Contentment is a learned virtue, not one with which man is born. If it were natural and easily accepted, every man would be content. Instead, it requires much effort and sacrifice on the individual’s part. The apostle Paul learned how to be content by not allowing his circumstances to control or adversely influence him. If he found himself abased (brought low) or if he abounded (overflowed), he knew how to remain contented. He considered both situations to be completely within the will of God. He believed that his circumstances were not to determine his satisfaction levels. So it should be with Christians today. Whether a Christian abounds in wealth or wants in poverty, he should rejoice for God’s provision. This will only result from a supreme love for God.
Far too many times, the list of the average person’s wants is unending. Yet, an honest child of God recognizes that he has never lacked anything of necessity. Evidence of this truth exists in Deuteronomy 2:7 as the Lord expressed His care for Israel during the forty years of their wilderness wanderings. Very few people would consider the wilderness a place of plenty, yet the wilderness was the place where God furnished Israel “a table” (Psalm 78:19), “brought streams also out of the rock” (Psalm 78:16), and kept their shoes and clothes from deteriorating (Deuteronomy 29:5). God could honestly say to His people, though they wandered in a barren land, they “lacked nothing” (Deuteronomy 2:7).
The words content and contentment infer that one is satisfied with life's present conditions (Genesis 37:27; Exodus 2:21). Living contently is the opposite of wanting (Philippians 4:11) and covetousness (Hebrews 13:5) and is strongly associated with godliness (1 Timothy 6:6). Interestingly, contentment is a learned behaviour that believers must put into practice on a consistent basis throughout life. No one is born into the world content. Yet, once learned and practiced consistently, Christians will experience contentment in spite of any circumstance faced. Unfortunately, far too often, Christians exhibit no more contentment than non-Christians. In fact, believers seem to desire and covet the things of the world more and more with each passing year. This covetousness combined with a lack of contentment amongst Christians results in less godliness and a closer association with worldly pleasures.
