2 Roadblocks to Contentment in Christ (And How to Overcome Them)
Quick Summary: In this article, we’ll look at two major roadblocks that can keep us from contentment in Christ: doubting God’s character and trying to be our own god. You’ll also find biblical encouragement and practical ways to move past each obstacle and experience the joy that comes from walking in step with God.
At a Glance: How to Overcome Contentment Blockers
- God is trustworthy. When we doubt His goodness, we disconnect from the source of true contentment in Christ.
- We were made to worship God and obey Him. Trying to control everything only leads to stress, not satisfaction.
- Surrender brings freedom. Letting go of our own plans allows us to live out God’s best.
Why is Contentment in Christ Hard for Christians?
Contentment is a tricky word for Christians. We know that we’re called to be content but finding contentment isn’t always easy, especially when things aren’t perfect in our lives. Through the Bible, however, we find that contentment in Christ doesn’t come from perfect circumstances—it comes from trusting God’s character and submitting to His will.
In this article, we’ll discuss how doubting God’s character and trying to be our own God can turn into roadblocks to finding contentment and how we can move past them.
Roadblock #1: Doubting God’s Character
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
One of the main roadblocks to contentment is doubting God’s character. Perhaps this is because we’re not seeing the breakthrough desire. Or maybe life feels unfair. In those moments, it’s easy to wonder: Can I really trust God?
When we doubt God’s character, we also begin to doubt God’s plan for us. This leads us to create our own plans because we feel that following God will not provide the life we desire. In turning away from God, we end up living unfulfilling lives.
The truth is that we were designed by God to glorify Him, and God has a plan for each of us that requires us to submit our lives to Him. When we reject God’s purpose for us, we end up feeling discontent when we try to create our own purpose. In this way, doubting God’s character is a contentment killer and we need to fight against it.
Believe: Read James 1:6-8. What effect can doubt have on our faith walk?
Overcoming the Roadblock of Doubt
One powerful way to combat doubt is through spiritual warfare. According to the Bible, we need should:
Demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
In short, this verse reminds us to challenge every thought or feeling that does not align with God’s Word, including thoughts that denigrate God’s character. When we doubt, we are choosing to believe that we can’t trust God. If we want to fight against that doubt, then we need to turn to God’s Word to remind us of God’s good and unchanging nature. For example, James 1:17 says:
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
This verse reminds us that God is a trustworthy, faithful, and good Heavenly Father. Memorizing verses like James 1:17 and bringing them to mind whenever doubt creeps in can help us reaffirm the goodness of God’s character. In doing so, we can counteract the lies that tell us we can’t trust Him or His plans for us.
Reflect: Do you believe God is good? What examples of His goodness can you point to in your life? Have you ever struggled with trusting God’s character? If so, what were the circumstances and how did you move past your doubt?
Roadblock #2: Trying to Be Our Own God
If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
As Christian, we must understand this fundamental truth—everything that we are belongs to God. Our lives belong to God. According to Romans 14, “whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” This important truth from the Bible reveals another truth—control is a subtle idol.
A biblical example of this is King Saul in the book of 1 Samuel. Saul was anointed king, but he constantly worried about being successful and what others would think of his actions. In one instance, he gave an offering that was supposed to be given by Samuel the priest in violation of God’s instructions (1 Samuel 13:1-14).
In short, his desire to succeed and impress others caused him to take control of circumstances in a way that didn’t honor God. In 1 Samuel 15, after violating God’s instructions again, Samuel announced that the kingdom would be taken from Saul and rebuked him by saying:
Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Saul’s story reminds us that, when we seek to take control of our lives, we often reject God’s direction or vision for us. In fact, our control seeking can end up becoming an idol. Additionally, our desire for control usually leads to feelings of disillusionment because we are rejecting the truth that our lives belong to God. We get frustrated when things don’t go our way. We blame God when unforeseen events shake our plans.
However, we are not called to follow our way or our plans, but the Lord’s plans. Living in this truth can be very difficult because our sinful nature tells us that we need to be our own god. This is why a desire to control our lives is a roadblock to contentment.
