Over the Christmas holidays a family conversation began in my house about contentment and its importance. It got me thinking about the topic and its value in our lives. Contentment will mean different things to each of us. Life may be a mixture of satisfaction in some areas and discontent in others.
Our conversation centred around work and the pressure to improve your status (and therefore your remuneration) versus being happy where you are. How is that seen? Is it lack of ambition if you aren’t looking for that next promotion or is it wisdom? What are we ambitious for? Money, position, success? There’s nothing wrong with that. Or maybe we would rather be ambitious for more family time, creativity, mental wellbeing? We hear about those who have given up successful careers and opted for a simpler basic life with fewer mental or emotional stressors. Maybe we have envied them…. except perhaps for the composting toilet! (Just kidding).
The Apostle Paul has a few things to say on the topic. He doesn’t seem to need an awful lot. 1 Tim 6:6-8 tells us we can be content with just food and clothing. He reminds us we bring nothing into life and can take nothing out. In Philippians 4 (one of his prison letters) he writes about how he learnt to be content, which gives me hope that I could do likewise. There appears to be a very wonderful humility in this; Paul isn’t expecting that he ought to receive more. Is he ambitious? Absolutely. But his ambition is not for himself but for the kingdom of God and the spread of the gospel. Perhaps this is where the answer lies, in being ambitious for others, but content in ourselves. That does sound incredible and desirable to me.
There is so much wrong in our world caused by pride and self-seeking. Our discontent has plundered the earth of its resources and created great divides between peoples.
Finding serenity is partly found in knowing who we are and being at peace in it. Jesus told his disciples that they didn’t need to worry about anything, but simply trust their heavenly father (Matthew 6). In Habbakuk 3:17-19 the prophet says that even if all of life is a disaster, he will keep worshipping God and find joy and security there.
It seems to me that to find contentment in life there needs to be an outside reference point. Whether that external frame is faith in God, another belief system, or a moral principle or cause. Having a faith in something that is bigger than us and outside of us helps to locate that order and humility that brings contentment.
‘We bring nothing in and can take nothing out’ In this sense we all start and end the same. We can try to medicate the empty space with stuff, power or people. Serenity comes through a clear sense of what matters most and being at peace in yourself. For me that comes through faith in Christ.
However we come to that place I pray we will all find that oasis of contentment in the year ahead.
P.S. Last thought: Do you think contentment comes easier with age?
Love this, Godliness with contentment is great gain . . this always brings me back to peace & rest in where life is right now & resisting the shouting voice of discontent.
I like that..’resisting the shouting voice of discontent’. Its true, we do need to discern what needs shouting about and what just adds to our lack of peace.
This such a timely reminder – the older I get the more I am content with where I am in life. I’m mostly unsettled by the loud discontent of others because that disturbs my peace. I have to re-centre myself to be content in all things and remind myself that the discontent of others is actually not my problem. Does that sound callous?
I think we can be empathetic with those who are discontent without necessarily taking on their discontent ourselves. Age does seem to confer contentment, in my experience, perhaps we worry less for ourselves and more for others?
Very thoughtful words. Let us all hope in time, through faith and prayer, that the world will find an oasis of peace and contentment.