“Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”
1 Timothy 6:6-8

I find the Christian teaching on contentment troubling.

It seems like the command to be content could easily cause a person to fall into a pattern of laziness, carelessness and apathy.

My dad once told me a story about how lazy his college roommate was: One particular weekend my dad left home for three days leaving his roommate at the apartment by himself. While he was packing, his roommate was lying down in his bed staring up at the ceiling with his arms stretched up and folded, his hands resting behind his head. My dad asked him what he going to do for the next three days. He said, “Oh nothing, I’ll probably just sit here on this bed.”

My dad shook his head and smiled leaving his roommate alone to himself. After three days when my dad arrived back to the apartment, there was his roommate still lying down in the same position, wearing the same t-shirt and jeans, still staring up at the ceiling. When my dad started unpacking, his roommate turned to my dad and said, “Back so soon?” My dad nodded his head and asked him what he did all week. The man’s reply was, “Nothing.”

Now that is contentment…or is it?

Is that what the Bible means by, ”If we have food and clothes that’s enough?” Is that what it means to “live a peaceful and quiet life” in 1 Thessalonians 4:11? Or was my dad’s roommate just being a lazy bum? Sitting around doing nothing while the world moved forward without him?

Is it ok to play five days of video games never once leaving the basement?

I think talking about contentment is putting the cart before the horse. The horse we need to look at first is dealing with the subject of godly ambition. Why have you been put on this earth? That must be answered first.

I think the answer is very simple:

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
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“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Colossians 3:23

We are here for God’s glory, and the things we chose to do must first filter through this reality. A lazy person lives for his own glory. But God wants each of us to use all of our heart, mind and soul to bring attention to him. Do it with all you have, do it heartily.

Now the problem arises when after you exert effort, you start wanting and expecting the recognition that should only be directed to God. And sin really messes with contentment when you want what someone else has who has been working hard. Ambition is not wrong if it is meant to point attention to God; but when ambition leads to me and my prosperity, my glory, it becomes a dead end street.

A question from a reader came to me after discussing David and Saul two days ago. The person wondered, “If we can’t be content with what we have will we ever be content with what we want?” It depends on what you want? If you want God’s glory, you will always be content with what you have because you will trust God providing what you need in order to bring him the glory due his name.

If he wants you to bring him glory, he will give you the ability to bring it.

But if what you want is personal recognition, power or possessions you will never be content with what you have because as it says in Ecclesiastes…

• All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing (1:8)
• This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing. (4:8)

Accumulating riches and honor for yourself alone is depressing – – you will never have enough, and people will never give you the honor you really want. But true joy is found in doing what you have been created and designed to do for God himself and to bring joy to those who God loves.

Is it possible to be content? Only if you know God and believe he is watching.