Life is full of areas of discontentment. Much like the downhill slide of a rollercoaster. And the ups are the happiness of the circumstances of life. But we long for and value contentment. How do we get off that endless rollercoaster cycle of ups and be content in this life?
This life can be so hard. And we are looking for happiness in every area of our lives. But happiness in our circumstances isn’t what satisfies.
Recently in the book of Matthew, I was studying the Beatitudes. I looked up the word, “blessed.” The Greek word is “makaroi” or fully satisfied. The classical Greek defines this as “a state of blessedness in the hereafter.” It is the joy that comes from our salvation that is from being in Christ.
People in life look for good luck or favorable circumstances. The areas that they want to achieve this ‘happiness’ is in themselves or things in this life.
However, these areas of discontentment will only be conquered when we look for contentment in Christ.
Four Areas of Discontentment
While my husband and I were at a couple’s retreat, our speaker, Pastor Frank Switzer*, talked about us having this idea that we should have an easy marriage if we are with our soulmate. However, that is a misconception. Henry Cloud calls it the gap of suffering between our ideal fantasy and what is reality. We have this idea in our heads of how life should be.
I often tell myself that I need to lower my expectations. Since I am a planner, I get upset when the plan doesn’t go as expected. I need to be okay with what happens and what doesn’t happen according to my expectations. If I lower my expectations and go with the flow more, I can be surprised at how things turned out better than I would have ever planned them to be. Even if the situation is hard to understand or navigate, we can learn contentment.
The Apostle Paul said in Philippians:
I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
Philippians 4:11 ESV
After quoting this scripture in Philippians, Pastor Frank said that there are 4 areas of discontentment:
- Who We Are
- Who We Are With
- Where We Are
- What We Do
We will be looking at these areas of discontentment in the next few months. Here are the 4 Areas of Discontentment briefly:
Four Areas of Discontentment
1. Identity: Who We Are
This is who we are as a person. So many times I see on social media talking about being enough and telling ourselves that we are enough. This gives people a false sense of security. We are human after all. And it is guaranteed that we will fail. There is more to life than what we see on the outside and what we think we are on the inside.
God loves each and every one of us. When we choose to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we gain a whole new identity.
Self-discontentment is conquered by holding onto our identity in Christ.
2. Relationships: Who We Are With
Who we are with can affect our contentment. That choice is up to make. If we choose to surround ourselves with people who drag us down or act contrary to what we know is right, or righteous living, then we will reap what we sow.
In the book of Job, we read:
As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.
Job 4:8 ESV
However, if we choose to be with people who exhibit the fruits of the Spirit, then we will have more peaceful relationships. Now – all people are fallen in nature like us. Our relationships with friends or loved ones will not be perfect.
Discontented relationships are conquered by living peaceably with all (Romans 12:18).
3. Location: Where We Are
There is no place like home. But why do we want to live somewhere else? Because we think it will be better there. When in actuality, it will be similar to what we have in our current circumstances but located somewhere else.
This is that whole idea of a utopia and reality all over again. But living elsewhere.
Discontented living is based on who we find our identity in. When you are truly content with being in Christ, location won’t be a big deal. When God is with you, Live and love life wherever you are.
4. Work: What We Do
Work takes up at least 40 hours of our week and one-third of each of our days. Whether we go to a work location or do the work at home, we want to make a difference and do something of significance.
All of us have a job to do. That work can be a heavyweight on our shoulders. Yet it can bring us joy if it is satisfying work.
King Solomon, the richest and the wisest king wrote Ecclesiastes. In this book, he speaks of how everything we do is meaningless under the sun. But if we enjoy what we do, it is a gift.
For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
Ecclesiastes 5:20 ESV
The key to overcoming job dissatisfaction is being occupied with God’s purpose for your life. And that will give us the joy we desire.
Conquering the Four Areas of Discontentment
When studying the Beatitudes, I had come to this conclusion: Blessedness or being fully satisfied in life depends upon fulfilling the conditions that Jesus told His disciples about the be-attitudes of the Sermon on the Mount. If we can focus on “setting [our] minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2), then we CAN achieve contentment and conquer these areas of discontentment.
*Pastor Frank Switzer, Redemption Arizona Church, Arcadia Location.
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Resource Library
Like the Bible verses in this post? You can download them from the resource library to print out. Take them wherever you go to memorize them and store God’s Word in your heart.
