The holiday season is upon us—a time that can be both wonderful and tempting. Someone once said, “How much is enough? Just a little bit more than you have.” Ironically, a season that commemorates Thanksgiving and God’s greatest gift—Jesus—also invites comparison, self-pity, and self-indulgence.
That’s why learning contentment in Christ may be the best gift we can give ourselves and those we love this Christmas.
Contentment in Prison
From prison, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:11-19 NLT).
False accusations and an assassination plot had thrown Paul into prison, keeping him from visiting the churches and planting new ones. Chained between palace guards, I can only imagine what his living quarters, company, and food were like. Yet Paul didn’t whine, plead, or complain about the injustice that put him there. As someone who too easily grumbles when life’s unfair, I stand amazed!
Discontentment in Paradise
Now, contrast Paul with Eve. Adam and Eve lived in paradise—perfect health, perfect weather, and perfect fellowship with God, each other, and the animal kingdom. Yet, they fell for the serpent’s lie: “You’re missing out.”
God had told Adam not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil or they would die (Gen. 2:16-17). Adam and Eve probably didn’t know what death was. They certainly lacked the knowledge of evil. Did that ignorance make them more vulnerable to Satan’s whisper that God was holding out on them?
I don’t think so. They knew God’s character. He’d never given them any reason to mistrust Him. They could have easily brought their concerns to Him.
The Bible warns us to be innocent of evil too. All knowledge isn’t good. Adam and Eve had the same resources Paul had. They had direct access to the triune God. Perhaps fearing they’d lose their nerve, instead of asking God about what the serpent promised, they took the bait.
Application for Us
When we obey God, we rarely see the pain we escape. If Adam and Eve had resisted temptation, they’d never have known heartbreak, betrayal, grief, and shame. They’d never have smelled death’s stench or felt the helplessness of being unable to ease the suffering of a soul seeking relief. They’d never have lost two sons in one day—one murdered, the other the murderer.
If they’d trusted God and learned the secret of contentment, today there would be no divorce lawyers, no treatment centers, no grief groups, hospitals, or armies.
When we find our contentment in Christ, comparison loses its grip. The pull to measure our circumstances, celebrations, or families against someone else’s—or even against our past—fades. New possibilities open.
The desire for something other than what God has allowed can be deadly. While godly desires move us to act in faith, nothing on this earth will ever satisfy carnal ones.
Paul found contentment in prison. Eve lost it in paradise. Like Paul, we can learn contentment in Christ by:
- Remembering who God is and how much He loves us.
- Giving thanks for what we have instead of pining for what we wish we had.
- Praying with thanksgiving and thinking on what is good and lovely.
God promises His peace and presence to those who do (Phil. 4:4-9).
Like Paul, Adam, and Eve, our choices impact more lives than we can measure. We may never know the pain we’ve escaped by walking with God—but that’s the fruit of contentment in Christ, and something I’m grateful to miss out on.
Paul found contentment in prison. Eve lost it in paradise. Learn how to find yours this holiday season. #Faith #ContentmentInChrist #Gratitude #ChristianLiving Share on XBlessings,
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Thank you Debbie!
Thank you, CJ!
So good! You’ve put your finger on the key to gratitude!
Thank you, Michele. Paul certainly inspires me.
The last paragraph is so poignant–that Paul found contentment in prison and Eve lost it in paradise. We lean too much on our circumstances, but in Christ we can be content anywhere.
That challenges me when I lean too much on mine. Thanks, Barbara.
I’ve often wondered if the torn in his hand – could that be symbolism for the discomfort and frustration of his circumstances – yet He did not let it steal the goodness of God. Contentment can only be found in His presence!
Good question, Maryleigh. I wonder if it isn’t spelled out so we can apply it to every circumstance.
Thanks for this heart-touching message. I believe it’s very important for Christians to focus more on Jesus, who is our greatest treasure. Although the challenges will come, if we fully rely on God, we will see him at work in every single struggle.
Amen Debbie. I loved your message. We must learn and practice contentment in our faith more often.
Yvonne, I’m glad Paul said he “learned” to be content. There’s hope for all of us in every circumstance.
I really appreciated this line – When we obey God, we rarely see the pain we escape. I think sometimes I feel like I should receive what I want and when from God as a result of obedience. Sometimes, it is not the good we see, but the pain we don’t see yet escape that comes from obedience. Thanks for the reminder.
Joanna, you’re right. This occurred to me when someone mentioned she didn’t see the reward of her obedience. Protection from the consequences we’d have realized if we’d indulged in sinful behavior is a wonderful reward.
Thank you for the three bullet points at the end, Debbie–easy-to-remember steps toward contentment. Contentment does begin in the mind!
Thanks, Nancy. I’m glad those resonated with you too.