Have you ever come across miserable people? The kind that just never have anything good to say about anything. They scoff the blessings of others and always have a negative tone to anything positive. The kind of people that seem to be blessed with everything they want but for some reason can not see it? Maybe you are one of those people. Have you ever been in a season that you just cannot shake the negative Nancy pants?
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:12
Paul spoke to us about contentment. Contentment is the state of a lack of worry. Paul knew how to live a life of contentment. Contentment was not the absense of being hungry or suffering. Contentment is the lack of worry.
Psalms one and Jeremiah 17 give us two pictures of contentment. In Psalms one, contentment is pictured as a tree next to a stream. When drought comes, the tree does not have to worry. It has roots dug deep in the ground to access water that can not be seen and it keeps on bearing leaves and fruit. Psalms 1 tell us, this tree is a person who delights in God’s Word and meditates on it day and night. Jeremiah tells us this is a person who trusts in the Lord.
I had written this down some time ago and cannot remember where I got it:
Biblical Contentment is an inward trust in God’s Sovereignty. It is God’s goodness that produces the fruit of joy, peace, and thanksgiving in our lives no matter the outward circumstances. People who are truly content, who bear fruit in their lives, are completely trusting in the Lord and delight in His Word!
Today I want to consider in my heart, do I have a lack of contentment? What are the dangers of a lack of contentment and what does it do to myself, my relationship with God and my relationship with the world around me.
Forgetfulness
In seasons of trials and plenty, we seem to have this problem of forgetfulness. We forget who the Great I AM is. Our automatic instinct is to think that God has forgotten us. He has left us, grown bored of us, or does not love us as much as he says he does. We can think he does not care about our situation. But God says, I will never leave you nor forsake you! Over and over again, God promises to take care of us, protect us, and care for us.
Can you really stand before God and accuse Him of neglect?
When God spoke these words, the Israelites had just walked across the river Jordan, and were staring down their enemies. Lots, of enemies! Not just one war tribe, but many tribes that were more in number and strength. God told Joshua, do not fear, I am with you! I will bring the victory! Israel’s confidence was to be obedient, to go as God commanded and their trust was in Him.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Joshua 1:5
I will not forsake you….
What did God mean when he said this? Of course God is everywhere, all at once. We know this. The Psalmist in Psalms 139 says:
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. Psalms 139:8
But the next verse exposes God’s fidelity:
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:9-10
If you are God’s he will not leave you and he will protect you! Joshua started out in footsteps of impossibility and enormous danger, but God said:
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:5,9
The author of Hebrews quotes these words:
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5
We are NEVER alone! No matter how desperate the circumstances, or how lonely we feel, or the opposition we face, God has said, I am with you! His presence calms any fear we have! He reminds us that he is there, he is near, and he is paying close attention to what is going on.
What We DO NOT have
The author of Hebrews was not talking about the enemies in Canaan. He was speaking directly to the new Christian converts. When western Christians hear be content with what you have, often times we think the author is saying you have enough. We think we are being told, do not long for more than you need.
We need to look at the context of what was going on. New Christian converts were being thrown out of their houses and cut off from provision and protection of their families. To follow Jesus was to embrace abandonment and to accept poverty. They were being encouraged to accept what they did not have.
They went without food – for Christ
Some only had the clothes on their back – for Christ
They were homeless – for Christ
…but they were content:
34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Hebrews 10:34
Their lives were plundered, destroyed and they were forsaken by even their families, but they were content. Why? Because they knew and believed their treasure was not on earth, it was stored up in heaven. If they can be content, why can we not be content?
Be content with what you have. Is there nothing more terrifying to us that being told to be content? Really, think about that. God says, be ok with a little less cultivate a heart of satisfaction for what you have.
6 Terrifying Words
This use of content in Hebrews is also the same word used in 2 Corinthians:
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Corinthians 2:9-10
Jesus says to Paul, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Paul responds, Because of grace, I will boast gladly of my weakness so the power of Christ rests upon me. Because of Christ, I am content. This is not Paul speaking a contentment gospel. Paul is saying to us, if Christ gives you less, boast in your less. Whatever deficiency we have, Christ covers it! If we truly believe in our hearts that God is that big, and grace is that sweet, we can do what the vast majority cannot do or say:
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 1 Timothy 6:8
It is not being simply appeased, but rather being pleased because our deepest joy does not rise from people or things.
Killer of Contentment
Paul gives us a very stern warning:
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10
It is the craving of money that steals our contentment and caused us to be forgetful of what God has spoken. The root of all kinds of evil begin with the love of money. It is only through an intimate relationship with God, that money loses its value.
An obsession for money makes us sons of Judas, who traded God for a pitiful small amount of money. Sound ludicrous? THink about it for a moment and be honest, what is the first thing you think of when asked, what would change your situation? Money to work less. Money to buy that. Money to have more of…. Judas, before he had even done the deed, was found out (Matthew 27:3). He had horribly overestimated money and underestimated how much the Pharisees hated Jesus. We may never know what his intent was or why he did what he did, but we can know his craving for money was stronger than his love for God and it ultimately cost him everything.
We need to understand and realize that no amount of silver can buy: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” If we could feel that horrible realization Judas felt after trading Jesus for money we would race out and sell everything we had. This is what our discontent does. It trades Jesus for money, fame, fortune, possessions, friends, etc.
True Contentment
Now that we all feel a little icky, let us look at what true contentment is. True contentment is not shy, sound cheap or docile. Contentment requires strength and courage. When we continue reading Hebrews, the author writes:
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Hebrews 13:5-6
The author was looking upon this small army of Jesus followers and what they were facing, what they needed and their persecution, and spoke from Joshua 1 and Psalms 118.
8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. Psalms 118:8-9
What ties these together? Courage. God tells Joshua three times to be courageous. Before God spoke to Joshua, Joshua was told by Moses to be strong and courageous. (Deuteronomy 31:6) Moses told him that God would never leave him or forsake him.
God tells us over and over to flee the temptation of money. When we are tempted, we need to not set our heart on what we do not have, rather what God has said. If the true God is your God, he goes with you and he knows what you need. God knows what we need and what we face and he will never leave us. We can be bold and courageous wherever he leads us and we can rejoice that we have Him!
Right now is a great moment to examine our discontent. What are you selling Jesus for? A new life? A new car? A new relationship? Freedom to do what you want, when you want, how you want? Is it worth selling Jesus for these things in your life? WHat blessing are you losing at the expense of your own pride and selfishness?
Is having a little less and God enough for you?
It Starts Small 
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