How to Find Lasting Contentment

June 12, 2025/Le Ann Trees/
Photo Credit: Sergnester / iStock.com

Photo Credit: Sergnester / iStock.com

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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. — Hebrews 13:5

Finding contentment can often seem like chasing the end of a rainbow. You feel like you’re getting closer to it and then the end seems just a little further away.

Perhaps we would like to improve our living situation is some way but don’t have the money to make it happen. Or maybe we want a certain relationship with someone but some circumstance is impeding the connection. We want good health but encounter one medical issue after another or find ourselves enduring a long term illness with no known healing in sight.

Just the fact that someone else has something can make that something more desirable to us.

Recently my daughter was observing two young children at play. Once one of the children started playing with a small toy car, the other child wanted to play with that very car. Five minutes earlier the toy had been of no interest to either child. This scenario is a likely familiar one to anyone who is around little ones on a regular basis.

Adults often aren’t much different from children in that respect, although we usually do a better job of hiding our covetousness. Much of our discontent arises from seeing something attractive or useful that other people have and then wanting it for ourselves. And just like the children vying with each other for the toy car, the fact that someone else has something can make that something desirable to us.

The apostle Paul learned to be content, and we can as well.

The problem isn’t with the “somethings” if they are good things; rather, the problem is with our minds and hearts. The new life we have in Christ is in conflict with the old sinful nature we inherited from Adam. Our sinful flesh lusts for more and more of whatever appeals to us; yet, God’s word tells us that we are not to let such desires rule over us:

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Rom. 6:12-14)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Gal. 5:16-18)

What the apostle Paul is saying in the above passages is that we have the Spirit of God indwelling us, and we are no longer slaves to sin because the Spirit of God has given us new life in Christ. We can choose to orient our minds and hearts to what is pleasing to God because we are new creations in Christ.

Being content doesn’t mean we should never seek to make positive changes in our lives.

Finding contentment involves growing in the spiritual fruit of self-control so that we train our hearts and minds to want what God wants for us. Since we still possess fallen natures, we will have weak moments. We won’t always obey God perfectly. Yet, we should desire to live in a way that is pleasing to our Lord. Reading the Bible, praying, worshipping with the saints on the Lord’s Day, and regular fellowship with other believers all help us grow in godly self-control over lustful desires and feelings of discontent.

There is nothing wrong at all with trying to improve our circumstances in a God-honoring way. Being content doesn’t mean we should never seek to make positive changes in our lives. We may choose to work hard at earning more income or improving our health. We may also decide to live in a different place, attend a different church, or grow (or let go of) certain relationships. Such decisions require knowledge, wisdom, and prayer so that our efforts are glorifying to God and not sinful or destructive in any way.

God wants us to trust him in all circumstances.

The world constantly tries to ruin our Christian contentment. The apostle John exhorts us,

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. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

The devil wants our minds and hearts focused on anything but Christ. Satan wants us to constantly be dissatisfied with what God has provided for us; yet, God wants us to trust him in all circumstances for he is working his plan in our lives for good:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Rom. 8:28)

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:10)

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:11-13)

Lasting contentment is found only in Christ.

The truth is that no matter how many possessions we have, how much people love us, or whatever good health we enjoy, our sinful natures will always desire more: more stuff, more adventures, more relationships, more admiration, longer life, the list goes on.

The more we realize Christ is all we need, the more we will be able to rest in what God has for us right now. God’s word teaches us that the not-so-secret secret to being content is finding all our contentment in Christ, for our Savior is always enough. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible reveals to us that our loving God provides everything good, true, and beautiful that we will ever need and desire, both now and for all eternity.

This article is adapted from “Finding Contentment” in Beautiful Christian Life’s June 2024 monthly newsletter, “Contentment.”

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