Contentment is a matter of accepting from God what He sends because we know that  He is a good God and wants to give good gifts to His children. Therefore, we accept from God’s hand that which He gives. All that is needed He will supply. Even pain and suffering that seemingly cannot be corrected, He can redeem. In His time.

The five characteristics of contentment include the absence of envy, humility, self-discipline, a disdain for greed and corruption. The lack of contentment leads to envy and jealousy. In a society that lacks contentment, people engage in all kinds of evil acts. Greed and the strong desire for personal wealth, this is one of the negative ways and effects of the lack of contentment.

The “more is better” mentality teaches us that to be satisfied in life, we need this item or that gadget. There is also a worldly “simple living” mentality that says satisfaction comes by getting rid of stuff and living with less. While there is some biblical truth to the thinking that we should not pursue earthly goods obsessively, a simple lifestyle alone does not guarantee a contented heart.

We live in a world that breeds discontent. We are bombarded with the message that to be happy we need more things, a perfect body, a bigger house, and fewer troubles. But ultimately, the problem is the sinful human heart. We are often discontented in our jobs, our marriages, our churches, our homes, and in most areas of our lives.

This is the point that the Apostle Paul makes in Philippians 4: 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. (vv. 11–13).

The fact that Paul refers to the “secret,” or “mystery,” of contentment, how-ever, indicates that contentment does not come naturally, but also that how we pursue contentment is contrary to human ways of thinking.

Jesus’ disciples struggled with contentment by being anxious and by worrying. Worrying about the future led them to being discontent. Jesus responded by teaching them, “For the gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them before you ask.”