Discover Two Keys to Real Contentment and Satisfaction
Is it possible to really be satisfied and content all the time?
I personally know it's possible to be constantly dissatisfied and discontent. And many people live this way. I wasted a lot of years of my life trying to make my circumstances and the people in my life a certain way, thinking this was how I could become satisfied and content.
It didn't work.
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I longed to be content, which means "satisfied to the point where you're not disturbed, no matter what's going on." It doesn't mean that you never want things to change. But you can be satisfied with where you are in life and not disturbed because you believe God is working, things are changing, and you will see the results in due time.
First Timothy 6:6 says, "…Godliness accompanied with contentment…is great and abundant gain" (The Amplified Bible).
Contentment is part of God's plan for Christians. And I believe a godly person who is content is in the best possible place they can be. They understand that joy comes from what's in your heart, not your circumstances.
The truth is, the world is full of people who think if they only had something that someone else had, they would be happy. But those people who have what you think you want many times aren't really happy or content either.
It's really not about fame, having a lot of money, achieving a certain status at work or level of education, or what side of the tracks you were born on – it's about a heart attitude.
There's no happier person than a truly thankful, content person.
One thing I've learned about being content is that you have to learn how to do it. Paul said in Philippians 4:11-12 that he learned how to be content "in whatever state I am" (The Amplified Bible). This means whether he was in good times or bad, with plenty or in want. He's saying that it's possible to be in a state of contentment in every circumstance of life.
How do we learn to be content? There are two keys I want to show you: humility and real fellowship with God.
Humility is not something that comes naturally. But it is a cardinal virtue that should be pursued more than any other. A humble person is thankful for what they have because they realize that, truthfully, they deserve nothing. And if it wasn't for the goodness and mercy of God, they wouldn't have anything.
A proud person, on the other hand, thinks more of himself than he should and assumes that he deserves more than he has. For instance, he thinks he should be the boss at work, he should get the promotion, he should have more money…
We all struggle with pride.
And humility comes through brokenness. We need to humble ourselves before God and pray, "God, give me only what You want me to have. And if I ask You for something that's not right, please don't give it to me!"
Real fellowship with God is not religious activity. It's having a deep, intimate, personal relationship with God. Did you know you can have fellowship with God and talk to Him about everything that concerns you? It's true. He really does care. And He wants you to have a desire for Him, not just what He can do for you.
He wants you to really know that relationship with Him isn't about rules and accomplishing tasks, like praying a certain amount of time each day or reading a certain amount of Scripture each day. He wants you to enjoy His presence in your life and not be driven to do things you feel obligated to do just to stay on His good side.
Being in relationship with God will bring real joy to your life – whatever your circumstances. Because whatever it is you think you need or want, He is the source of what you really need. He is the source of true, lasting contentment and satisfaction.
