Lasting Treasures: Biblical Financial Wisdom for FamiliesSample

Contentment - Finding Sufficiency in Christ

Reflection

Pepsi's commercial in India used the line "Yeh Dil Mange More!" (This heart craves for more). It captures the insatiable desire most naturally possess. John D. Rockefeller, once the richest person in modern history, was famously asked, "How much money is enough?" to which he reportedly answered, "Just a little bit more." This candid response describes our collective discontent. Without intentional guidance, our children will absorb this mindset from our consumer culture.

When children hear parents constantly talking about what they wish they could afford or comparing their possessions to others, they learn discontentment. Conversely, when they observe parents expressing gratitude for what they have, they begin to develop the muscle of contentment. Contentment must be modeled before it can be taught.

Consider Philippians 4:11-13, where Paul writes, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances... I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."Be careful when you teach your children what is popularly memorized as “I can do all things through Christ…” That passage, rightly translated, should read, “I can do all this through Christ…”

The 'this’ in this verse isn't about superhuman accomplishment but about finding sufficiency in Christ regardless of external circumstances—a lesson every family member needs.

Respond

• In what areas of your life do you find yourself saying or thinking "just a little bit more"?
• How might you be modeling discontentment to those around you without realizing it?
• What would it look like for you to find "sufficiency in Christ regardless of external circumstances"?
• Think about a time when you experienced true contentment. What characterized that experience?

Reach out to God

Father, I confess my struggle with contentment. Like Paul, I need to learn to be content. Thank You for providing everything I truly need. Help me to recognize the difference between needs and wants. Teach me to find my satisfaction in You rather than in possessions or circumstances. Give me the strength to be content in all situations.

Reinforce

Implement one of these suggestions this week:

• Start a daily gratitude practice, establish a "wish list waiting period,"
• Or evaluate a recent purchase by asking, "Did I buy this out of contentment or discontentment?"

Record your experiences and insights.