Contentment is a Gift from God

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Posted by: Amanda Bridle, Graphic Designer and Brand Manager | Monday, April 14th, 2025 (12:00am)

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” — Hebrews 13:5

If you’ve ever experienced falling in love, you might remember the giddy, floating-on-air sensation. The entire world seems brighter and more beautiful. You dance through your days anticipating the next call or text or date.  

If you’re lucky you’ve seen what a mature love looks like, too. You might observe deep friendship and unshakable commitment between two people who are still a little bit giddy with each other. Maybe you’ve been blessed to experience it yourself or maybe you’ve been a witness to a relationship like that with your parents or grandparents. The fruit of a long-lasting marriage rooted in Christ is sweet. 

But what happens if your life is defined by “the love of money?” Maybe you’ve had the exciting experience of an unexpected windfall. Perhaps it was an inheritance or a prize or an especially large tax return. Or perhaps you’ve made a career move that paid especially well. When you find yourself with more money there just might be parallels with the exciting feeling of falling in love. But unlike a relationship with a human being, money doesn’t love you back. And often enough more money brings more complications to our lives. 

In my own life I’ve had periods of very little money. First, the college years when every relative pitied me and slipped me $20 bills for gas. Next, the era of small children and a single income. These were the years where our family had to be extra careful with our spending and we seemed to tread water financially (I see you, neglected savings account!). While we’ve also had years where there was a little more wiggle room, large and necessary purchases or repairs quickly gobbled up any extra. If my contentment was based on my bank account balance, much of my adult life would have been spent in distress! 

In the book of Philippians, Paul reminds us that our contentment should be separate from our financial position in life when he writes:  
 
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13) 

If we know that our contentment is not to be based on our wealth (money and material positions), then where do we find our contentment? The writer of Hebrews and Paul both spell out the secret to contentment: God. 

Unlike our financial position, God is unchanging. His love is steady and dependable. He promises us “I will never leave you; never will I forsake you.” Because God is without sin, He is unable to hurt us or disappoint us in the way our human loves can’t help but do. Our relationship with God is what brings contentment. Knowing He loves us and cares for us and supports us through our times of weakness is what we truly need to feel content. 

These days when someone asks me how I am, I am apt to say “steady.” And that steadiness and contentment has nothing to do with the ever-changing circumstances of my life and everything to do with my never-changing God. 

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