Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: Hebrews 4:11
Contentment (According to Strong’s in Hebrew 2974): to begin, make a beginning, show willingness, undertake to do, be pleased, be determined, to resolve, to agree to, and to accept an invitation.
According to the above definition, contentment is associated with things being resolved. Some of us have a tendency not to reach a resolution in life. There are several reasons for unresolved issues:
Regrets
Unfortunately, some have lost relationships or opportunities in the past because they did not value them when they had them. They have regrets about the past, and they cannot get beyond it. This continues to cause turmoil in their hearts and minds and keeps them stuck in the past.
Paul admitted that he was the persecutor of the church before he knew Christ. Before knowing Christ, he was bent on ensuring that the Christians were imprisoned or persecuted. However, when Jesus met Him, he became a different man.
If we want to experience contentment in life, we must take God at His word. We must repent and believe that God has completely forgiven us. That truth changes our hearts, minds, attitudes, and actions. God redeems situations in His time and in His way. Our part is to sow seeds of love, to obey His instructions, and to live right. This allows His process to work out in our lives.
Contention
Some people are gifted with a sharp mind, but they do not know how to switch it off and relax. They have a tendency to first see the problems and not trust others. This causes continual contention, criticism, and arguments that affects their relationships and makes them lose contentment and peace in life. Spiritually, they may even consider themselves watchmen and feel an obligation to be suspicious of others.
Contention stifles growth and creates dissatisfaction in relationships. Humility is an antidote to contention. We need to be humble enough to realize that before we arrived, people were doing just fine without being scrutinized under our microscope. They don’t need our quality control to get in line in life. This does not mean that we don’t express our concerns, but it requires prayerfully to take the matter to the Lord and let him purify our hearts. We also need to inquire if we are led by God or by fear.
Perfectionism
Some people have a war in their heads. They argue in their minds about all sorts of things. They don’t have a resolution to things because they are looking for the perfect answer. This keeps them in a state of anxiety. Uncertainty and stress causes discontentment in life because they don’t know when to be satisfied with a decision and/or an outcome.
Those who are perfectionist have a tendency not to ever be pleased with their work or with others’ work. There is always room for improvement. As a result, they are not able to move on and enjoy their accomplishments. This keeps people in a state of discontentment.
We need to learn to rejoice in the smaller steps taken rather than waiting to reach a certain goal. Paul encouraged all believers to rejoice continually. Don’t let the enemy rob you of the opportunity to rejoice until you reach the final outcome. God’s process can take a long time, and if we only rejoice when we reach the desired outcome, we will rarely be content in life.
