Contentment

Overview

Defining Contentment

Discontent is a familiar struggle: with what we have, what we lack, our circumstances, our past, our present, and our anticipated future. The ancient Stoics tried to solve it by suppressing feeling—if a cup breaks, say "I don't care"; if a loved one suffers, say "I don't care." That is not contentment. It is a counterfeit, and it is not what Scripture teaches.

The Apostle Paul, writing from a prison cell while chained to rotating Roman guards, gives us a better picture. In Philippians 4:10-13, he says he has "learned to be content" in plenty and in want, and the secret is found in the opening phrase: "I rejoice in the Lord." Contentment, then, can be defined as resting in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ and in His sovereign rule over our lives. Notice too that Paul rejoices in the timing of the Philippians' gift—much of our discontent comes when God's schedule does not match ours.

What Contentment Is Not

Clearing away common misunderstandings sharpens the picture:

• Not dependent on circumstances. Paul knew hunger and plenty Philippians 4:12 and catalogued beatings, shipwrecks, and dangers in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28—yet he was content.
• Not an emotionless life. Jesus wept at Lazarus's tomb John 11:30-35 and was "deeply grieved, even to death" in Gethsemane Matthew 26:36-39.
• Not a carefree existence. Paul described being "utterly, unbearably crushed" so that he despaired of life itself 2 Corinthians 1:8.
• Not the absence of relational struggle. Paul publicly opposed Peter for hypocrisy Galatians 2:11-14.
• Not a life without longing. We groan for our heavenly dwelling 2 Corinthians 5:2; our citizenship is in heaven, and we await our Savior from there Philippians 3:20-21.
• Not a life free from fear. The very command "do not worry" Philippians 4:6 presumes the temptation to fear, and Paul admits to "fears within" 2 Corinthians 7:5.

Contentment can exist amidst all of these realities.

A Picture of the Contented Life

Scripture pictures the content believer as a tree planted by streams of water—fruitful, unwithered, prospering even in drought (Psalm 1:1-3; Jeremiah 17:7-8). Jesus deepens the image: He is the true vine, and apart from abiding in Him we can bear no fruit John 15:1-5. The fruit itself—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—is the work of the Spirit, not of our willpower Galatians 5:22-23.

Pastoral Application

Scripture does not hand us a ten-step program for engineering contentment by changing our circumstances, suppressing our emotions, or eliminating relational friction. That would be law, and the law cannot change the heart. Contentment is God's gift, rooted in Christ's finished work and trust in His sovereignty—available right now, in the middle of difficulty, longing, and even fear. The call is not to try harder but to abide more deeply: rejoice in the Lord, sink your roots into the stream, and let the Spirit bear His fruit in you.

Transcript

Good morning. Let's pray together, please. Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you 0s

thanks for the opportunity to study your word. We thank you for the Lord's day 7s

and all this means for how you gather your people and you feed us through your 14s

word and then send us forth in ministry. Bless we pray now this time together and in 18s

our study of this great gift of yours, the gift of contentment in Jesus' name. 25s

Amen. Well welcome to this four-week class. I want to explore with you 32s

biblically about this topic of contentment and just to give you a little bit of a 39s

road map of where we're going to go in the in the next four weeks. In week 44s

number one today we're going to talk about a definition of contentment. The 50s

next week we're going to take a look at the source of contentment and the 56s

enemy of contentment. Week three we'll take a look at causes and patterns of 60s

of this contentment and then our last week in this class we'll take a look at 67s

an example of contentment and cultivating contentment. I want to acknowledge 73s

some work that I'm going to draw on for part of this class. It's from a Melissa 79s

Kruger. She's done some excellent work in this area and I want to acknowledge her 84s

her excellent work. We can be discontent in life can't we? We can be discontent 89s

with what we have. We can be discontent with what we what we don't have. We can be 97s

discontent with our lot in life. We can be discontent with circumstances and 105s

difficulties that come along. We can be discontent about yesterday. We can be 110s

discontent about today. We can be discontent for what we think our future will 116s

look like. Discontent has been around for a long time hasn't it? In fact the 122s

Stoics in ancient day they maintained that they had a solution for discontentment. 129s

Epiquitous wrote this. Begin with a cup or a household utensil. If it breaks say 136s

I don't care. Go on to a horse or a pet dog if anything happens say I don't 146s

care. Go on to yourself and if you're hurt or injured in any way say I don't care. 155s

