It is rare that I have ever treated this website as a blog like it is so often referred to by others. My hope for this site has always been to proclaim Apostolic truth, not the happenings of my own personal life. That being said I am going to break that unwritten rule this month. For a change, I am writing more of a blog post. Over the next month, I plan to truly practice contentment for the betterment of my personal spiritual life. I want to truly live out contentment instead of simply claiming it. So through the month of February, I will try to truly practice contentment. It is only by God’s grace that I felt led to this on the cusp of the shortest month of the year.
Blessed Beyond Measure
I can not deny being blessed. Truly I have more than one should ever need in order to be content. Jesus wrote for the person who has two jackets to give one to the person in need. The startling truth is I cannot begin to call to remembrance all the various jackets I have tucked away at home. Calling me to question just how much more I should be sharing. But that is not the subject of this post. The point really is that I have so much. Every reason to be content with all I am blessed to possess. In fact, I often claim that I am content with what I have. But is that really what my actions have been showing?
The simple answer is no. The number of times USPS, FedEx, and UPS stop at my house any given week is proof enough that isn’t the case. My actions and shopping habits prove the opposite. The fact I always feel the need to get the next thing shows I am not content with what I have. If I was then I wouldn’t constantly feel the need for the next thing. But if I was truly content I would simply enjoy and be thankful for what I have. This causes me to wonder if I am truly responding in thankfulness to all God has blessed me with. I say I am thankful and feel as though I am. But if my actions don’t show this does it really count?
Why Am I Practicing Contentment?
Because the Bible teaches that godliness with contentment is in itself great gain. It goes on to say that we brought nothing into this world and we can’t take anything with us when we leave. So if we have enough food and clothing let us be content. Which I very well do in fact compared to most people it could be said that I have much more. Yet, as I have said above I have failed to truly live a content lifestyle.
1 Timothy 6:6–8 (ESV)
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)
5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
The Bible also teaches multiple times that the sacrifice God often desires most is that of thankfulness. This can be seen in Psalm 50:14 which says “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God.” I simply feel I cannot truly offer God a sacrifice of thankfulness as long as I am practicing discontentment by constantly seeking the next thing.
Psalm 107:22 (ESV)
22 And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
Being a Christian is about more than simply knowing the scriptures but living them out. As James wrote we must not be hearers of the word only but doers. If I know I should be content but never live like I am then I am nothing more than a hearer never truly living out the faith. I want my life to truly align with the scripture. So I must correct those areas in which I am not doing the best job. This is a clear issue and my hope is over the next month I will find a new appreciation for all I have. No longer feeling the nagging desire to always seek the next thing.
The best I can figure is that in order to truly start living with contentment I must make a conscious effort to not constantly seek more. To me, the best way to start down this journey is to simply stop getting new things for a short period of time. Because the truth is I truly don’t need anything more except those items used daily. So over this next month, that’s just what I will do. Choosing to embrace all I have, enjoy it, and show God the thankfulness for it I should have been showing this whole time.
How I Plan To Practice Contentment?
Through the month of February, I plan to not purchase anything that is not a direct necessity for life. That means only buying food, hygiene products, cleaning products, and gasoline as needed. This would of course exclude items such as clothing, entertainment, hobby-related items, and truly anything else that is not needed to sustain life. I also plan to not eat out during this time as well. For the simple fact that most of the time when we eat out it is not truly necessary. In reality, it is simply to fulfill a desire for something other than the food I am already blessed to have at home.
Now spending money isn’t the only way we produce the fruit of discontentment. It can also be seen in our window or online shopping habits. Something that I am often guilty of when bored or planning what we are going to do next. Instead of spending downtime lusting after the next thing that I am going to buy, I should be enjoying the things I already have. The things that only days or sometimes even minutes earlier I desired so greatly. So in conjunction with not spending money on non-necessities, I plan to also not shop in any way for non-necessities.
But It Isn’t Sinful
It could easily be argued that the behaviors I have been exhibiting are not in themselves sinful. Which to an extent is true, but I would argue that anything left unchecked and allowed to consume you can quickly become sinful. This is exactly how I feel about my desire to always get the next thing and not find true contentment with what I have. But even if it is sinful or not shouldn’t really be the true test. As Paul wrote under God’s inspiration just because something is allowed doesn’t mean it is good for you. As my Pastor recently said the Bible doesn’t say not to play on the freeway but you know better than to try.
1 Corinthians 6:12 (ESV)
12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
1 Corinthians 10:23 (ESV)
23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.
It should also be taken into account that all the physical things we possess in this life are worldly and will one day be gone. So it shouldn’t be our goal to spend all our time chasing the next thing that is set to one day burn up. Nor should we allow our hearts and minds to be consumed by the things of this world. When instead they should be captivated by and focused on God. When we start chasing the things of the world we are following the leading of the flesh which is the very thing scripture instructs us to put in submission.
Matthew 24:35 (ESV)
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
2 Peter 3:10–11 (ESV)
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
1 John 2:15 (ESV)
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Romans 8:7–9 (ESV)
7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Personally my desire is to subdue the flesh the best I can so I can better follow the leading of the Spirit. So taking the time to focus on the contentment sounds like the perfect way to train the body. Putting everything in its right place in my life. While also taking the time to honor God for all He has blessed me with by expressing just how thankful I am for what I have through my actions.
1 Corinthians 9:25–27 (ESV)
25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
My Purpose In This
I do not share this to seem like some super spiritual person. In fact, I believe this post exposes the fact that I often am not. My plan also isn’t to inspire others to do as I am. If you so chose that is great but not my true intent. I simply write all this for two reasons. Writing in this way is often the best way I know to format my thoughts. Then I plan to post this to be held accountable and not simply give up when the first thought draws me to Amazon.
That’s my purpose for writing and sharing this post but it’s not the reason I want to practice contentment in this way. My hope is not that I will find some special favor with God. Or that I will feel so much greater and have some grand revelation at the end of the month. I simply want to live out the contentment shown within the pages of scripture and break the bonds I have allowed the world to place on me. I know I have all I need and I want to live like it. No longer seeking the next thing but truly enjoying and being thankful for all I have.
Not Impossible But Still A Change
I am aware that this isn’t some grueling task that will be hard to accomplish. But it cannot be denied it will be a drastic change from the norm I have established in my life. One formed from growing up in the internet age and the instant gratification culture we now live in. Hopefully at the end of the month I will prove successful in this journey. But my even greater hope is that I will find true contentment in this life I have been blessed with. Not falling back into the same covetous, self seeking, and selfish hole I have been living in. I pray God will help me as I seek to truly practice contentment this month and beyond.
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