Contentment is a state of peace, happiness, and satisfaction. If we are content with what we have, then we don’t feel robbed when we don’t have more. We live in age that makes contentment difficult to master. We are overwhelmed with material blessings; and it is tough to be content. Sometimes our desire for more drives us to forget that this earth is only a temporary place (2 Cor. 4:18-5:10).

The Scriptures warn against greed or covetousness, which is the immoderate craving for things that belong to others. It amounts to "idolatry" (Col. 3:5). It is this attitude that causes us to put "things" before God. It makes us think that life is about possessions: the "whoever dies with the most toys wins" mentality.

Jesus taught that life does not consist of the abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15). Therefore, we are to be on guard against "every form of greed." The greedy person is not content with what he has, nor is he happy that others have things that he does not. All of this is just another form of selfishness.

We are also taught to deny ourselves (Luke 9:23). This is, perhaps, the most difficult command to obey, especially in an age of "me first." We must learn to put our desires out of the way in order to focus on what the Lord wants and on how we may best serve others. "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself" (Phil. 2:3). Jesus put Himself aside to die for us. He is our supreme example for this attitude.

The apostle Paul knew the meaning of contentment:

"Not that I speak from want [need]; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:11-13).

The secret to contentment is the trust we should have in God. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." If we take this to heart, then we know how to get along in life, whether we experience "need" or are in a prosperous position. "And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content" (1 Tim. 6:8).

There is nothing wrong, in and of itself, with being prosperous in this life. If the Lord blesses us in this way, then we should use the resources we have for the betterment of His kingdom. It is quite another thing, however, to make the pursuit of riches the goal and primary motivation of life. By this pursuit many have "wandered away from the faith" (1 Tim. 6:10). God is to be our motivation and pursuit in life (Matt. 6:33). Whatever else happens is beside the point.

We need to remember what we all know: "we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either" (1 Tim. 6:7). Jesus asked, "For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16:24). I used to think of this verse in the sense of "what will a man take for his soul?" The connotation would be that a man who is greedy might be willing to take something in this life in exchange for his soul. That may be true, but look at it again. What will a man give…? When the Lord returns for judgment, what will we be able to offer Him to buy back our souls if we have forfeited our lives for "the whole world"? With what will we be able to purchase back our souls? We could never have enough to offer – even if we did have "the whole world." It wouldn’t be enough to salvage our souls in eternity. When we fail to put God first, we show by our actions that we are forgetting these teachings of our Lord. Really, is anything worth losing a soul over?

Contentment takes a dedicated mindset. Let’s be committed to God, and peace, contentment, and happiness will be ours (Phil. 4:4-7). God guarantees it.

Doy Moyer