“Keep your life free
from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will
never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 ESV).
I only noticed recently that this verse ties contentment to
the presence of God. He will never leave us, therefore we can be content. Paul
said similar things in some of his letters:
“For the sake of Christ, then, I am
content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For
when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
“Not that I am speaking of being in
need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how
to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I
have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can
do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13).
The question is, are we really content with God’s strength
and God’s presence with us? We have the Creator of the universe on our side,
and yet if we’re honest we often want something more or different. For some
people it may be career, money, or material possessions, for others it may be a
particular type of relationship. We may not even know what it is we’re looking
for, but we’re plagued with discontentment.
I like to read biographies of Christians from World War II.
I’ve often wondered how I would fare in similar situations, though I pray I never
have to find out. It has been said that those who survived the concentration
camps were the ones who held onto hope in One greater than themselves. God’s
presence provided strength to survive and even to be content in the midst of
the worst persecution imaginable. Would we truly know that God is sufficient
when we’ve lost everything else? If we think we would be content with nothing,
why are we not content with the many things we do have?
I’ve been convicted by this at times. While I don’t want a
lot of stuff (and I already have more than I need), I do wish I could make
people change to suit my own needs and desires. There’s a fine line between “spurring
one another on to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24) and getting people to do
for me what I’m unwilling to do for them. I can complain about the lack of
hospitality among Christians, but do I open my own home to others? I can say we
need to cultivate deeper relationships, but do I really want to know what
others are dealing with in their own lives? I may say God is enough, but I
would prefer “God-plus.”
I believe it is possible to work for change in the world, in
the church, and in our individual lives and yet to remember that if we never
get what we want God is still enough. We can seek improvements in our culture
and in our homes without pinning all our hopes and dreams on them. We can be more
thankful for all the blessings we have if we know that only the treasures laid
up in heaven will last (Luke 12:32-34). We may not have everything we want, but
in Christ we have everything we need.
“Satisfy us in the morning
with Your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days” (Psalm
90:14).
© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are
copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect
the views of my church or employer.
