Coffee Cup Memos

When Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, he was telling us to use our minds to shift our focus to heavenly values rather than earthly ones (Matthew 6:33). That’s important because what we value here on earth may not always align with God’s will or heart. In fact, we make a lot of mistakes and cause unnecessary trouble for ourselves and others when we focus on the wrong things.

I met with my friends one morning over coffee, and we discussed what it means to be content. One of them asked, “Is it okay to be content and still have ambition?” I said yes and explained that the motivation driving ambition is what truly matters. It’s okay to set personal goals to learn more, become financially stable, or establish a new career. In fact, doing so is exercising good stewardship. When God gives us talents and gifts, he expects us to use them in a way that glorifies him. However, if those gifts are used only to serve ourselves, ambition morphs into selfishness.

In our discussion, we all agreed that contentment means being satisfied with what we have and letting go of any unhealthy desire to constantly acquire more. Do we go through cycles of contentment and discontentment? It really depends on the context. In terms of possessions, I am content. I don’t want to own the latest and greatest things unless what I have breaks or no longer meets my needs. I enjoy traveling for vacation, but I am also happy staying home and enjoying local venues and entertainment.

Discontentment, for me, is really about the pursuit of joy. Real joy comes from knowing Jesus and having a relationship with him—it isn’t about stuff. He knows what we need and can provide it all. That is why he said we should have childlike faith.

As a child, I did not have to worry about working, paying bills, or buying groceries; my parents handled all of that. My job was to do my chores and homework first, then go outside and have fun with my friends. Life was much simpler because I fully depended on them to provide for me and guide me.

As an adult, I carry that type of dependency into my relationship with God. The difference now is that it’s my turn to handle responsibilities like my parents did, while trusting God to provide what’s necessary to accomplish them. I am also responsible for my own spiritual growth. If I want to remain close to him, I must spend time reading his Word and talking to him in prayer.

When we become distant from God, that’s when we start venturing into areas where we shouldn’t be. We start compromising and thinking a little sin is no big deal. We don’t realize a giant consequence is lurking in the background, ready to reveal itself and insert more brokenness into our lives. The consequences of sin are exponential because our mess is the product of our relational distance from God and all the tiny compromises we’ve made. We shouldn’t be surprised when we find ourselves in trouble, but that is the power of deception, and Satan uses it well.

When we stay close to God, we begin to take on his character. The more we read Scripture, the better our discernment becomes between right and wrong. Walking under the guidance of his Holy Spirit eventually becomes second nature, and the fruit of the Spirit begins to grow within us: joy, peace, patience, kindness, love, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). These are his gifts to us, which can be shared with other people. He gives us a way to bless others by revealing who God is through our words and deeds.

Before long, an attitude of gratitude takes over our entire being because we understand how much God has given us. That recognition leads us directly into contentment.

As John Piper wrote in Desiring God: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” When we have God, we have everything. That is what brings us true joy, and finding our joy in him is what pleases his heart. And if this is where I am today, then I can confidently say that I am content.