Living a Contented Life in an Age of Discontentment

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.” (Philippians 2:14–18, ESV)

Philippians 2:14-18 provides some practical guidance for living the Christian life in an unchristian age (SEE PART 1), and in this article we are going to unpack some of the implications of this passage.

Christians living in an unchristian age need to live a content life. Contentment plays a major role in the Christian life, especially when being a Christian will cost you something.

• Contentment requires the faith to recognize that nothing you can gain or lose in this world is greater than Christ.

• Contentment is the capacity to rejoice in Christ and praise God regardless of present circumstances.

• Contentment is important because worldly thinking often enters into the mind of a Christian through the gateway of discontentment.

  
  

When we are dissatisfied with our state in life and unwilling to raise our hearts in worship for the undeserved provision of God, our hearts become pliable to the influence of Satanic lies. As Thomas Watson put it, “Satan loves to fish in the troubled waters of a discontented heart. Given the crucial role that contentment plays in the Christian life, it is no wonder that Paul focuses his attention on this subject in this context. And he does so by warning readers against several specific expressions of discontentment.

A warning to grumblers

Paul’s instruction requires that we cultivate content hearts that are free from “grumbling” (i.e. complaining, disgruntled words). Paul is prohibiting the speech patterns of an irritated malcontent and warning against verbal expression of a heart overflowing with discontentment for God’s providence and provision. The flesh is prone to complain because it is focused on the acquisition of idols and the gratification of lusts. Grumbling is the preset disposition of the flesh and if we are not careful it will become the preoccupation of our hearts. A vivid example of the danger of grumbling is found in OT Israel, who consistently grumbled against the Lord.

“Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise. They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the Lord. Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness, and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands” (Psalm 106:24-27, ESV).

“Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?” (Lamentations 3:38-39, ESV).

“We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer” (1 Corinthians 10:9-10, ESV).

Paul doesn’t leave any wiggle room for the sin of grumbling when he gives this universally applicable command. And before you say that Paul doesn’t understand your life, remember that Paul was in prison writing this! Simply put, we are to do all things to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), which means do nothing with grumbling. The scope of this command requires that we address the heart behind grumbling. Grumbling gives voice to a discontent heart that is unhappy because it did not get what it wanted. When we succumb to the temptation to complain about our circumstances, we are falling back into the unbelieving patterns of the flesh and we are complaining about the providential rule of God in our lives. Thomas Watson reminds us that this kind of complaining represents rebellion: “Murmuring is no better than mutiny in the heart; it is a rising up against God” (Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment, 18).

A warning to disputers

Paul’s instruction also requires that we cultivate content hearts that are free from “disputing.” Paul is talking about quarreling, endless debates, bickering, and arguments. He has in mind expressions of a heart that is fighting God’s providence and trying to manipulate his provision. In the larger context, Paul's point is clear: You cannot expect to remain faithful in a faithless age through discontent disputing. You certainly are not going to impact the culture through your bickering (cf., 1 Timothy 2:8). The vast majority of our culture has bought into the lie that anger of man can produce righteous outcomes, but that is simply not true (cf., James 1:20). The outrage machine only produces more outrage. In this respect, we must avoid the sinful strategies of the world if we are going to remain faithful in this world (James 3:13-18).

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20, ESV).

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:13-18, ESV).

If you are trying to figure out how to respond to a world that seems intent on undermining everything that you believe, Paul would have you to start with a heart of contentment that avoids grumbling and disputing.

Paul’s command has personal implications for every believer, but they are specifically for the church. Paul wanted the body life of the Philippian church to be free from these sinful expressions of discontentment. Paul knew that grumbling and disputing threatens the spiritual unity the church should be pursuing (vv. 2-3). Paul also knew how important unity is when you are living in a culture that maligns God’s truth (cf. Colossians 3:8-17).

“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:8-17, ESV).

How can we expect to stand against the schemes of the enemy if we are grumbling and arguing with one another? Of course the answer is that we can’t. Satan would love to divide us so that even if we do stand for the truth, we will be so distracted by our fighting with one another that we cannot reach anyone else with the truth.

As the church, we must guard against grumbling and disputing. We must work to be thankful for what God is doing rather than discontent about what is not happening. We must guard our speech with one another to make sure no unwholesome or dis-unifying speech comes out. We must deal with conflict biblically and not let petty disagreements or personal grievances disrupt ministry. Our faithfulness as a church will depend, in part, on whether or not we can get along with each another enough to serve the Lord together. Grumbling and disputing will not help anyone live like a Christian in an unchristian age. When you live in an unchristian age, it is absolutely crucial to have content hearts and content churches that are able to rejoice in Christ no matter what is going on in the world around us.