Now that you have a better understanding of contentment, we can talk a little more about what it really means to be content in our society. We live in a world where everyone always wants more, and once they get more, they discover that they need even more. This creates a spiraling process of more wherein more is never enough, and those who can’t get enough can never truly find happiness. Sure, money can’t buy happiness, but being happy with what you have is a great start toward true contentment.

Today we’ll start with Hebrews 13:5 (NIV):

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

Dispelling Some Common Misconceptions

It’s a common myth that money is evil, or the root of evil, as some people say, and those who quote this Scripture should read the rest of the verse first. It isn’t money itself that is evil, but rather the love of it. Loving money indicates many negative character traits, from greed to selfishness, but there is nothing wrong with money.

The misconception leads to many Christians avoiding money—giving much away instead of establishing savings accounts because they want to shun the idea of having too much money. Instead, seek God about what you should do with your money and retrain your brain to avoid the love of money. To overcome greed and selfishness, read the Bible and ask God to help you discover a new love—serving Him.

Another common misconception is that Christians have to be poor, or that rich Christians are fake Christians, and this myth stems from the first one. Again, we don’t have to be poor in order to be good Christians, nor does being rich automatically make you greedy or a sure winner for hell. When we are doing what is right, we should expect blessings, and that includes financial blessings, to be used for the care of our families and ourselves. It is wise (and biblical) to expect to reap what we sow.

Learning to be Content

Whether you are rich, poor, or (most likely) somewhere in between, learn to be happy with what you have until you can change your situation. Work hard at getting out of debt, but don’t immediately rush into more debt in order to obtain better, nicer things. When you’re happy with what you have, and the debt is clear, you will find that your priorities relating to money become entirely different. Instead of always wanting more, you may discover that you’re more interested in giving, saving, investing, and preparing for the future.

Contentment is not something that most of us are born with, although some people struggle less than others with the idea. Instead, it has to be learned, just like studying another language for some people, and that takes work. Put some thought into how you can learn to be content instead of always hoping for new things or wanting better things. Replace what needs to be replaced (or repair what should be repaired), obviously, and don’t wallow in self-pity or poverty just to avoid the “root of all evil.” Be smart with your money, and it will work for you!

Now on the lighter side… one of my favourites when it comes to understanding contentment…

Q: “Who is more content – the man with 10 kids or the man with $1m?”
A: “The man with 10 kids, because he doesn’t want any more!” 😉

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