means that even though we work hard and try to achieve success according to the world standards, it is only through Jesus that we can be successful.
We may attain all the material wealth that we want, but without Jesus, we will always be discontented in our hearts. Everything we will be striving for will be outside God’s will.
By Obeying and Serving God
In Job 36:11, we are told that it is by obeying God that we will be contented and prosperous in life.
So let us make it a habit to obey God and serve him faithfully. It will not be easy, and God may ask you to do things that don’t seem to be ‘cool’ according to the world standard, but we will be content in our hearts.
By Trusting God with all your Heart
It is easy to be anxious about life, especially in a world where we are made to believe that being successful means having a posh car, a big house, rich friends, and many followers on social media.
Even believers are getting carried away by the world’s definition of success.
We don’t find contentment in the things of the world. We find it God. That is why we need to place our trust in God. Follow his lead and trust the process that he is taking you through.
Doing this will not only open doors of blessings in your life, but it will also cause you to find contentment in your life.
It could be that you have bought into the lie that contentment comes from having a lot of money, a big car, and a great family. Well, while all those things are good, they will never fill up the void in your heart.
People will disappoint you, material wealth will come and go, but only God will remain faithful to you.
If you want to be content in life, start with God. Focus on Jesus and allow him to take charge of your life.