Contentment by Our Daily Bread Ministries

Contentment

Enough Is Enough

Contentment A poet once wrote:

As a rule, man’s a fool. When it’s hot, he wants it cool. And when it’s cool, he wants it hot. Always wanting what is not. What an insightful observation on human nature! Why are we never satisfied with what we have? Many believe that if they had more money to buy more things, they would be content. But we soon discover that no matter how much we accumulate, we never have enough. The more we have, the more we want. More often than not, we come to the end of every endeavor and acquisition frustrated, dissatisfied, discontented, and unhappy. We ask, “How can I find true contentment? What makes for a contented life? Is contentment achievable?” We believe it is. These selections from the devotional Our Daily Bread are intended to help you discover the secret to a contented life. If you enjoy these articles and would like to receive this devotional, just complete the request form on this brochure and send it to us. There is no subscription fee.

© 2011 by RBC Ministries. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

sign by the roadside carried this message: “I’m getting sick of the rat race. The rats keep getting bigger and he At Ace faster.” Many men and women, no doubt, feel that way. In spite of amazing advances in technolReAd: ogy, people’s frustration level Ecclesiastes 4:1-8 seems as high or higher than ever. The core problem is that “Who am I working for? . . . ” It is all human nature hasn’t changed. so meaningless and Almost 3,000 years ago, depressing. Solomon made three insight—Ecclesiastes 4:8 ful observations about the rat race of life in his day. First, he observed that “most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors,” and this was a no-win situation (Eccl. 4:4). Second, those who dropped out of the rat race became lazy and unproductive. This kind of idleness is foolish and self-destructive (v.5). Third, Solomon said that people became so obsessed with making money that they didn’t form healthy relationships. This made them go through life without purpose or meaning, never satisfied with all they had worked for (v.8). Remember, “Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind” (v.6). To avoid compulsive grasping or selfdestructive escapism, put God at the center of your life and be thankful for what He has given you. Then you’ll succeed in the rat race of life. —Herbert Vander Lugt Day 1

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Lord, help me not to set my heart On things that pass away; Make me content with what I have, And give You thanks each day. —Sper

He is rich who is satisfied with what he has.

n the fifth century, a man named Arsenius determined to live a holy life. So he abandoned the comforts of Egyptian society to follow an austere lifehAt e style in the desert. Yet whenever on t eed he visited the great city of Alexandria, he spent time wandering through its bazaars. Asked ReAd: 1 Timothy 6:6-11 why, he explained that his heart rejoiced at the sight of all the So if we have enough things he didn’t need. food and clothing, let Those of us who live in a us be content. society flooded with goods —1 Timothy 6:8 and gadgets need to ponder the example of that desert dweller. A typical supermarket in 1976 stocked 9,000 articles; today it carries 50,000. How many of them are absolutely essential? How many superfluous? It’s hard for us to say sincerely with the apostle Paul, “So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content” (1 Tim. 6:8). In our constant battle against the seductive materialism of our culture, let’s follow the example of Arsenius. As we walk through the markets and shopping malls, we too can rejoice at the sight of all the things we don’t need. That’s only the first step, however. The next step is to become much more wise in our spending, more generous in our giving to others, and more sacrificial with the resources God has given to us. —Vernon Grounds Day 2

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As we keep on collecting more and more stuff, We sometimes complain that we don’t have enough; But let us be thankful for what God has sent— With food and with clothing may we be content. —Fitzhugh Contentment comes not from great wealth but from few wants.

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ing Solomon, who had studied diligently and worked hard for worthwhile earthly goals, realized that at his death his fortune would go RuStRAted to people who had not worked R ontent for it and might misuse it. This caused him to become resentful because his days of labor were ReAd: Ecclesiastes 2:17-26 filled with pain and grief and even at night his mind could not I came to hate all my rest (Eccl. 2:23). He’s not alone hard work here on in feeling this way. earth, for I must leave A highly successful lawyer to others everything told me he often wonders why I have earned. he works so hard. He said his —Ecclesiastes 2:18 sons and daughters had been misusing his money and making a mess of their lives. He knows they will probably waste everything he leaves them. Another man who had worked hard and managed his money well said sadly, “All my hard work! And my kids can hardly wait for me to die.” Solomon, however, didn’t stay in this dejected state. He found meaning and satisfaction through faith in God. He said that inner contentment is a gift of God to His children that enables them to enjoy the fruit of their labor (v.24). God replaces frustration with contentment! The more room we give to God in our lives, the more we will have “wisdom, knowledge and joy” (v.26). Paul summed it up this way: “Godliness with contentment is itself great wealth” (1 Tim. 6:6). —Herb Vander Lugt Day 3

