Discontentment.
Sounds innocuous doesn’t it?
Murder, adultery, lies–those all sound like the awful things they are. Discontentment, however, that doesn’t seem so terrible.
But one of Satan’s greatest victories occurs when he deceives us into believing that our sins aren’t all that bad. And this time of year, discontentment is rampant as we buy more, decorate more, party more, everything more in a vain attempt to satisfy the emptiness we feel or to pursue a perfect holiday.
Thomas Boston was an early 18th century Scottish minister–a Puritan theologian, who wrote a sermon titled “The Hellish Sin of Discontent.” Now, I know that sounds quite melodramatic, but he was Scottish after all. (I adore Scotland, for the record!) Check out this quote from his sermon:
“It [discontent] is a torment to one’s self and makes a man his own tormentor. It wraps him up in darkness, feeds him with bitterness, and gives him gall and wormwood to drink for his ordinary. It robs him of the best worldly thing he can possess…his peace and tranquility of mind. [It] makes his mind within him as the troubled sea that cannot rest. So the discontented person is on a continual rack, and he himself is executioner… ”
Dramatic. Harsh even, but accurate.
Discontentment is a dangerous sin.
When we are content, we have an inner peace that comes from knowing that God is in control and that He desires good things for us. It means that we trust God. Discontentment then is mistrusting God. It is the exact opposite of faith. Discontentment shows a desire to be sovereign, a belief that our plan is better than God’s plan. It denies the wisdom of God and casts us in His role. Discontentment insinuates that God made a mistake, that our present circumstances are wrong, and contentment will only come when those circumstances align with our desires. Discontentment believes that we deserve something better than what God has given us. It covets something God has not been pleased to give us. It causes us to forget Romans 8:32, that God loved us so much He did not even hold back His own Son to redeem us. Why would He hold back any other good thing?
We all struggle with contentedness. The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11-12 that he learned the secret of being content. It was not something that came naturally, but something he had to train his heart and mind to achieve. If Paul can learn this secret, so can we. So, what is the secret? How do we battle this hellish sin and find contentment when retail displays, internet click-bait articles, and social media ads bombard us with the message that what we have or who we are is not good enough?
Thankfully, God reveals the “secret” to us in His word. The key to contentment is knowing that nothing this world has to offer is better than Jesus. It is complete focus on God rather than ourselves. It is acknowledging that He alone is our salvation, that He is sovereign and sufficient in every way. Contentment comes when we pursue righteousness and we seek Him first above all other things.
Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Psalm 34:10 Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
No matter how badly it is desired, there is not a single gift we can give or receive this Christmas that is better than Christ Jesus. Let’s focus on and seek the only thing–the only One–that matters and enjoy a Christmas with content hearts and minds.