If you go on long enough and if you try hard enough you'll come to a state 163s

where you can watch your nearest and dearest suffer and die and say I don't care. 170s

Well speaking of I don't care I don't care too much for that advice at all because 183s

that is not contentment that is just a con job and it is a false teaching. Let's 191s

look at Philippians chapter 4 because the Apostle Paul helps us to understand what 203s

contentment is. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Axon and Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, 209s

Galatians, Ephesians and then Philippians. Philippians chapter 4 verse 10. The Apostle 218s

says, I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you've revived your concern for 239s

me. Indeed you were concerned for me but had no opportunity to show it. Nothing I'm 246s

referring to being in need for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know 254s

what it is to have little, I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances 262s

I've learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry or having plenty and 268s

of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case it was 275s

kind of you to share my distress. I remember where the setting here of Philippians is. 283s

Paul is in a jail cell in Philippians and he is chained to a guard and they would rotate 292s

the guards out every six hours. Now just get a mental picture of that. You're a guard 301s

and you're chained to the Apostle Paul for six hours. I mean can you imagine the teaching 310s

that these guards got. You do one shift and then the next shift comes in and then the 319s

next day and just to pick up now where I left off next time. I mean talk about an evangelism 326s

opportunity when the guard is literally chained to you. That's the setting. Looking at 333s

at verse 10 he says, I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you've revived your 340s

concern for me. The people had given Paul a gift for his ministry in Thessalonica. This 347s

is not a chastisement on the part of Paul for any kind of delay in the gift whatsoever. 356s

It's an indication that they simply didn't have the opportunity to do it. But Paul is expressing 366s

here among his reference to contentment is also a contentment in the timing of God. Part 374s

of our discontent in life can simply be when God doesn't go along with our schedule, when 383s

God doesn't go along with our plan, when God doesn't go along with how we envision things 391s

should go. And so there is this contentment here on the apart of Paul and there's a contentment 398s

rooted in the timing of God. Let's go to verse 11 again. Not that I'm referring to being 408s

in need, I've learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, 416s

I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances, I've learned the secret 422s

of being well fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. So what 429s

is the secret? What's the secret? The answer is back in verse 10. I rejoice, here's the 440s

phrase in the Lord. I rejoice in the Lord. The secret is resting in the finished work 449s

of Jesus Christ and in His sovereignty. So here's the definition I want to use for contentment 462s

in our times together. Contentment is resting in the person and work of Jesus Christ. 471s

And His sovereignty, His control, His guidance, His Lordship over all. So resting in the 480s

person and the work of Jesus Christ and resting in His sovereignty. So now that we've got 491s

the definition out there, let's look at what contentment is not. All right? So let's 501s

clear away some bramble here to prepare ourselves for the weeks ahead. Let's look at what 509s

contentment is not. Contentment is not dependent on circumstances. It's not dependent on 514s

circumstances. Let's go back into chapter 4 again. Philippians, verse 12, I know what 533s

it is to have little. I know what it is to have plenty in any and all circumstances. I 542s

have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of 552s

being in need. And that is seeing all of life in the Lord, in the Lord. Not dependent 558s

on whether things are going well, not dependent on whether things are improving. It's independent 567s

then of circumstances. One then can be content even though life may be falling apart, 575s

that emits the falling apart, there is a contentment. Let's see another passage where we see it's not 587s

dependent on circumstances. Let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 11. So turn left. 596s

And across over Ephesians, you're going to bump quickly into 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 605s

chapter 11. And we'll pick up in verse 24. There are Paul writes, 5 times I've received 610s

from the Jews, the 40 lashes minus 1. 3 times I was beaten with rods. Once I received 631s

a stoning. 3 times I was shipwrecked for a night in the day I was adrift at sea. On 639s

frequent journeys and danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, 647s

danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger 653s

from false brothers and sisters. In toil and hardship through meaning a sleepless 659s

night, hungry and thirsty often without food, cold and naked. And besides other things, 665s

I'm under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches. There is one who has 673s

he reflects on his circumstances in life. Those aren't good circumstances, are they? And 683s

they're not good circumstances that aren't good. So the first thing then, contentment 693s

is not, is it's not dependent on circumstances. Here's a second. It is not an emotionless life. 700s

