What are some of the contentment killers for the believer in Christ?

There are 4 things that we believe take away a spirit of contentment for Christians. We need to know what these things are so we can defend against them.

All of the contentment killers mentioned below can lead you into negative behaviors – theft, murder, slander, love of money, desire, materialism, and even walking away from the Lord.

Why do we say this?  Remember 1 Timothy 6:6-10?  This person’s love of money was their downfall and caused their eventual destruction.

So as you read, pay close attention, and defend your heart and mind from these contentment killers.

 

  • ENVY – Keeping up with the Joneses.
    • Proverbs 14:30 (NIV84) – A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
  • GREED – Worth found in how much you own or make.
    • Luke 12:15 (NIV84) – Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
  • FEAR – Believing that things will be taken from you…or not able to have enough.
    • Matthew 6:25–28 (NIV84) – “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
  • IMPATIENCE – A desire to get rich quick…and/or chasing the hottest thing – potentially even leveraging yourself financially beyond your means.
    • Proverbs 13:11 (ESV) – Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

 

If we would focus on personal Godliness, pursue holiness, and cultivate our relationship with Christ, then we can REST in our identity which is found in Christ!  Remember that our relationship in Christ cannot be taken from us, but in a heartbeat our wealth can vanish!

And with that thought of potentially losing our wealth…it is important for the believer to invest and spend wisely…and specifically invest in things that are eternal…for remember these words of Jesus:

Matthew 6:20 (ESV) – “…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

So, let’s take a moment and review what 1 Timothy 6 says about personal financial contentment

  • Godliness with contentment is a great gain.
  • We are to not have a love of money
  • Believers are to not put hopes on uncertainty of riches, but on God
  • Make an eternal investment by laying up treasures in heaven and investing in the lives of people so they will come to know and grow in Christ.

Guard your heart from the love of money, and be aware of the attitudes and mindsets that contribute to the erosion of contentment.