Question 1

How can I find contentment, regardless of life’s circumstances?

Accepted Answer

1 Timothy 6:6-8True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.Contentment comes from a proper perspective of eternity. Contentment is not how much you accumulate on earth but how much you send ahead to heaven. Who you are goes with you to eternity; what you have stays here.Psalm 90:14Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.Psalm 107:8-9Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.Psalm 119:35Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.Contentment comes from the assurance that God loves you unconditionally. Nothing you do can make him love you more and nothing you can do can make him love you less. He promises to care for you.Philippians 4:11-13Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. 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.Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”Contentment settles in your heart when you meditate on God’s presence in your life and commit yourself to his priorities. Money and material goods cannot offer the peace and satisfaction that come from a personal relationship with God. The richest people on earth, in material terms, are impoverished if they do not know God.Matthew 5:3“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”Luke 14:33“So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.”2 Peter 1:3By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.Contentment comes when you are willing to give up everything for God. Only then are you truly free to rest in the peace and security God offers. Contentment is not how much you have (material wealth), but what you do for God with what you have (spiritual wealth).Genesis 33:9“My brother, I have plenty,” Esau answered. “Keep what you have for yourself.”Forgiving those who have wronged you is a key to contentment because it prevents you from the unhappiness that comes from holding a grudge. Esau had plenty of reason to hold a grudge against his brother Jacob, but he chose to let go of it, being content with the blessings God had provided him.Isaiah 26:3You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!There are many ways to have peace or what you think is peace, but genuine peace is found only in a trusting relationship with the Lord. Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of God.

Question 2

In what or whom should I find contentment?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 23:1-3The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.Contentment is found in God’s continual care for you. The opening verses of this beloved psalm remind you that God guards you with his love, rest, protection, provision, and direction. Nothing else in this world can satisfy you as deeply and completely.Psalm 107:8-9Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.Psalm 119:35Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”God, who is the source of every good thing, will satisfy your needs and give you contentment. Hungry bodies may be satisfied with a good meal, but hungry souls can be satisfied only with God.

Question 3

What is the relationship between wealth and contentment?

Accepted Answer

Ecclesiastes 5:10Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!1 Timothy 6:17Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.If you think that having a little more money will bring you contentment, you are being deceived. No amount of wealth can bring contentment. True contentment comes from knowing you are loved by God and serving others with God’s love.Ecclesiastes 5:19-20Is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.Philippians 4:11-13I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. 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.Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”Contentment is not dependent on wealth, nor does it have to be stifled by poverty. Wealth by itself is neutral—neither good nor bad. The key is to thank God for what you have, enjoy his presence in your life, and use your time and resources to please him.1 Timothy 6:6-8True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.Knowing that your real home is with God in eternity should help you be content that your future is secure. Making wise personal investments in time, character, and people here will bring you great wealth in heaven.Proverbs 30:7-9O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.Ask God for the kind of contentment that keeps holiness and obedience directly in your path.

Question 4

How can I lose my contentment?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 3:4-5“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”One of Satan’s strategies is to get you to believe the illusion that God has withheld something from you that will make you truly happy and content. You then break trust with God and lose the relationship that leads to true contentment. But Satan continues, insisting that you just need a little more. A person who is never satisfied is a person who fails to fully trust God.Luke 12:15Then [Jesus] said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”John 21:20-22Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?” Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?” Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”Comparisons with others can rob you of peace and contentment. Jesus calls you to travel your own unique road with him. You will find joy and satisfaction when you resist comparing yourself to others and focus on following him.

Question 5

How can I be a source of contentment in my relationships?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 106:3There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right.Psalm 119:1Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.Psalm 133:1How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!When you treat people justly, conduct yourself in a godly manner, and try to be pleasant, your relationships will be harmonious and others will find contentment in them.

Question 6

What is the risk in being too content?

Accepted Answer

Hosea 13:6When you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me.When contentment leads to complacency, you are in trouble. Enjoying God’s blessings should lead you to stay close to him and not forget him, to thank him and not ignore him. You are at high risk when you find your ultimate contentment in things that fail the test of eternity—possessions, wealth, food, career, social position—because when they fail, your contentment ends. Your ultimate contentment comes through your relationship with the Lord who never fails.