What did the Stoics want to do? Stoics wanted to move people away from feeling. And they 721s

said, contentment results if you just don't feel. So if you just don't feel, then you'll 729s

have contentment. No, we don't see that in Scripture. It's not dependent on circumstances 738s

and it's not an emotionless life. Let's go to John chapter 11, please. Matthew, Mark, 745s

Luke and then John, John chapter 11 and we'll pick up in verse 30. And we'll take 754s

a look at the verse. This is a story of Lazarus. John chapter 11, verse 30. Now Jesus 768s

had not yet come to the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The 778s

Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They 784s

followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary 790s

came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt to this feet and said to him, Lord, if you had 796s

been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who 802s

came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, 811s

where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus began to weep. 823s

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, the second member of the Trinity, and fleshed. Contentment. 833s

But that doesn't mean that contentment is an emotionless life, doesn't it? We will 843s

feel and we will feel pain. Matthew chapter 26, please, let's go there. Matthew chapter 852s

26 will pick up in verse 36. Matthew 26 verse 36. There we read then Jesus went with 860s

them to a place called Gassemini and he said to his disciples, sit here while I go there 882s

and pray. He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be grieved 887s

and agitated. Then he said to them, I am deeply grieved, even to death remain here and stay 893s

awake with me. And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, 902s

my father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not what I want but what 910s

you want. See, contentment is not dependency on circumstances going well. Dependency is 917s

not a stoic, emotionless life. Third, contentment is not a dependency on the 928s

is not a carefree existence. It is not a carefree existence. Let's look at 2 Corinthians, 939s

chapter 1. Matthew Mark, Luke John, Acts and Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, 2nd 954s

verse 8. We do not want you to be unaware of brothers and sisters. Of the affliction we 970s

experience in Asia, for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we dispaired of life 987s

itself. Wow. Contentment is dependent on circumstances. It is not dependent on living 996s

an emotionless life. It is not dependent on a carefree existence. It is not dependent 1004s

on the absence of relational struggle. Contentment isn't based upon the existence of the 1014s

unabsonous of relational struggle. Let's go to Galatians, please. Very next book, 1028s

after 2 Corinthians, Galatians, chapter 2 will pick up in verse 11. Galatians, chapter 1035s

2, verse 11. 1042s

But when Seifas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood self-condemned. 1056s

For until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after 1065s

they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. 1071s

That was a faction saying you have to be circumcised as a Christian adherence to Old Testament 1079s

law. And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was led astray 1084s

by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth 1091s

of the Gospel, I said to Seifas before them all, if you though a Jew live like a Gentile 1097s

and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? You see, we can 1104s

be content, but also say that something is very painful, relationally, in our life. 1113s

So it's not dependent upon circumstances. It's not dependent on somehow getting in this 1122s

emotionless life. It's not dependent on living this carefree existence. It's not the absence 1126s

of relational struggle in our life. It's not a life that is dependent upon the truth of 1134s

without longing. It is not a life without longing. Let's go to 2 Corinthians 5. So back 1143s

to your left there, 2 Corinthians 5 verse 2. There are Paul writes, for in this ten 1156s

hint, speaking of the body, we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling. 1173s

Let's go to Philippians 3. So, what? Keep turning to Galatians Ephesians and then you'll 1183s

hit Philippians. Colossians is too far. Philippians 3 verse 20. And we have the Holy Spirit. 1190s

But our citizenship is in heaven, or sometimes translated homeland. Our homeland, our citizenship 1204s

is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 1211s

He will transform the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of His 1217s

glory by the power that also enables Him to make all things subject to Him self. You see, 1223s

when we are living here, we are not home. We're not home. Home is in heaven. And so for 1232s

the Christian, there is a longing. We understand the tent that we are in. We understand the 1242s

perfect body that we are going to get in heaven, and there is a longing for that. We understand 1251s

the fact that as we gather today, how glorious it is in the Lord's day and in the Lord's 1259s

house, we are still this side of heaven, and that this isn't heaven. And that indeed, we 1263s

have a longing for home. And indeed, one day by God's grace, we will experience that. 1270s

It's not dependent on circumstances, living an emotional life, a carefree existence. It's 1279s

not a life without longing. It's not a life where you are free from fear. It's not a life 1287s

where you are free from fear. Let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 7. Well, let's 1300s

stay in Philippians 4, since we are here. Philippians 4, chapter 4, verse 6. 1307s

Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, 1320s

let your requests be made known to God. The very fact that there is an exhortation, this 1327s

injunction, not to worry indicates what. They're worrying, right? Do not worry. And so much 1332s

of our worry is simply birthed out of what it is that we fear. What we fear. And we can 1343s

war game out situations in our life. And we come to the worst possible case scenario 1349s

that invokes all kinds of fear in us. Prompting worry. Or 2 Corinthians chapter 7. Let's 1355s

listen to how Paul talks about this. For even though when we came into Macedonia, our 1378s

bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way disputes without and fears 1388s

within. It's not dependent on circumstances, living the emotional life, having this care-free 1401s

existence, this absence of relational struggle. It's not dependent upon a life without 1406s

longing and it's not dependent on living without fear. That means then that there can 1411s

be contentment amidst all of these things. Contentment amidst them. Let me give you a picture 1420s

of contentment now that we've looked at the things that it's not. Let's go to Psalm 1 verses 1431s

1 to 3. Good way to find the book of Psalms is just to go to the very middle of the Bible. 1437s

You'll land on one of them. Psalm 1. And there we read, happy are those who do not follow 1443s

the advice of the wicked or take the path that sinners tread or sit in the seat of scoffers. 1464s

But their delight is in the law of the Lord. On his law they meditate day and night. They 1471s

are like trees planted by streams of water which yield their fruit in its season and their 1479s

leaves do not wither in all that they do they prosper. The circumstances that a tree can 1488s

deal with our heart, aren't they? But the tree planted by the stream, that tree bears fruit. 1499s

Let's get another image. Let's go to Jeremiah chapter 17. So keep turning towards the 1513s

New Testament. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, then Jeremiah. 1520s

Jeremiah chapter 17, verse 7. And there we read, blessed are those who trust in the Lord, 1529s

whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots 1549s

by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes and its leaves shall stay green. In the 1557s

year of drought it's not anxious, it does not cease to bear fruit. Here's the tree. And 1565s

notice they talk about the year of drought. Not being afraid, amidst the circumstances. 1574s

Why? Because the tree is by the stream. Let's go to the Gospel of John chapter 15, 1581s

please. John chapter 15, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John. John 15, it will pick up verse 1590s

1. And there we go. So let's go to the Gospel of John chapter 15. And there we go. 1603s

I am the true vine and my father's the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears 1612s

no fruit, every branch that bears fruit, he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You've 1620s

already been cleansed by the word that I've spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. 1626s

Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine neither 1634s

can you unless you abide in me. So there again is this in this horticultural image here. 1640s

And you have that abiding in Christ, Christ as the source for us. Let's go to Galatians, 1649s

the 5th chapter, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, and then Ephesians. So Galatians chapter 1655s

5, pick up in verse 22. And there we go. So let's go to the Gospel of John chapter 5. 1663s

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, 1683s

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There's no law against these things. Notice, 1693s

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control 1704s

are the fruit of whom, the Spirit, right? Now in our own power, in our own will, we can 1708s

begin to try and mimic this. We can try and mimic love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, 1718s

generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But our own initiative, our own 1728s

desire, gets us so far, right? It is the fruit of the Spirit, the gift of God, where 1735s

these things blossom in our life and are manifest in our life. And it's the connection 1744s

with the Spirit. Remember what Paul say in Philippians? Rejoice in the Lord, the image 1752s

of the tree, right by the water, the image here of being rooted in Christ and bearing 1759s

fruit, the image of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, then being manifest in our life. Contentment 1768s

then is not based on circumstances, emotionless life, carefree existence, absence of struggle, 1778s

life without longing, it's not a life that's free without fear, it is rooted in the 1787s

person and the finished work of Jesus Christ and His sovereignty in our life. And in the 1794s

Lord, we are the tree that's planted by the stream. You see, what you don't see scripturally 1804s

is a list of, okay, here are 10 things for you now to do to get you away from being 1814s

dependent on your circumstances because your goal is contentment. What's that? That's 1822s

law, right? And the law doesn't change us. The Bible doesn't give us directions to 1829s

be emotionless. It doesn't give us this case of raw, sera approach to life, huh? It 1837s

you could just get rid of all of the relational struggles in your life. Then you could be 1850s

content on and on down the list. Contentment is God's gift, rooted in the work of Christ 1857s

and the trust in His sovereignty, amidst all of this, all of this, all of this, all of 1869s

this, it's His gift. Next week, we're going to take a look at the source of contentment 1880s

and the enemy of contentment. I'm so glad you're in this class. 1890s