“Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of the Spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.”
Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
Dear Believer,
In my last post, I wrote about the danger of discontent. In this post, I’d like to share some helpful ways to practice contentment. Christian author Melissa Kruger defines contentment as “an inward assurance of God’s Sovereignty and goodness that produces the fruit of joy, peace, and thanksgiving in the life of a believer regardless of outward circumstances.” The above quote by the Puritan author Jeremiah Burroughs also defines contentment as an internal state, not defined by outward conditions. It is not based on our internal motivation or self-confidence, but solely on our understanding of God. I know it’s hard to get out of the habit of discontent. So I say practice because it is not a one-and-done act or choice. It is an ongoing exercise. My hope and prayer is that the following helps us on our journey to contentment.
1. Change your perspective
As believers, we know that God is revealed through His Word. In it, there are examples and evidence of how He is a promise-keeping God, a good God, and that He is as much in control of history as He is in control of the plan for our lives. So, we must believe it! Study God’s character and attributes. Discover the meanings of the names of God. Read the evidence of Who He is in His Word. When your perspective changes to believe that where you are and what is going on in this season of life or circumstance is, not only known but ordained by God, you can begin to ask, “What does God want me to learn from this?” instead of “Why me, Lord?” We will ask, “How can I become more like Christ through this situation?” instead of “Get me out of this, Lord.” Changing our perspective changes our objective.
2. Meditate on the Truth
Once you begin to see the truth about God, meditate on these things. No one had more of a “right” to complain than Job. But he was reminded by his wise friend Elihu and God himself to consider whom He was complaining about.
“Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him? Who has prescribed for him his way or who can say, ‘You have done wrong?’. God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things we cannot comprehend.” (Read Job 32-40). The Lord said to Job: Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”
Job concludes with “I am unworthy-how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer twice, but I will say no more…Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. …My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
Job realized the greatness of God and all that it encompasses. He realized he was not in a position to challenge or even complain about God’s plans. Instead, he repented and meditated on all God had revealed to him. And God eventually, in His time, “blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first.” 42:12
3. Pray and give burdens to God
The people of God have always had a tough time. We live in a broken, sinful, frustrating world. We look around and there is bad news on the outside and hardships in our homes. So what do you do when you just need to get it out? Pray! Bring it to the Lord. The Psalms and Prophets show us how to properly let out our frustrations to the Lord. David’s lament Psalms guide us in bringing our complaints to God and trusting Him with them.
“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” Psalm 13:1
O Lord, how long will you look on?… Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye…O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O LORD. Away, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and LORD.” Psalm 35
The Book of Habukkuk is pretty much all a complaint from the prophet to God about all the bad going on in the nation. He voiced his concerns to the LORD as follows:
How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘violence!’ but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Hab.1
The essential point of these examples, however, is in their conclusion remarks. They always point to trust in the character of God. This brings them to the decision of contentment and therefore praise and worship.
“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me…Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his salvation.” (Ps. 13:4-5, 35:9)
“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Hab. 3:17-18)
Knowing and trusting in the character of God brings peace and contentment amidst life’s difficulties and challenges.
4. Pray for surrender and yielding your will to His own
Part of practicing and living in contentment is putting aside daily one’s wants, desires, and expectations. And that is hard. We want certain outcomes and expectations. But as believers, we are to put those aside. We are to surrender our wills and yield them to God’s. Remember, God loves us, His will is perfect and good. If our wills are aligned with His, we will find acceptance and contentment in the understanding that “the Lord is good and his love endures forever.”1 “The art of a Christian’s contentment”, says Burroughs, “is that he melts his will into the will of God.” He goes on to say,
“A gracious heart is contented by the melting of his will and desires into God’s will and desires. He does not gain contentment by having his own desires satisfied, but by melting his will and desires into God’s will. So, he comes to have his desires satisfied, though he does not obtain what he desired before, he still comes to be satisfied with his because his will is at one with God’s will.”
Our will, all of our desires and wants, then become what God desires. And we not only accept but find joy in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. Our wills desire what God’s will desires. That is what gives us “the joy of the LORD”.
5. Give thanks in all circumstances
No matter what we are going through, God can and will use it for His glory and our ultimate good. When we believe that the ultimate good is our God’s glory, we can accept and be truly thankful for the disappointments, hardships and even suffering. For when God is glorified, we are glorified as our spirit is one with the Spirit of God. As John Newton, Author of the hymn Amazing Grace, says,
“Some Christians are called to endure a disproportionate amount of suffering. Such Christians are a spectacle of grace to the church, like flaming bushes unconsumed, and cause us to ask, like Moses: ‘Why is this bush not burned up?’ The strength and stability of these believers can be explained only by the miracle of God’s sustaining grace. The God who sustains Christians in unceasing pain is the same God — with the same grace — who sustains me in my smaller sufferings. We marvel at God’s persevering grace and grow in our confidence in Him as He governs our lives.”
6. Trust in God
Finally, trust in the one, true God. Our trials and suffering are part of the Christian experience as we are united in Christ. From small discontented moments to deep grief, our hearts must accept with joy and trust in the Lord. Many Puritan writers have penned a deep understanding of contentment in their writing and prayers. And so I end with this prayer:
“Be happy in him, O my heart, and in nothing but God, for whatever a man trusts in from that he expects happiness. He who is the ground of their faith should be the substance of thy joy.”
-from Valley of Vision
May we find our true source of contentment in Him, for it will never disappoint.
The Lord be with you,
Bianca
- Psalm 100:5 ↩︎
