The definition of contentment is the state of being happy and satisfied. I often wonder, are some people born contented? Does it come more naturally to some? Can it be learned? How can I find contentment?

The apostle Paul wrote about contentment in his letter to the Philippians. He explained:

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. 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. (Philippians 4:11-13 NIV)

 Paul wrote that he had learned to be content. Obviously, it wasn’t a quality he was born with, he learned it. 

 I began learning about contentment when God uprooted me from my American comfort zone and moved me to the vast unknowns of Russia. 

I remember my first visit to a small Russian Baptist Church meeting in Far East Russia. It was February, and our family rode a bus for 45 minutes to get to the service. Unfortunately, the heater on the bus didn’t work, and by the time we arrived at our bus stop, my toes were blocks of ice. 

Now, my husband has a fantastic sense of direction. But evidently the twenty degrees below zero weather severely impacted his directional antennae, and we got off at the wrong bus stop. After walking several miles blocks, teeth chattering, hands and feet on the verge of frostbite, we finally found the church. 

When we walked in the door, my eyes instantly focused on the radiator pipes running across the back wall. I sprinted to the pipes, positioning my icy feet under the lower pipe and hugging the higher one. Suddenly, I realized the pipes were cold. 

No. Heat. 

Turning, I belatedly noticed several church members observing my craziness. I went to greet them, and soon the service and my lesson in contentment began.

No one removed their coat, hat, scarf, or gloves. The temperature inside the room was below freezing. As we sang the first hymn, the frozen notes hovered, forming white clouds in the air.

Then I looked beyond the cold and saw tears of joy streaming down the faces of the congregants as they worshipped. After years of Communist oppression and secret worship services, they rejoiced at the privilege of meeting in public. Even in a bitterly cold, uncomfortable room.

I thought about my church in America. Comfortable pews, climate-controlled temperatures, aesthetically pleasing. Sadly, I realized that if the heater broke, complaints would abound, and church services would be canceled. 

Yet, here in this frozen room in Russia, these precious saints lifted their praises to God. Content with what He had provided.

Thus began my journey to contentment.

An excellent book by Linda Dillow, Calm My Anxious Heart, listed five principles that I adopted in my search for contentment.

• Never allow yourself to complain about anything—not even the weather.
• Never picture yourself in any other circumstance or someplace else.
• Never compare your lot with another’s. 
• Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.
• Never dwell on tomorrow – remember that (tomorrow) is God’s, not ours.

It took time, but I realized that finding contentment takes a shift in attitude, not a change of circumstance. One of the hardest lessons for me involved comparing my lot with another’s.  

Yes, even missionaries struggle with comparison. Size of apartments. Success in ministry. They have a car, and we use public transportation. Their ministry budget is bigger.  It is easy to fall into the trap of comparison.

 For many years, one of my favorite verses has been Psalms 16:5.

“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.” (NIV) 

I realized contentment meant accepting God’s assigned cup and portion. He knows what is best for me, and I learned to accept my allotted cup as a gift. As Elisabeth Elliot wrote: “A quiet heart is content with what God gives.”

Yes, I still struggle at times with contentment. Then I stop and recall Paul’s words about contentment, written as he sat in jail. I adjust my attitude and remember that with God’s strength, I can find contentment in spite of my circumstances.

Think about the circumstances in your life. Do you spend the majority of your time dwelling on the positives or negatives? I challenge you to work on shifting your attitude to see the positives and trusting God with the circumstances.

Learn to find contentment in Him.