“Were there none who were discontented with what they have, the world would never reach anything better.” ~ Florence Nightingale
God is clear that we are to “Do everything without complaining and arguing” (Philippians 2:14).
Because God tells us not to grumble and complain, and because usually when we are unhappy we tend to do just that, one would assume that discontentment is a sin.
But is discontentment a sin?
Discontentment is only a sin if you allow it to be by wallowing and whining in it.
Your discontentment can actually be helpful to you. The dissatisfaction that you feel can be a good thing.
Your unhappiness can be a sign that something is not right and needs to change. You may need to adjust your attitude or you may need to take an action step.
Allow your discontentment to move you toward making changes for the better. This way you won’t be sinning by grumbling and complaining.
Let each wave of discontentment move you towards the richer life that God has for you.
For example, if you are in a marriage that you feel unhappy in, instead of being critical and arguing with your spouse, make a change. Maybe you need to make an appointment with a counselor, or you need to re-adjust your expectations. It could be that you need to be more understanding, or perhaps some boundaries need to be established.
Another example is if you are unhappy with your job, instead of living miserably, see your job dissatisfaction as a sign to make a change. You can go talk to your supervisor or start looking for another job.
My point is, use your dissatisfaction as a sign that you need to adjust something in your life. Don’ just stay stagnant and sin by grumbling and complaining.
And always remember to seek the Lord on your particular “complaint.” He has the best solution for you and your particular struggle.
It is true that discontentment can cause you to complain and argue, and therefore, sin. However, you can practice self-control and turn your dissatisfaction around by taking authority over it and moving towards everything God has to offer you.
Leave me a comment below on how you have handled situations you may have felt discontentment with.
“Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.” ~ Ecclesiastes 1:8
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Excellent points, Tweeny! I’ve never thought about the opportunities that discontentment brings. Wow. Thank you for that.
Thanks Pam! I actually hadn’t thought of it either. In fact, to be completely honest with you, I had planned on writing an entirely different post on discontentment. I was going to write about it being an unrecognized sin and was going to give tips on how to handle our discontentment. But then I had a change of heart and went with this point. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! 🙂
I never thought discontentment as a sin. Good point. But in thinking about it, any time we are not filled with God’s joy and peace we are not in close relationship with Him. Good thought. Thank you.
Thanks Carol for commenting. I too had never thought about discontentment as being a sin, but I realized that it’s not a sin unless we allow it to be by grumbling. 🙂
Thank you for making me realize that discontentment may be a good thing if we allow ourselves to check our attitude. God has ordained the good works in advance for us to do and if we are paying attention we will have joy all the time. If that is the case discontentment can make us recognize we have gifts that our Father has given us and we are not looking for ways to utilize them for His glory. I will be more aware to make an attitude check the next time discontentment sets in. Thank you for sharing such a great point.
Thanks for commenting Jessica. Checking our attitude is always a good practice, in all areas of our lives. 🙂