CONTENTMENT, A VIRTUE OF GREAT GAIN
Last year, the case of three brothers in Apo mechanic village, Abuja who connived to kill a lady and then demanded ransom from her family was in the news. They ran to their village but the long arm of the law still caught up with them there. At the root of most vices, today is discontentment, which is a state of being dissatisfied with one’s possession, status, or situation. People kill and do evil due to a lack of contentment. Like Oliver Twist, they keep asking for more. No matter what they have, it’s not enough.
However, God tells us in 1st Timothy 6:6 that Godliness with contentment is great gain. The dictionary defines contentment as “the state of being mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are.” Today a lot of people have fallen into the trap of discontentment, which they wrongly present as ambition. Ambition, which is a strong desire to achieve something should not be a gateway to discontentment. The ability to be content with what we have will save us from a lot of trouble and woes. People borrow money to buy what they want and not what they can afford. People send their kids to schools that they cannot afford to pay the fees. Marriages have broken up due to disagreements over finances. At the bottom of all these is – discontentment (a lack of satisfaction over one’s possession or present state). I used the word, present state because the only constant thing in life is change.
Being poor today is not an eternal ticket to poverty. Time and chance bring opportunities daily for those who are willing and committed to working for their livelihood. Therefore, ruining tomorrow because of today is a no-no.
The Bible has a great deal to say about contentment—being satisfied with what we have, who we are, and where we’re going. Jesus said, “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? Matthew 6:25
Jesus is telling us directly to be content with what we have. Moreover, He has given us a direct command not to be anxious about the things of this world. Then He adds, “For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. Matthew -6:32-33. From Jesus’ words, we can deduce that lack of contentment is sin and it puts us in the same category as those who do not know God.
ABC’s of Contentment
- Be grateful every day
One of the most important things we can do for ourselves is to maintain our perspective and be thankful for what we have. Fame, power, or money should not be the focus for living, else we lose the real purpose of living. An attitude of gratitude backed up by diligence will help us to manage our finances better. People tend to manage better what they earn or what they have worked for. The get-rich-fast syndrome which is an expression of discontentment often leads to taking the wrong decisions. The benefactor often ends up in pain and penury.
- Don’t compare yourself to others
Whenever people start comparing themselves to others, they get into trouble. It’s a syndrome called, ‘living like the Joneses’. We are not in the world to impress the world. Some of the people you are trying to impress don’t even notice that you exist. Comparisons of money and possessions is a dangerous life to live. It takes your focus off the more important things of life. There is a common saying that all fingers are not equal. In financial terms, people earn differently. Therefore, you cannot go into debt trying to keep up or be like someone who may be earning your entire annual salary in one month. The other person you are looking at maybe in debt. Therefore, it is a wrong thing to make assumptions about others or try to be like them. Be yourself. Be content.
Living intentionally is our goal.
Article by © Engr. Mrs. Nkese Umofia, President, CYMI
Photo: Gabrielle Henderson and Ann
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