Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, freely submitting to, and taking delight in God’s wise, and fatherly disposal in every condition. Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

If you had asked me several years ago how to find contentment in God, I would likely have said that it is only found in God and in the abundant life He promises in His Word. That answer sounds a bit convoluted, doesn’t it? To some it may sound decent until you begin to probe and to consider what is meant by that response. For years, I believed that power resided in my spoken words and that I could have what I said. Many times, and blindly unaware, I believed that contentment was found in temporal prosperity and in continual health. Though a sincerity existed to draw close to God, that closeness centered upon personal experiences and emotions, dreams and visions, and hearing God, or claiming to hear the voice of God for myself. The luster of ministry was bait on the hook, dangling in the cesspool of the New Apostolic Reformation. A trip down memory lane can either be endearing or convicting as I have grown to realize that my understanding of true contentment in Christ was found more in myself and in the God, I had created in my own imagination than in the God of The Bible.

Discontentment in this world is a daily temptation, no matter the personal background. Truth be told, we all struggle to remain content, and when it comes to the difficulties and trials of this world, that restlessness can compound rapidly and exponentially. I never realized how discontented I was until after exiting all I had known for nearly two decades of my life. When I was taught that I could speak things into existence and that when I was not prospering, I was to “fake it until I made it”, it is safe to say that my definition of contentment was in error. I was within a mirage of my own doing. When suffering is viewed as the opposite of prosperity, one will struggle to understand the contentment only the Lord can provide. Being satisfied begins to rest in one’s current circumstances and what one defines as contentment, rather than what God has stated in His Word.

Contentment in reference to Scripture is defined by this author as “a state of being satisfied, at peace, and emotionally fulfilled with what one has or the circumstances in which one finds themselves. It is not dependent on external or temporal things.” Having contentment in God means trusting His divine sovereignty and His plan for our lives. This can lead to many questions, and those questions are not exclusive to those of us who have been graciously snatched from the fire of the NAR by a loving and long-suffering God. I do want to get you thinking about some questions.

What if in His sovereignty He permits sickness to come into your life for your sanctification and for His glory? What if you never have temporal prosperity? Is His eternal prosperity enough for you to rejoice? What if those waves seem to never cease, throwing you as Spurgeon said, “against the Rock of Ages?” Do you kiss those waves, resting upon the Rock to which you cling, or do you curse those waves because the promises seem to have plummeted to the ocean’s deep? What if you never achieve what you would like in your career or in ministry? What if your dreams and plans do not transpire as you decreed and declared them to be? God is not obligated to fulfill our dreams or our desires, and He even changes those desires when He gives us a new heart. What happens when life happens unexpectedly or not as planned? It is in the trials of life where our contentment in God is most tested and refined, and where it is most found.

I have pondered these questions myself, and I continue to ponder them. After leaving the movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation, there have been many opportunities to ponder these questions and to consider God’s Word in matters when trials come. For those who can relate, I am sure you have asked similar questions. There is much pain and confusion that culminates from leaving such teachings and coming to rest in the peace of God and to be satisfied in Him alone. All of the things seeming to promise contentment ultimately provide no solace at all when the belief contradicts Scripture and the very God who authored Scripture. Some are still desiring peace and rest while others are left in discontentment and even departing from the faith. It personally grieves me to hear from so many women who have been deceived and damaged by this movement, but there is contentment in having one-on-one conversations with some women, taking opportunities to listen to them and to offer hope and the truth of God’s Word.

Scripture tells us of finding contentment in God. We can be reminded that godliness with contentment is great gain, because we neither bring nor take anything out of this world. We are not to be moved by external circumstances. We are to find our sufficiency in Christ alone (2 Corinthians 3:5). He is where we find our help and our satisfaction, and that contentment is a sufficiency in Him, not in ourselves or what we can attain or achieve. Paul told the church at Philippi of his understanding in being content no matter what circumstance he found himself in this world. The situation was not the focus of contentment; the focus was the God who provided grace in every moment.

For those who have come out of such beliefs that suffering is not prosperous, Paul’s words will be a comfort, as he states to the church at Corinth, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) Notice what precedes the suffering, “For the sake of Christ”. It is not that we enjoy suffering or trials, but when our suffering in whatever capacity is centered upon our Lord and Savior and resting in His peace and comfort, then we become content in those times, knowing that they are temporal and our hope in Him is eternal. Even 1 Corinthians 7:17 can challenge us yet comfort us in Christ, “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” The contentment of God is not a promise to remove difficulty, but there is grace along the pilgrim’s road.

If I can encourage those who have been graciously pulled out of this movement, I want to tell you that there is hope post NAR. Though you may find yourself at times crying in dark nights of the soul and wandering through the maze of these questions and doubts, Jesus Christ is faithful to be with you and to not forsake you. While detoxing off the need for contentment in relevance and personal power, abide in the Scripture and feast on the Word of God. There are starved sheep who have existed on spiritual junk food for years, leaving a short-lived satiety, only to come crashing down for the next fix of “contentment”. Find a Biblically solid church where you can be fed properly by Godly pastors who shepherd for the glory of God. Feel free to check out my resource page for those who have come out of the NAR: www.lovesickscribe.com/resources. Here you will find church finder links that may be of help to you.

Do not be discouraged in the pursuit of a solid church. They are out there, and the Lord is faithful to help you and to heal you. Rejoice in what He has done on your behalf through the finished work of Christ on the cross. Weep when you need to weep and run to God the Father in prayer, asking Him to help you by His Spirit and by the truth of His Word. Consider repentance a gift. Find your contentment in God in every season and every storm of life. His grace is sufficient, and for those who are in Christ, we can find rest in His sufficiency.

Listen to this episode as I discuss this topic with Dave Jenkins from Servants of Grace: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: The Contentment of God Post NAR on Apple Podcasts