Learning to be Content when Everyone is Discontent

Contentment. The word evokes images of quiet weekends with your work all behind you. But contentment isn’t simply a result of perfect circumstances. It might surprise you to know that contentment is a state of mind that can be learned. The apostle Paul writes,

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).

Paul learned contentment by shifting his desire for more to a growing desire for Christ.

One of the challenges to contentment in the Western world is the addictive nature of things. I like to call this malady thingishness – we just desire more things.

Just look at these numbers:¹

• 300,000 is the number of items in the average American home.
• Since 1965 the size of the average American home has tripled.
• 32% of people with 2 car garages have room for only 1 car in the garage, because the garage is filled with their things.
• 1 out of every 10 Americans rents off-sight storage because their homes can’t contain all their stuff. 50,000 is the number of off-site storage facilities in the United States.
• 238 is the number of toys the average 10-year old owns (but he plays with only 12 daily).
• 93% of teenage girls rank shopping as their favorite pastime (there are more shopping malls than high schools in the US).
• 3,680 is the number of hours you will spend looking for your lost items over your lifetime.

One of the great dangers of thingishness is that while we always want more things, rarely do we want more of God. The Psalmist said,

As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you (Ps. 42:1).

Paul said,

I have learned…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:12-13).

Thingishness is a subtle dissatisfaction. Without realizing it, the more you have, the more you’ll want. And if you can’t be content with what you have, you’ll never be content with what you want.

¹ Statistics discovered at www.becomingminimalist.com