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The world is filled with so much good That brings us joy and pleasure, But true fulfillment only comes When Christ we love and treasure. —Sper

The contented person is never poor; the discontented is never rich.

ach generation raises the contentment bar, it seems. With every new technological advance, we seem to need more and more things to be satisittle R fied. My parents’ generation uch knew nothing of a family having more than one car, but my generation grew up expecting to ReAd: Philippians 4:4-13 have one at their disposal. When I was growing up, we didn’t I have learned how even have computers, but I hear to be content with young people today complainwhatever I have. ing because the one they have —Philippians 4:11 isn’t the latest model. The standards for true contentment, though, know no calendar. The 21st century is bringing all kinds of marvels to our world, but it won’t bring a better definition for contentment than the 2,000-year-old words of the apostle Paul. He said, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. . . . I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:11-13) The secret of contentment is found in Christ—not in man’s inventions, creature comforts, techno-toys, wealth, or amusement. It’s accepting what God has given us, and by His strength making the most of it. As 19th-century author Maltbie Babcock said, “Contentment . . . is the grateful, faithful, fruitful use of what we have, little or much.” —Dave Branon Day 4

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True happiness comes not from wealth, Real peace you can never buy; The contentment that you long for Is in Christ who reigns on high. —Fitzhugh

We find contentment at the same place we find salvation—in Christ.

he book of Hebrews strikes a strange note for men and women living with the values of the 21st century. “Don’t love money,” the writer urged, and oulS nd “be satisfied with what you AlletS have” (13:5). He wasn’t saying that having money is a sin, but it can be a problem. Our ReAd: world has bought into the myth Hebrews 13:5-6 that riches and contentment go Don’t love money; be together, that they’re almost the satisfied with what same thing. Yet, many wealthy you have. people who boast large bank —Hebrews 13:5 accounts are not content. They always want more, and they live in dread that they will lose what they have. “Be satisfied with what you have.” Well, what do you have? Do you immediately think of what’s in your savings account or stock portfolio? You are looking in the wrong place. The writer of Hebrews said that if you live with faith in the Lord of eternity, you have Him. He has promised, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (13:5). You have Him, so you can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear” (v.6). If you have everything else but the Lord, you don’t have much at all. If you have the Lord’s presence and little else, you can be content. Better to have a satisfied soul than a thick wallet. —Haddon Robinson Day 5

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He possessed all the world had to give him, He had reached every coveted goal; But, alas, his life was a failure, For he had forgotten his soul. —Denison Our greatest riches are the riches we have in Christ.

ave you ever been really thirsty? Years ago, I visited my sister Kathy in Mali, West Africa. During an aftereAlly hiRSty noon of seeing the sights, the temperature had risen far above 100ºF. Parched, I told her, “Hey, ReAd: I need something to drink.” Psalm 42 When Kathy told me she had As the deer longs for forgotten to bring along a supply streams of water, so I of filtered water, I began to get long for you, O God. a bit desperate. The longer we —Psalm 42:1 drove, the more I wondered what it was like to truly die of thirst. Finally, Kathy said, “I know where we can go,” as she drove up to the gate of an embassy. Inside I beheld the most beautiful sight—a water cooler! I grabbed one of the tiny paper cups and filled it again and again. My body had been deprived too long and now required lots of liquid to reverse the effects of dehydration. The psalmist compared physical thirst with spiritual thirst: “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God” (42:1). His thirst was one of desperate longing for God—the one and only “living God” (v.2). Do you long for something this world can’t provide? This dissatisfaction is a thirst of the soul for God. Run to the One who alone can quench that thirst. “For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (Ps. 107:9). —Cindy Hess Kasper Day 6

If we commit ourselves to Christ And follow in His way, He’ll give us life that satisfies With purpose for each day. —Sper

Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink. —Jesus (John 7:37)

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