Crushing Discontentmentናሙና

Today, we’ll begin our deep dive into the '5 Causes of Discontentment' and how we can counter those reasons from a Biblical perspective. While the 5 C’s of discontentment that I’ve outlined are not a comprehensive list, they give us a peek into how the Enemy stirs up dissatisfaction in our lives.

With that, let’s get into the first C of discontentment: We want to be in control.

We often believe that we know best. We’re disappointed when things don’t work out the way we’d planned. Sometimes, we assume that we make a better, smarter ‘god’ than God Himself.

When that job doesn’t work out the way we think it should, or the relationship goes south, or we don't get admission into the university we'd counted on, we grow disillusioned. We ask in frustration, “How could this happen?” because we’ve bought into the notion that we’re in control.

When our first parents, Adam and Eve, were in the garden, despite the abundance they'd been provided, they grew discontent because they wanted control. They wanted to be like God. Discontentment broke their fellowship with God and, consequently, humanity’s relationship with a Holy God. Friends, discontentment is serious business.

How can we counter dissatisfaction when circumstances don’t align with our expectations? Here's the first C to crush discontentment:

We can learn to trust the character of God.

Paul trusted God’s character. Paul trusted God’s sovereign power. He knew that he wasn't in prison because the Romans put him there but because of God's sovereign purpose—his chains served to advance the gospel. Paul trusted God’s goodness. Yes, he had been shipwrecked, beaten, flogged, and chased out of cities, but he writes in his letter to the Romans: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28). Paul trusted God’s love. He writes again in the book of Romans: And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:38).

If we long for contentment, then we need to surrender control to a sovereign, good, and loving God.

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you discontented because things have not gone the way you’d planned?

Lean In: Lord, I yield to You. I trust Your character. You are sovereign, You are good, and You are loving. I surrender my plans to You. Help me experience Your joy and contentment. Amen.