Discontentment is one of the most detrimental qualities a person can have. It ruins relationships and inhibits experiencing joy and fulfillment in life. Yet most people in our society are not content as our society is partially built upon making us feel discontent. Every advertisement manipulates people into feeling discontent so that they will purchase their product. We teach our children to always strive for more and to be ambitious and never satisfied with their current state.

Yet the Bible teaches that we need very little to be content and joyful in this life. Paul says to Timothy, “But piety actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” (1 Tim 6:6–8). Physically speaking, we only need food, shelter, and clothing to be content in this life, and Christ himself provides these things (Matt 6:25–34). We do not need a bigger house, a Porsche, or a bass boat to be joyful. Paul says that he has learned to be joyful in all circumstances through Christ (Phil 4:11–13) and we can, too. Do our bank statements and attitudes reflect the contentment that we ought to experience in Christ? Do we buy things we do not need to fill a void within us that only God can fill?

There is only one thing we should strive for in our lives — to “know [Christ] and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Phil 3:10). All other things should be used for achieving this goal or discarded as trash. We need to leave behind worldly covetousness and discontent. We must lay aside every weight that encumbers us so that we can run with endurance the race set before us (Heb 12:1). Christ alone is sufficient and he alone can fill us with true joy and incomprehensible peace.