I learned a long time ago that life is not always fair. One child gets born in a poverty stricken nation while another gets born to Hollywood millionaires. I have seen God-fearing believers struggle to make ends meet while the leaders of organized crime and casino owners make millions of dollars each and every week. Whenever God is approached about this seemingly unfairness His answer is always the same. “Be content,” He says, “with such things as you have” (Heb. 13:5). To be content means to have an uncomplaining acceptance of one’s position in life and if you are content you will not worry, murmur, envy, or be overcome with greed. Contentment is necessary because your happiness is based on how content you are. The Message Bible records in Phil. 4:11,12 these words of the apostle Paul, “I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.” The only cause of sadness in one’s life is the lack of contentment, therefore, we must strive to be content at all times.
Contentment is a vital necessity that needs to be in full bloom in order for faith to work. If you’re not content then you’ll gripe and complain about your current circumstances and negative words of doubt and unbelief will flow out of your mouth. This, of course, will hinder your faith from bringing the blessings of God into manifestation in your life. People who complain are not content, thus they are never happy. Remember, Paul calls contentment the “recipe for happiness.” When was the last time you heard a happy person speak negatively? A joyful Christian knows that their happiness is the stepping stone to better things to come and this is why all you’ll hear out of them are positive faith-filled words. To be happy you must be content and this comes by accepting your position in life without complaining about it. There is no other way. Besides, complaining never changed anything anyway.
The pursuit of a better life always begins with contentment but it doesn’t end there. Consider what Paul says in Phil. 3:12, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have already perfected; but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” Paul is telling us to always be content but never be satisfied. To be content we must always be growing and pressing on. The word “grow” means to ‘increase’ and 1 Tim. 6:6 says “godliness with contentment is great gain.” Growth is what keeps your contentment alive and it is easy to be content if you know increase is on the way. At a new job, for instance, a worker should be content and thankful for the starting wage (Luke 3:14) but nobody wants to work at the same company for several years and get paid the same amount as the day they started. No, for the worker to be content then increase must take place. Likewise, the employer expects from the new hire increase in effort and productivity. When enough companies do not grow they close their doors and often times this leads the nation into an economic tailspin. The same will happen to us mentally, physically, and spiritually if growth is not a major factor in our lives.
The greatest hindrance to growth is satisfaction. This causes you to accept things as they are and creates in you a “whatever will be will be” mentality. In truth, satisfaction is the birthmark of laziness. Those who are lazy will not work at nor do those things that are required for growth to happen because they simply do not care about the important things in life. They are willing to sit back and watch the world pass them by yet they’ll be the first ones to complain when hardships prevent them from enjoying the finer things in life. The secret to overcoming the spirit of laziness and to enter into a state of contentment is to grow hungry for the things of God. Hunger is the result of not being satisfied and it makes a demand on growth.
If you’re satisfied where you’re at in life then you won’t push yourself to climb to the next level of spiritual development and maturity. This attitude prevents growth from happening. 2 Peter 3:18a says, “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Growth is a command from God and is what contentment feeds on. The very first command given to Adam and Eve was “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:22). In the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) the unfruitful servant was condemned and sent away into eternal torment. As you can see, growth is very important to God. He is the God of increase and He wants and expects you to grow. Therefore, if your life is not yet filled to capacity with the things of God, then allow dissatisfaction to create in you a craving for more of the benefits that come as a result of being a follower of Christ. In other words, become a seeker of God.
It stands to reason that the quality of one’s life is in direct proportion to the quality of their search for God. Jer. 29:12,13 says, “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” We cannot seek God and pursue Him half-heartedly and expect to find Him. He deserves greater honor than that. We are in a season where God is telling us to turn our eyes back upon Him. Today graven images are taking the place in the lives of many believers. A graven image does not have to be a statue like the golden calf built while Moses was on the mountaintop meeting with God. No, a graven image is anything we have our eyes on that takes the place of God. Do you play golf with your friends on Sunday instead of taking your family to church? If so, then your golf game has become a graven image. Is the TV set on when you should be having a family Bible study? More times than not there is no greater damaging idol than the television set and the video store.
Do you live for the “almighty dollar”? Does money consume your thoughts? Do you work overtime and spend time away from your family and church when it really isn’t necessary? Is the accumulation of “things” the only motive you have for living? If so, then you are an idol worshipper. We are told in Matt. 6:33 to “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” The problem today is that too many believers are seeking the “things” and hoping that God will be added to their lives. This ought not to be. Anything in your life that you prioritize before God is a graven image no matter how good the “thing” may be in and of itself. The quest for a better life will always lead to the throne room of God and we must not let “things” take the place of God in our lives. Besides, when you seek God and find Him you’ll have everything you’ll ever need. When Jesus becomes your “all in all” contentment will flood over you like a mighty river. In His presence is “fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11). Truly, that is the recipe for happiness.
