What does it mean to “stir up God’s gift”? How do we do that?
Don’t be lazy or casual about your service, but diligently seek to please the Lord. So don’t forget to stir up God’s gift. — Romans 12:11; 2 Timothy 1:6 The Discussion Bible
In a world that pushes us to always want more—more success, more possessions, more recognition—the biblical call to contentment can feel countercultural and confusing. But what if the desire for more isn’t always wrong? What if there’s such a thing as godly discontent—a longing not driven by greed or ego, but by a deeper desire to live fully in God’s purpose?
Let’s explore how to balance satisfaction and longing, and how God’s guidance can lead us to a deeper, more meaningful sense of peace.
Contentment Is a Choice—But Not One We Make Alone
Many assume that contentment is a static feeling. Either you have it, or you don’t. But Scripture teaches that contentment is a choice—an active, ongoing decision to trust God’s provision and plan. The apostle Paul said he had learned the secret of being content in every situation (Philippians 4:11–13). This great student under Gamaliel had to learn to be content. Amazing. We can be sure he wasn’t content when he met Jesus on the way to Damascus. No, I think he learned contentment through everything he went through, especially the persecutions, beatings, and shipwrecks. Through all that, he learned that the Lord would give him the strength to handle any circumstance.
Choosing contentment doesn’t mean denying desire or need. It means surrendering those desires and needs to God, trusting him with the outcome. Without his help, our choices will be misguided. We need wisdom and discernment from God’s presence leading us.
When Discontentment Becomes Good
Not all discontent is unhealthy. In fact, some of our deepest growth springs from a longing for more—more intimacy with God, more impact in ministry, more love for others. Jesus said it was good to hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6). This is not a call to complacency but to pursue God with urgency. Without this healthy hunger, we wouldn’t be filled.
Moses longed to see God’s glory. David likened his thirst for God as a deer panting for water. Were they just being selfish? I don’t think so. I believe they found pleasure in their relationship with God that called for doing his will.
The challenge lies in discerning whether our dissatisfaction is spiritual hunger or worldly restlessness. Our dissatisfaction for God is love that keeps us walking with him, but worldly dissatisfaction is self-love that pulls us away.
The Role of Feelings in Faith
Feelings are powerful motivators. They influence our decisions, shape our relationships, and color our perspectives. In fact, if we ponder this for a moment, we might see that we never make a choice without feeling it was either good or bad for us at that moment. Later, we might have regrets. Why? Because at that point, we feel differently.
Proverbs 14:12 presents a warning, saying there is a way that seems right at the time, but the consequence is death. I don’t know how any warning could be more frightening. The solution involves a choice, which is sometimes described as warfare between our flesh and spirit. We win that battle and find true satisfaction when we hear God’s voice and our believing changes our feeling about what is good and right for us.
The Pathway to Peace
Perhaps the most overlooked key to satisfaction is surrender. We often try to manage life on our own terms, seeking satisfaction through control. Can we see how impossible that desire is? We don’t have much control over what will happen today, let alone tomorrow, next month, or the next year. Desperate for control we know we don’t have, we live in discontent, without peace.
To have life in him, Jesus said we need to die to ourselves (Luke 9:23–24). That means we surrender every desire, resource, and opportunity to whatever God chooses to work in our lives, even if it means persecution, beatings, and shipwreck. That makes no sense unless we understand that through it all, God has the control we don’t have, and we can trust him to cause all things to work for good.
Even if we’re not where we want to be, but we know God is with us, shaping us into who we are meant to become, we can find perfect peace.
The Struggle for Balance
Living in the tension between contentment and desire is not easy. Should we settle into what we have or strive for more? I think the correct answer is “both”—depending on why we want more and who we are trusting in the process.
The apostle Paul told Timothy that godliness with contentment was great gain. The balance lies in being grateful for what we have, while we are still pursuing more of what God has called us to do. While satisfied in the moment, our dissatisfaction drives us forward, toward God’s eternal purpose.
When Tools Become Distractions
To help us fulfill his purpose, God provides more than enough tools, which can present a problem. Sometimes, we can have too much of a good thing. Those very tools can be distractions. We overextend ourselves. Trying to do too much, we lose sight of what matters most.
In doing what she thought was necessary, Martha was frustrated with her sister, sitting at the feet of Jesus, not helping (Luke 10:38–42). The apostle Paul said we have all kinds of things that would be okay to do, but only one choice can be the best (1 Corinthians 6:12). Our to-do lists may feel endless, but satisfaction comes from doing the right thing, not everything. We need God’s guidance to know what matters most.
A Genuine Relationship with God
Satisfaction is found in a real, living relationship with God. Not a checklist of spiritual activities. Not even emotional highs from wonderful worship times. Satisfaction comes from an ongoing connection with the Lord throughout the day. I believe this is why the apostle Paul says we need to pray without ceasing.
When we walk with him, we can experience peace in the midst of longing, rest in the middle of striving, and joy even when the outcome is unclear. That’s the paradox of grace—filling us while still inviting us to want more.
Wanting More, Content with Less
Apart from God, we can never be fully satisfied, so if we’re looking anywhere else, we’re looking in all the wrong places. In our longing for more of him, we can treasure his presence and know his grace is sufficient for now. And we can know that walking with him will lead to greater glories ahead.
We can say with confidence: “I want more of God, and I can be content with the process.”
Map in My Hands, Fire in My Soul
I once had a question: What makes a heart glad?
Is it getting the things that I never yet had?
Or is it sitting in peace with a satisfied grin,
And trusting that joy doesn’t come from within?
I wanted much more, but I couldn’t say why.
Was it greed in my gut or a dream in my eye?
Was I selfish or stirred by a godly pursuit,
Or chasing a prize that bore counterfeit fruit?
Then the Lord whispered, “Just follow my call.
Be content with today, though your dreams may be tall.
You can want to grow wiser, to love and be kind,
But don’t let your longings take over your mind.”
“You can strive to do better, reaching higher, standing tall,
But don’t let the heavy burden become your downfall.
Desire can bless you—or it can lead you astray.
Ask if it serves God or just boosts your own way.”
I pouted and fretted. “But Lord, I want more.”
He smiled and pointed to things I’d ignored.
“You have ears to hear and my Word in your hand.
You have all that you need to fulfill my command.”
“But what if I’m restless?” I asked with a frown.
“You’ll find perfect peace,” he said, “lay your will down.
Leave the results up to me, and trust me each day.
My joy is much more than the world can even say.”
Now I can say, with the road up ahead,
A map in my hands and a fire that I’ve fed.
This soul’s set ablaze for the One I pursue.
I’m walking with the Lord and he’s making me new.
Through valleys and peaks, where the wild winds blow,
I will follow his voice wherever I go.
Each step is a spark, every trial a clue.
The fire keeps burning, and I’m just passing through.
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