Are You Content?

We have a great Friday morning group that gets together for breakfast and conversation. We do read and study, but at times the conversation takes a path toward many different issues. Recently, we were discussing faith and the topic of being content in life’s circumstances came up.

I don’t think I added any real value to the conversation, but it did cause me to think, to study about this and to pray. We talked a lot about how difficult it is to be content with our desires to do more and be better. We talked about being content should be easy given the blessing we have. We talked about learning to appreciate what is “really” important in life.

What troubles me is that our discussion should have gone a little further. Philippians 4:11-13 reminds us;

11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

As I thought about our discussion I realized that as we discussed contentment it seemed to focus on things – plenty of things. In this land of plenty it seems as if our contentment hinged on cars, houses, jobs. It appears that the object of our contentment is askew. I believe Calvin once said “our hearts/minds are perpetual forges of idols.” So with our broken natures it is easy to have very material objects of contentment and therein lies the problem. We must ask ourselves what is the object of our contentment. Could the object or our contentment be the secret that Paul spoke of in Philippians?

So for us to be truly content in this world perhaps we need to change our focus. Tullian Tchividjian in his new book “Jesus + Nothing = Everything” challenges us;

“So I urge you once more: examine yourself. Dissect your heart. Recognize reality. What are you looking to (instead of Jesus) for meaning in life, for purpose, significance, security, direction, acceptance, approval? Ask yourself the same bold and probing question that Leo Tolstoy famously asked: “Is there any meaning in my life that the inevitable death awaiting me does not destroy?” What are you living for? What are you depending on to provide the freedom, worth, and value that you crave? The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.”

So from this we can take that if we are looking to objects as the secret of being content we will never get there. There will always be more objects, more stuff, more money. We must examine our hearts; we must focus on Christ as the object of our contentment. Then and only then can we rest and truly be content. Does that mean that we should never strive for better; no! It means we should look to Christ in all of life’s circumstances as the source of contentment. We should treasure Christ above all treasure as the one that by His work has sacrificed all that we might have true contentment and security; that we might have an eternal relationship as an adopted child of God. Amen!

Hebrews 13:5 says:

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

How comforting, how encouraging, how hopeful! Thank you Jesus that by your work on the cross we can be content, we can rest in your almighty arms, we can know what is truly important, we can love you and love others. We can know that you will never leave us or forsake us.

Grace and Peace!