The power of contentment

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13,5-6 (NKJV)

Jesus said: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” (Matthew 16, 24-27 NKJV)

Being a true follower of Jesus Christ involves denying oneself and being obedient to Him.

To deny oneself is to give up one’s way and one’s will for God’s way and God’s will. The proof of that is often seen in hard and challenging times; in trials and temptations; in the choices we make. Although God is not the originator of such times, they are opportunities to really test whether we have truly believed. This is not to say that we overcome by our own strength. But the simple fact of agreeing with God’s way and God’s will gives the supernatural ability (grace) to have victory.

For example, a believer may experience a hard situation of being slandered for whatever reason.

God is not the source of it but He may let it exist for a while. Two things can happen here, before God makes a move: God waits for the wrong doer to, hopefully, come to their senses and repent, but also God wants to forge a godly character in the person who was wronged. This will be the temptation for the believer: to revenge, to complain and murmur, to take offense and be unforgiving, to despair and fall into self-pity, etc. The devil, on the other hand, will gladly take advantage of this situation to push the believer into a destructive path.

However, if the believer chooses to surrender to God, to let go of anger and all sorts of negative emotions, and to act according to the Word of God; they will be conformed to the image of Jesus.

Here is something that helps in such times: Contentment.

Contentment is not settling for less. Contentment is gratitude for what we have in the moment.

Contentment says “I will only take what God is giving me”

In the opening Scripture, in some Bible versions, the word “covetousness” is translated as “the love of money”. Although covetousness is often directed to wealth and material possessions, covetousness as being the excessive, inordinate desire for a thing, is also applicable in other areas. A person can covet recognition, validation, honor, etc., things which by themselves are not bad, but when they become an obsession, they become detrimental. So, in a sense, contentment is the antidote for covetousness.

But even further than that, contentment has powerful effects on the heart and the mind.

• Contentment will help you endure hard times

• Contentment will keep you from having idols: worshiping things, people, anything other than God

• Contentment will keep your heart from envy and jealousy

• Contentment will keep your heart from being offended, even offense toward God in your waiting time.

  You will not be resentful toward God

• Contentment will strengthen your faith and trust in God. Because in the midst of it all, God said “I will never leave nor forsake you”

• Contentment will grow you into spiritual maturity

• Contentment will help you rejoice in the Lord

• Contentment will establish you in your relationship with God

• Contentment will keep your heart pure and keep your mind at peace

• Contentment will help you to keep your eyes on the prize ahead. Because, surely, there is a prize and there is a reward.

Contentment is not a ‘lack of options’. Contentment is a choice. It’s the assurance that the best is coming.

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6,7-9 NLT