The apostle Paul wrote, “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” (Philippians 4:12). When Paul wrote this he was being held as a prisoner in a Roman jail, and yet he could say, “I have learned the secret of being content in every situation.” Contentment isn’t something we are born with; it must be learned. Like learning how to land an airplane or helicopter, learning to be content is something we have to practice. Learning to be content may be one of the hardest things you have ever tried to learn.
The human nature in all of us desires change, and sometimes these changes can be for the good of mankind and ourselves. But, too often, these desires for a change involve things that have to do with arrogance, greed and lust. We want our financial status, physical attributes, lifestyle and other things to change. We all get the wants! The commercial world knows this and they capitalize on this fleshly weakness that we all have. They try to sell us some product that they say will satisfy our wants and desires, and they pull on those strings of discontent that plague all humans. And we often buy what they are selling, thinking that it will make us content, even though deep within our hearts we know that nothing of this world gives us total contentment.
Because of our sinful nature, humans are never satisfied with anything for very long. Something always seems to pop up out of nowhere to stimulate our wants and if you can’t think of anything you want, then the commercial system of this world will think of it for you. We have all seen advertisements saying, “You have just got to have this or that.” We all have fallen into the trap of wanting things that are dangerous, things we cannot afford and things that are unproductive to our families and ourselves. Usually it’s pride, greed and lust that causes us to have these fleshly wants. David suffered many problems for the rest of his life because of his lustful affair with Bathsheba (Read 2 Samuel 11-12).
A good example of the problems of discontentment is when the Hebrew people that Moses was leading complained that they were tired of eating manna and they wanted meat to eat. Moses said to the Lord, “Where can I get meat for all these people?” The Lord told Moses that He would send so much meat that it would come out of their nostrils and they would loathe it. Moses questioned how this could be done, but the Lord told him to watch and see. The Lord sent quail to them by the millions and no one gathered less than ten homers (about 65 bushels). But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. The people got what they wanted, but they also suffered the consequences (Numbers 11:1-35).
One of the best examples of the danger of discontent in the Bible is that of Ahab and his desire for Nabob’s garden. Ahab wanted it so much that he lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat (1 Kings 21:4). So Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, had Nabob killed and Ahab took Nabob’s Garden. But the result was that Ahab was killed in battle by a stray arrow and the dogs licked his blood off the ground. Jezebel was thrown out of a window and the dogs ate most of her bones, and Jehu killed Ahab’s male descendants and their dead bodies were eaten by dogs and birds, fulfilling the prophecy of Elijah the prophet (I Kings 21:17-25).
Like Ahab’s discontent that led to the dogs licking Ahab’s blood off the ground and eating Jezebel’s bones, and the dogs and birds eating the remains of Ahab’s descendants; the dogs of discontent will lead a person to do things that are immoral, dangerous and stupid. And like the Hebrew people, sometimes after we get what we want, it can deal us misery. There’s the saying, “When the gods want to punish a man, they give him his desires.” There are millions of people who have “wanted” themselves into terrible situations. We all know the saying, “Be careful of what you wish for, you might get it.”
This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to improve ourselves and do a better job at whatever the Lord has given us an opportunity to do. It would be foolish for me to say that all of our wants are bad, because I think the Lord wants us to make improvements in our lives, jobs and business. The Bible teaches that we are to work for our food and to provide for our families (1Timothy 5:8; 2 Thessalonians 3:10). But it’s foolish to think that everyone will, or even can, become rich. We’re not all born with the same mental capabilities, skills and opportunities. The Bible says that it’s God who makes a person rich or poor (1 Samuel 2:7).
Through a strong faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we can overcome these inordinate lustful desires and “wants” for the material things and pleasures of this world. This strong faith will give us the wisdom to know that “All things work for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28), and that God will see to it that all of our needs are met. Whether we are rich or poor, we are often discontented; our fleshly desires can never be totally satisfied. But when we trust the Lord and control our desires and wants, then contentment becomes a reality. “The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble” (Proverbs 19:23). “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).
