Contentment is one of those qualities that can’t be faked. It also can’t be brought about through just “trying”. It is the by-product, the fruit of something else altogether. Contentment is a powerful characteristic of heart because it is able to keep a person free from some very damaging problems of the heart; jealousy, greed, envy, and covetousness. A man or woman who is not enslaved or even encumbered by those four crippling things is a person who is on the road to true joy, happiness and effectiveness for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Contentment keeps us from comparing ourselves to others as well. A man or woman who lives contentedly isn’t always worried that someone else has more of anything than they do. In fact they probably don’t even think that way, because contentment doesn’t keep record or track of what others have or don’t have. It is blind to comparison, immune to petty insecurities and jealousy, and unaware of status and pecking orders. To be content is to be grateful for what we do have. It is free from worry about tomorrow, because underlying a heart of contentment is the strong conviction that we are in the hands of God, and that He knows what is best for us at any given time. If we are in a time of “plenty” we are grateful and know that it may only be for a season. If we are in a time of “want” we are at peace, because we know the Lord is in control of our lives.
Paul said that he had “learned the secret of being content.” What is the secret? I believe it is learning to see with spiritual eyes first, and then with earthly eyes. Paul lived by a different value system than most others around him. He said, “We look at the things that are unseen, because the unseen realm is eternal. The things that can be seen are temporary.” He prayed that the church’s love would “abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight”, so that they would “be able to discern what is best.” An abounding love of the unseen, eternal realm and its values and life, in order to discern what is most important; this is the key to contentment. To be content is not to be uncaring. No, in fact it is the very opposite. It’s just that the “caring” is directed outward rather than inward.
We must learn the secret of contentment. This is especially important in these days in which we live. Contentment will ensure that we remain free, free from the snares of materialism, free from slavery of the fear of man, and free to live whole heartedly for the Lord Jesus. As Paul said, that in itself is great wealth.
Keep my heart free for you Lord Jesus. Thank you for what you have given me in this life. I trust you for my future and for all my needs. Spirit of God, teach me the power and secret of contentment. Amen
by Rick Martinez
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