Some truths don’t need to be explained as much as they need to be remembered. Jesus is enough. That’s it. That’s the secret to contentment.

It’s the same thing Paul discovered while sitting in a prison cell, writing to his friends in Philippi: “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have… for I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” Not because life was easy. Not because he was self-sufficient. Because Jesus was with him—and that was enough.

This message of contentment rings out from more than just Scripture. It shows up in the quiet convictions we carry—when we recognize what truly matters and begin to reorder our priorities around it. Contentment grows in the soil of surrender, where we come to say—not just with our lips, but with our lives—that we’d rather have Jesus than anything this world could offer. It’s not a slogan or a sentimental phrase; it’s a different way of seeing the world. One that finds peace not in having more, but in knowing who holds us.

Sometimes God pieces stories together over generations. Sometimes He wakes you up at 3 a.m. just to whisper, “I am enough.”

And still, it’s so easy to forget. We live in a culture soaked in scarcity and striving. Costco carts full of “not enough.” Social media feeds full of “more.” It can all leave us restless, distracted, even cynical. That’s where contempt creeps in—when we stop seeing what we have as a gift, and start thinking it’s not quite enough. Not quite good enough. Not quite worthy.

But the opposite of contempt isn’t perfection. It’s peace. It’s looking at your life—whatever it looks like right now—and saying, “I’d rather have Jesus.” Not because everything is fixed, but because He’s with you in it.

Paul didn’t just talk about contentment—he lived it. He praised the Philippians for their generosity, not because he needed their gifts, but because he wanted them to experience the joy of sharing. He didn’t measure life by gain or loss, comfort or hardship. He measured it by Christ. “This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”

And there’s the heart of it. Jesus is the source—not just of strength, but of joy, peace, and the ability to stand steady in a world that constantly shifts.

That’s where we get to choose. Will we live with a heart that’s at rest in Christ—or will we keep chasing after more, measuring our worth by what we lack? Contentment asks us to trust that what God gives is enough. But when that trust starts to slip, something else creeps in. We stop seeing what we have as a gift, and start believing it’s not enough. Not good enough. Not worthy. That quiet dissatisfaction can grow into something sharper—contempt.

Contempt is sneaky. It doesn’t always announce itself, but it shows up in the way we think, speak, and respond—to ourselves, to others, even to God. And when it takes root, especially in our relationships, it begins to erode connection. Paul knew this. Research confirms it. Contempt isolates, but kindness and generosity—they carry us. They soften hard places and make it possible to walk through just about anything.

Here’s the invitation: let go of the comparison game. Lay down the weight of “not enough.” Stop trying to prove your worth to God or anyone else.

And simply say, “I’d rather have Jesus.”

Whether your life is smooth or stormy, whether you feel full or running on empty, He’s the secret. Not your strength. Not your striving. Him.

So today, what thoughts are you dwelling on? What expectations or disappointments are clouding your view? What would it look like to trade them in—not for clarity, not even for answers—but simply for Jesus?

He is enough.

That’s the secret. And it’s not hidden. It’s right in front of us, waiting to be remembered.