Where Does Contentment Lead You?
Good Morning Friends,
Honestly, I get a little irritated when people are not satisfied with what they have and always want more and more. Part of me wants to be kind and please people. Another part does not want to risk being taken advantage of. But given the balance of things I think it is wise for everyone to address the issue of how to be both compassionate and satisfied. And it is more than sharing a Coke so that everyone in the world would know but it is similar for as Christians we are not to be content until the whole world has tasted the experience of Jesus. So, this morning I ask you to ponder the challenge of continuous improvement and the opportunity imbedded in today’s Christmas season question. Where Does Contentment Lead You?
Scripture: Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are members of the church; rather they must serve them all the more, since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these duties. Whoever teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness, is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. From these come envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:2c-12 (NRSV)
Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.
Luke 8:1-3 (NRSV)
Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5 (NRSV)
For he (Abraham) looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Hebrews 11:10 (NRSV)
Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 (NRSV)
Message: Throughout human history, people have been searching for contentment and satisfaction, but when they think they have found it, the feelings have been fleeting and temporary. Mostly people have been looking in all the wrong places. What Abraham, Solomon, Luke, Paul and the faithful disciples of Jesus all discovered was that contentment must always to be paired with godliness. They had in common the experience, that following one’s own desires ends up being an empty practice. But being faithful to something greater than one’s self is the way to a lasting contentment. When we put God first, fearing to displease Jesus and seeking to please the Holy Spirit always, we are on the way to true and eternal satisfaction. Socrates put it this way when he said, “Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.” Think about that for a moment. The reality is that there are several verses directly from literature and more specifically the Bible that connect to this lesson. Solomon in today’s scripture from Ecclesiastes tests this out by trying all sorts of ways to be happy. Owning slaves, eating and drinking, building gardens and palaces that ultimately never increased his level of satisfaction. Having great wealth never made him happy. But this is not to say we are not to have some ambition. Now, I have learned to be content while tent camping, but if I were living in a tent for years in the desert like Abraham I might have developed the ambition to look forward to something better protecting me from the elements. But scripture indicates that Abraham was content with a tent for a dwelling. And I wonder why that was for he had the money and knowledge and manpower to change that but I doubt it was a lack of motivation that deterred him. Something else is at play here. The key is found in Hebrews 11:10 where there is a listing of the great heroes of the faith. And here it is explained that he had faith to leave when God told him to leave and to stay where he was told to stay but that in the end he was really looking forward to a city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Friends, it is always right to have the ambition of a stronger relationship with God. We are to fight the good fight, but it is never to be about us in our striving, but about God and the divine plan. Here, contentment is a feeling that envelops us when we are truly thankful for what we have and are no longer seeking to acquire more for ourselves but more for God’s purposes. Friends, we have a relationship with God and other believers so like ancient supporters of Jesus we need to give to the cause of Christ. So, I wonder what picture of faith are we painting for our next generation when we are often talking about wealth creation, investment and advancement in life. If we are reading the Bible and claim to believe but are not content with what we have in terms of personal possessions, we have an empty gain and can miss the real deal of the anointing of the Holy Spirit of Christ. So, friends, do not let negatively affect your walk with God. Realize that you came into this world with nothing and will leave it with nothing of earthly substance. Put the will of God before your own and in doing so find contentment. Never prioritize personal wants before Kingdom needs.
Pray we realize that the path of true contentment must always be walked with God. Pray therefor we rest content in whatever God gives us and share our excess resources for Kingdom purposes. Pray we are content with what we have but never with who we are. Pray we become more grateful and more generous…more holy. Pray we take control of our attitude. Pray we break the habit of trying to find contentment in our personal acquisitions. Pray we realize the potential social, financial and relational costs of being discontent. Pray we realize that each of us is unique and important to God so we can stop comparing ourselves to others as a way of gaining contentment. Pray we begin to understand the incredible satisfaction gained through a relationship with Christ. Pray we realize that real contentment comes from a right relationship with God where we become minimalists so God’s rule might grow. Pray we have the fearless heart of contentment. Pray we trust God to relieve our fears and anxieties. Pray our contentment leads us on a path of love.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 