learning to be content with my Lord’s provision.

“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment” (1 Timothy 6:6 NAS95).

Of all spiritual virtues, contentment comes second in my ‘most needed list’ after humility. I have come to realize that one cannot possess true contentment without first being truly humble. Neither of these two virtues come easy to me. I know that some people are born with a measure of natural humility and contentment. I would say I was bypassed because I possess neither. In all my years of walking with my Lord, the struggle has been the fiercest in this area of being humble enough to content myself with God’s provision for my life. Every sinful human being is born with the mindset that accumulating more will give us the ultimate satisfaction; our modern societies have cemented this mindset with the advent of materialism. We are constantly bombarded with advertisements to buy, buy, buy. The rich and powerful are portrayed before all as the happiest of all mankind because they have the most stuff. Yet, the Creator in the flesh already said that human life is not about the stuff we can have (Luke 12:15). Basically saying that the true meaning of our lives on this little planet does not consist of the material possessions we can acquire. The reason for our existence lies somewhere else.

Since I naturally lack contentment, it continues to be grueling trying to accept and be content with whatever provision the Lord sends my way. After all, the Spirit of my God is telling me through dear apostle Paul that contentment combined with holy living is a wonderful gain. He gives the reason why it is ludicrous to not be content since all of us are unable to take anything out of this world when we die. Moreover, the same apostle elsewhere informs us that whatever we receive in life is provisioned from our loving Heavenly Father, and He always knows what is best for us. The word used by the apostle to capture the idea of contentment is autarkeia, which means self-sufficiency according to the Strong’s Lexicon; this word had great use in ancient Greek philosophy because the idea behind it was having enough regardless of external circumstances. I think that the New Testament uses it to teach believers to be at ease, at peace and untroubled in whatever circumstances believers find themselves. After all, believers in Christ are never alone, will never be abandoned, and God promised to provide all their necessities of life according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

How hard it is to be truly content in Messiah! Not because Messiah Jesus is deficient or lacks anything, the Bible tells me that He is enough, but because of my own sin. The good news is that contentment is a gift that needs teaching and learning (Philippians 4:11-13). Paul himself had to learn it. The good news is that my Lord is my personal Teacher, who will teach me the “…secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:12-13 NAS95). This virtue of contentment is not only related to material possessions. This principle can be applied to all blessings that we receive from the hand of Almighty God.

Holly Father, teach me the secret of contentment. Help me to find sufficiency in Christ Jesus, my Lord, in all circumstances. Teach me to be content with all blessings you have already given me: my salvation, my physical life with its ailments, my wife, my children, my socioeconomic status in society, my spiritual gifts, temptations that come my way, your discipline. Let me see Your divine hand in everything that happens in my life. I ask all of this for the glory of my Lord and the praise of His name. Amen!