Overcoming the Need for Control
To overcome a need for control, we need to relinquish it to our Heavenly Father and fully submit to His plan for our lives. This requires us to do two things:
- pray for God’s vision for our lives
- let go of our vision for our lives
These two radical steps will help position our hearts to find contentment in Christ. They are also not easy. This is because we may need to grieve our own plans. This grief comes from the realization that we’ve probably invested time and energy into a vision that ultimately does not have God’s power, grace, and blessing to support it. However, if we let go of our own plans, we can be sure that our Heavenly Father has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11).
Praying for God to take control of our lives is one of the most liberating and radical things we can do. According to Proverbs 29:18:
Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.
This verse tells us that we need God’s revelation for our lives—not our own. It reminds us that it is actually a blessing to submit to God’s wisdom for us.
Invite: Go to God in prayer and ask Him what He desires you to do right now and for the future.
My Personal Experience with Finding Contentment in Christ
For years, I had a plan for my life that never seemed to work out. I prayed. I plotted. I pushed. But the more I invested in it, the farther it skittered out of my reach. It wasn’t until I began to pray and ask God for His plan for my life that I realized I needed to let go of my own desires. Otherwise, I couldn’t wholeheartedly pursue God’s vision for me. This was both scary and exhilarating because I was no longer in control of what would happen next. God was in control. The truth is that He was always in control; I was just unknowingly refusing to acknowledge His sovereignty.
After deciding to fully submit to God’s plan and timing, I felt a great sense of peace and contentment. This didn’t happen overnight. I had to fight doubting God’s character through scripture and acknowledge that my feelings did not invalidate God’s Word. It took some time as I was still learning to trust God, but I eventually no longer felt anxious over my life. I’d found contentment in Christ!
Grow: Are there any areas of your life that you have a hard time surrendering to God? Name them. What steps can you take to start trusting God in these areas of your life?
Final Encouragement: Choose to Trust God, Find Contentment in Christ
I learned from experience that we can overcome the roadblocks to finding contentment in Christ by:
- Believing God is good (even when it’s hard)
- Surrendering the life you planned for the life God is calling you to live
Doubting God’s character and trying to be our own God often leads us to feelings of dissatisfaction and disillusionment. If you’re struggling with doubt or control, don’t give up! Instead, let go. Trust God’s unchanging character and surrender to His vision. Only then can we experience the true contentment in Christ that comes from living in His purpose.
Key Takeaways about Contentment in Christ:
- Doubt is a thief of contentment—combat it with truth from God’s Word.
- God’s character is trustworthy. He provides for His children (James 1:17).
- You belong to God. Trying to control your life leads to disillusionment.
- Letting go of your plans makes room for God’s purpose. We need to trust God’s plans for us.
- Surrender brings peace—even when life doesn’t look like you expected.
Hope: Write down 3 verses about God’s character and keep them on your phone or mirror this week. Let Scripture be louder than your feelings.
FAQs about Contentment and Faith
Scripture teaches that contentment comes from trusting God’s provision (Philippians 4:11–13) and walking in His purpose.
Letting go is difficult because it requires trust. But as you grow in your relationship with God, surrender becomes an act of love, not fear.
Ask yourself: Am I seeking His guidance in prayer? Am I willing to change my plans if He leads differently?
Take Action: Using the Grow prompt, write down one of the areas of your life that you need to surrender. Find a Bible verse to learn God’s truth in this area, pray daily to surrender it, and reflect at the end of the week.
Share Your Story: What roadblock has challenged your sense of contentment in Christ lately—doubt or control? Drop a comment below so we can encourage each other to trust God’s plans for us.
If you’re dealing with these roadblocks to contentment, be sure to explore other blogs I’ve written about gratitude and contentment.
Noelle Williams
Nice to meet you, friend! I'm a Christian and inspirational blogger. I write Christian living tips, devotionals, and prayers to encourage my fellow believers in their journey of faith.
