Contentment & Discontentment
Concerning his boyhood, Benjamin Franklin recalled that there was very little concern about the quality of food that he ate. He thought this helped him to not be discontent, as some of his friends were, when poor tasting food was set before him. We learn contentment through life experiences (Phil 4:11, ASB note).
Nevertheless, we have often trained our appetites to expect a quantity or quality of things which leaves us dissatisfied, unthankful, and discontent if our tastes and expectations are not met. This kind of discontent is wrong and can play havoc in our lives. For example, once married, we should not be content to be a merely decent person who does a passable job of meeting our marital obligations. Rather, we should strive to continually improve (1 Cor 14:20, LOP). On the other hand, many marriages are ruined because an adequate spouse is thought unsatisfactory due to exorbitant expectations. We think we are entitled to a better mate and are discontented as a result (cf. Phil 4:5, Wuest). We want too much from God, life, others (cf. Phil 4:11, AB). Perhaps we are discontented with being more obscure than we would like (Col 3:4, Message). This kind of discontent is to be avoided. “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has” (Epictetus).
Being content is not a license for laziness. We are to do all we can to become the best person we can be. Hence, “A man should be content with what he has, but never with what he is” (William George Jordan). Not only this, we want to fulfill our destiny, most fully use our gifts, and serve others as effectively as possible. We are not to be passive and content about such matters for “discontent is the first necessity of progress” (Thomas Alva Edison).
Unending pleasure in the next life; training for godly pleasure in this one.