Is Discontentment Winning?

Every day we are faced with choices that bring us closer to the character of Christ, or further away from His presence.  We normally recognize those opportunities even if we ignore their impact.  One such decision is the sentiment/expression of discontentment over our current situations because they aren’t what we wanted for ourselves.  It’s not that there is an issue in wanting better, we just have to be careful to not let that desire consume us, or stop us from finding joy in the present.  When we become consumed, we lose sight of God’s will, and often His blessings.

Discontentment in the Bible

The first example of discontentment in the Bible starts with the Garden of Eden.  Satan convinced Eve that her current state wasn’t good enough. The only way for her to feel content would be for her to be like God.  So Eve made a choice before she bit into the forbidden fruit.  She chose to become unsatisfied with God’s way in exchange for perceived contentment rooted in self.  Satan convinced Eve that she personally needed more.  He didn’t even have to bring Adam into the situation.  So she took the fruit, and then shared it with her husband.  They became cut off from their direct relationship with God, and the good He prepared for them.

Therein lies the danger in discontentment.  It has the ability to quickly appear and then rule over us.  We cast aside God’s character under the guise that the situation warrants it.  For example, discontentment allows people to be dishonest in relationships without feeling too bad; the other person deserves it. We lie on the job to get promoted because – that’s the only way or I need the extra money. Discontentment allows us to foolishly accept our self-pity, selfishness, and rash decision-making over God’s character and His will for us.  Philippians 4:11 tells us to be content in all situations.  If our eyes on stayed on Christ, we understand how to accept our current state, not because we don’t want more, but because wanting more will never rule us.

Joy & Perseverance

In Galatians 5:22-26, we learn that:

the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

If we let discontentment consume us, we often don’t feel joyful or kind.  No situation or person should allow us to not live in the character of Christ.  Everyone deserves our best, not because of what we receive, but because of who God is to us.  Anything or anyone pulling you away from that needs to be cut off.

When God intends for good in your life, please realize that the devil knows too. Satan works overtime in an attempt to wear us down and cause us to lose faith. When life seems to be falling apart, keep your eyes on God. He doesn’t always remove us from the storms, but He will make sure we have the right equipment and mindset to navigate through the turbulence.

The Power in Knowing God

Our greatest blessings take work, and that work starts with our relationship with Christ.  If Job had not put in the work to foster a deep relationship with Christ, he would have never made it through the storm.  If Joseph had not shown the character of Christ even in the worst of situations, he would have never been able to take care of his family when the famine came.  Sadly, Adam and Eve chose to stop paddling. They took their focus off God and onto themselves.

What’s interesting about Adam and Eve, is that their choice to eat the forbidden fruit only spans six verses (Genesis 3:1-2). It was quick, but the results immense. Choosing sin can be incredibly easy even if it’s ridiculously illogical. Discontentment is a way for us to fall into sin, without thinking about the impact it has on ourselves and those around us.  If we really want to put on the character of Christ, we have to learn to paddle through the discontentment, reexamine our priorities, and press forward.  As children of God, He expects nothing less from us.