Lesson 3: Faith’s great contentment
 James 1:9-12
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,
10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

A respected pastor of over 100 years ago said this, which describes contentment well: “It is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble."

Our verses today describe a great discontent many of us feel too easily. We live in a world where advertising makes us discontented with what we have, and are constantly urged to get the “better” product or condition. We are dissatisfied with our looks, our knowledge, our social standing, our lack of having what a friend has, our health, our future prospects, our loneliness, our sense of self-worth – and the list could go on and on. But Jesus’ way, as we read in Luke 3:14 and Philippians 4:11, is that we are to be content with what we have already been given.


 Many times we are told in Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes that contentment includes times when we are being mistreated or misunderstood. We see how those who are not believers mistreat us by deed or by words yet they appear to prosper in this life. It is true – thieves often gain much in the short view. Someone who steals great wealth has great wealth to spend or lose for a short time. But even a life of 100 years is a short time when compared to eternity. Jesus tells us not to worry about them – in fact, Jesus says they already have all the reward they will ever receive.

A great way to be content is to be thankful for everything we have. That sounds easy, but how often do we thank God with a “but” attached. “Thank, You, Jesus for this food we have, but where is our next meal coming from?” “Thank You, Father, for my job, but I need a raise!”

Memorize: 1 Timothy 6:6-7 - But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.