Zach Neilson has a great post regarding money, contentment, and generosity that I would commend to you. Read it here.

It made me think a lot about the nature of one of the most neglected of Christian virtues. Not love; not patience; not generosity – but something that, when embraced and pursued, actually can feed and lead to many other virtues. The oft-neglected virtue is contentment.

Here’s one of the problems we have with contentment: We treat it like love. Not “love” in the biblical sense, but “love” in the cultural sense. “Love” is something that we simply fall into and then, when we get bored, fall out of. We think of contentment in the same terms. One day, we’ll wake up and be content. Then another day we won’t. Because we think of it like this, we can wish for it, think about it, consider it, and yet do very little to actually pursue it.

But, like all virtues, contentment isn’t something that we fall into; it’s something we are meant to go after. To that end of pursuing contentment, I’d like to offer some ways to NOT pursue this virtue:

1. Link contentment to your circumstances. Think about how life would be so much better if you had that other job, or that other income, or that other spouse. That’s a sure way to NOT seek contentment, for truly being content is a reflection of where you are, not where you wish you were.

2. Do NOT pray for contentment. Assume that God is far more concerned about bigger issues than this. Further assume that it’s really not that big of a deal anyway. It’s just an inner attribute, right?

3. Do not TRY to be content. Try at other things – faith, godliness, purity, patience – but not contentment. Never mind that Paul said contentment was something to be LEARNED (Phil. 4:12).

4. Assume that being content is essentially being satisfied with less. Pay no mind to the scriptural imperatives that tell you how rich you are in Christ, how you have been given every spiritual blessing in Christ, and that in Him you are complete. Continue to focus on your physical circumstances rather than choosing to see your life through the lenses of faith which reveal that you don’t need to be satisfied with less but realize how much you have in Christ.

5. Whatever you do, do NOT make a habit of being thankful. Do not thank God for common graces like the rain or sunshine. Do not find beauty in nature and in the smile of your little girl. Do not be thankful for the image of God displayed in your son’s endless supply of creativity. Continue instead, to “dream your dreams” about what might be.