5 Things You Can Start Doing Today to Find Godly Contentment

Contentment can be defined as a type of “satisfaction,” or “happiness,” or as one site puts it, an “ease of mind.” Contentment doesn’t mean we don’t want more of anything. Rather, to be content is to be okay with what is, or in other words, to say what you currently have is enough.

Often, we are worn down by concerns of having enough money, enough relationships or connection, enough time, and the list goes on. If we were to adopt a contented mindset, we might still want more, but we certainly wouldn’t be worn down by worries.

That being said, knowing what contentment is doesn’t quite explain how to get there. In the aforementioned passage from Paul, we don’t get a literal definition of the word, but he does illustrate for us a contented mindset. He, a man who was stoned, imprisoned, sick, and afflicted with much more, says that he learned how to make do with a little and with a lot. This means that he went through seasons of life where there was plenty of good, and seasons where the good was lacking. In whichever place he found, Paul discovered how to do well.

He was not worn down with worries. On the contrary, he felt empowered. Christ strengthened him.

Needless to say, that’s probably the kind of mindset you want for yourself and your loved ones. I certainly do. If that’s the case, there are more than a few ways to achieve the contentment that Paul did.

There are likely several ways to find contentment, but let’s focus on the big ones that you can start implementing in your life today.

1. Flee Sin

If you are not content already, chances are sin might be getting in the way. Often, in life, we can easily discern what others are doing wrong, but seldom do we have such a critical eye when examining ourselves.

Spend some time reflecting on why you don’t feel content. Do you constantly desire more because of a lack of self-control, because of bad role models, because of addiction, or something else? The sooner we get out of our own way, the closer we come to finding contentment.

2. Pray Constantly

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer. Just as God can change the hearts of others, He can change your heart, too. Talk to him about what troubles you and how you want to put those troubles in the past. He can not only bless you with His perfect peace, but help you see the ways in which you (or others) are holding you back. The more transparent we can be with God, the more we invite Him to work in our lives.

3. Express Gratitude

The Bible encourages us to give thanks, and most believers do just that. We recognize that gratitude is important and thus, we say thanks for acts of service, gifts, and tell our kids to do the same. However, many of us don’t recognize just how grateful we ought to be. Perhaps, what Paul discovered is that while there are obvious blessings we know to thank God for, there are also blessings that will go unseen if we allow it. Someone holding the door open for you is much more obvious than being able to use the restroom without any pain, or sleep in a bed, or have a job. There are blessings that we say thanks for once and forget about, and others we never think to be grateful for at all. Imagine what your mindset would look like if that changed.

4. Refine Your Perspective

If there’s a certain way you’re used to thinking and you want to think in a new, better way, then there’s work you have to put in. No one controls you but you. Therefore, if you want to be more content, make a list of ways in which you need to alter any negative beliefs holding you back. For example, some people say that they will not be happy until X happens. That could be marriage, having a child, or finding a job. Rather than holding your own self captive, learn to be content with God and with what you do have, in the present.

5. Remember Those Blessings

God has come through on your behalf before, and He’ll do it again. Scripture tells us time and time again that He keeps His promises. When He does, don’t fall into the normal human tendency to forget. If you need to, write those blessings down in a journal or somewhere else where you will get a visual reminder. And when you need to, seek out that reminder. The more you think about what God has done, the more you will realize what He can and will do.

There’s no need to be discontent, but we trick ourselves into such a mindset because we’re flawed, sinful, and human. However, like Paul, we can turn our human weaknesses on their heads and become men and women who are content. Why? Because Christ strengthens us.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/RyanJLane 

Aaron D'Anthony Brown is a freelance writer, hip-hop dance teacher, and visual artist, living in Virginia. He currently contributes to Salem Web Network’s Crosswalk platform and supports various clients through the freelancing website Upwork. He's an outside-the-box thinker with a penchant for challenging the status quo. 

Get in touch with him at aarondanthony.com and check out his debut short story anthology Honey Dreams on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.