In the School of Contentment

He always said his heart was satisfied in Christ alone—that he needed nothing else. He even believed it was true until the Lord enrolled him in the school of contentment. It is easy to boast when things are good, but the believer must often be trained by many hardships to make contentment a reality.

Our Savior, who purchased us with his blood, gave us new life, and has written our names in eternity, will conform us to his image. One major step in that process is to unshackle our hearts from the things of this world, and this will rarely happen apart from training in contentment.

Jeremiah Burrows points out that without contentment, we cannot worship God as we should. Our hearts will always be split between God’s glory and the pleasures of life. In the school of contentment, our faith is put to the test and made pure. We learned to find our satisfaction in the Lord instead of the comforts of the world.

How does the Lord train us? By wounding us deeply where our hearts are resting in misplaced trust. The school of contentment uses the lesson book of pain. Each probing exercise touches a worldly love and guides us to find joy in Jesus without it. It will take any pleasure in our hearts not rooted in Jesus and show us its vanity.

When we first enter the school of contentment, even if we are advanced and merely beginning a new lesson, we will often flounder and flail. We will wince, and we will wail, even if only initially. But the pain we feel is God cutting the fleshly chords of our hearts and setting us free from the bondage of the world.

Though we may hate every minute of it at first, as the Lord teaches us to trust in him more and more, we find a peace that passes all understanding. Our faith finds stronger footing, our worship becomes more profound, and the contentment that fills our souls will be richer than ever before.

If you are currently in the school of contentment and the Lord has you facing adversity, look to him. No matter the pain or heartbreak you may face, if you see your heart clinging to your Savior, he is doing a blessed work in your life.

Let the hardship remind you that this world is not your home, and all the pleasures of this world you think you need are passing away, but the things of God are eternal. In Christ, you are inheriting a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Jesus is your all-in-all, and godliness with contentment is great gain.

-D. Eaton