Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to
be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble
means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance
I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having
abundance and suffering need.
This idea of contentment is foreign to
most people, especially myself. Living in a society hinged on consumerism,
being content comes hard. There is always a new trend, new clothing, new
technology and because of that we can never keep our eyes on one thing.
Contentment in its truest sense is to be satisfied, or to be at ease with ones
state of living. However, since we are a broken and evil people, contentment is
not appealing and does not meet our self-centered desires. I personally have encountered
and still encountered this waging battle to remain content in whatever area I
find myself in. Paul in 1 timothy 6 understood what true contentment looked
like.
…imagining that
godliness is a means of gain. 6 But bgodliness cwith contentment is great
gain, 7 for dwe brought nothing into the
world, and3 we
cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But eif we have food
and clothing, with these we will be content.9 But fthose who desire to be rich
fall into temptation, ginto a snare, into many
senseless and harmful desires that hplunge people into ruin and
destruction.
Contentment for Paul was fully grasping that all that we
had was a gift from God and true satisfaction derived from knowing that all we
pursue will stay here, and all we will have left is Christ. For many
contentment Is hard because we wrongly assume that living a godly life will
produce our desired end. However, in 1 timothy 6 godliness with contentment is
great gain. Why? Because anything we place our trust in besides the living God
equals nothing. Our chasing and pursuing things outside of a thriving
relationship with God produces all kinds of evil and a heart that wanders. The
reason we battle with this so strongly is found in Romans. We exchange creator
and place the created things in his place. We don’t wanna be satisfied in
Christ but feel as one pastor says that “Jesus + something=everything’. We
forget that because our hearts our ‘idol factories” that the things we use to
fill our longing hearts are never satisfied. Our voids are filled only by
letting go of our preconceived notion that we need more things and rest in
Christ who died on our behalf. Contentment is a hard concept and is the midst
of our discontentment is where we find our idols. We must confront our hearts
with the truth of the gospel ,letting nothing reign on the altar of our hearts
but Christ and Christ alone. Digging deep to know him, encountering his truths
and daily dying to ourselves.
Here are a couple things that
discontentment is from a pastor at The Village Church
:Discontentment is
ingratitude- We become so mindful with what we don’t have and what we want that
we forget what we do have and what God did through his Son
:Discontentment is
arrogance-we think we can manage our lives better than God has or will
:Discontentment is lust and
greed-God has provided for all we need in Christ but we want more than that
:Discontentment
is idolatry- we want something more than we want God-it’s a failure to believe
that everything I need is found in Christ.
So we must repent of our grumbling and place
faith in the finished work of Christ
Grace
and Peace
