As Christians, we often hear phrases, comments, Scriptures, sermons (and the list goes on for miles) about contentment. This is primarily because it is such an important concept, but also because so few people truly understand what it means to be content—especially from a financial perspective. Our next few blog posts will discuss what contentment means and how it can improve your life, particularly as it relates to your money.

What the Scriptures Say

Let’s start with one of the most popular “contentment” verses in the Bible: Matthew 6:25-26 (ESV):

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Now, this is not saying that we should never plan for the future, but rather that we should be content with circumstances the way that they are until God makes a way to change them. If you force the issue and change things yourself, it may work, at least short-term, but you might miss an opportunity for it to work better, faster, or with fewer consequences. For instance, taking out a payday loan will pay some bills and keep the lights running, but the payments are extremely expensive and the interest rate is astronomical. Pray and seek God to find another way to pay something that absolutely must be paid, or consider making other arrangements before going into more debt.

The same can be said for big purchases: instead of always wanting something bigger, nicer, faster, better, etc…be happy with what you have, so long as it is in working order. We are obsessed with upgrades… where in days gone by we’d do replacements when something broke. Only replace those things that you can’t do without, and then take care to replace using cost-efficient methods as God leads you.

Another great Scripture about contentment is a few verses down, Matthew 6:32-33 (NIV):

“For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Notice what it says… “seek first His kingdom” – in other words get your priorities right first, and everything else will fall into place thereafter. God knows what you need, from transportation to clothing, and it’s common to see believers and unbelievers alike chasing after these things. We all want to look great and drive a nice vehicle, to live in the most modern home with a manicured lawn, and so forth, but being content means keeping what you have until God provides something better. Keep in mind that the Lord knows what you need (and what you want), and He’ll provide for those needs. As King David says in Psalm 37:25, the seed of the righteous won’t have to beg for bread.

Philippians 4:12 (NIV), one of the most commonly quoted contentment Scriptures in the Bible, states:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

Most of us know what it’s like to be in both situations, to have plenty and to want. The secret to being content is simply making up your mind that you will be content! Remember that God knows your needs, understands timelines, and will always provide for you and your family. It may not always be what you want, or in the time-frame that you deem likely, but He will provide.

One final thought: “No” is as much of an answer as “Yes”… and when you say “No” to something you are also saying “Yes” to something else (and vise versa)… but we’ll talk about that next time…

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