Contentment

Some people are never satisfied and always want more or better things such as a better car, more friends, more money or a bigger house. They are never content.

There are also people who are content with their situation, even though they still have desires. Those people live with an attitude of contentment.

Discontent is not the same as indifference or fatalism. When something is not right, then you can take a stand against it and work on improving the situation. Luke 18:1-18, for example, tells the story of a woman who keeps returning to a judge to plead for her rights. The psalmist in Psalm 43 also asks God to defend his cause (Psalm 43:1). Nobody should be content with injustice. However, the Bible is critical of people who are always chasing after more when they already have enough.

David is rich and has many wives, but still sleeps with the wife of one of his soldiers. Then the prophet Nathan visits the king and tells him a story about a rich farmer who takes his neighbour’s lamb. This shows David clearly that he has done wrong (2 Samuel 12:1-9).

Ecclesiastes 6:6-9 says that your life is useless if all you want is to get richer and you are not content with what you have.

The Bible is also often negative about greed, but positive about being content with what you have. You must not look for security in money or possessions, but trust in God.

When is God satisfied? What do you need to do to please him? You can read about this in the book of Micah. It says that God is not a God of “more, more, more”. God is satisfied if you live a good and righteous life and keep his commandments: