Contentment

This talk is narrow in scope, focused on being content with temporal things.

Contentment

Proverbs 30:8b-9

Perhaps the biggest SCAM in professing Christianity is the health and wealth movement. From ancient times people have associated being healthy and wealthy as having God’s favor and being ill or poor was a sign of His judgment. This was the foundation of Job’s counselors, and it was why Jesus’ disciples responded as they did when Jesus told them it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. They were astounded, and asked “Who then can be saved?” (Luke 18:26)

Being healthy and/or wealthy is not sinful, we are to not TRUST in these things but use them in service to God and His people. Contentment with what we’ve been allotted in this world is a goal for each child of God – it takes learning and is often taught with trials and successes.

As He drew near to the end of His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus began speaking plainly to them about the Father and the trouble this world brings. John 16:20-31. When Paul said he had learned to be content, it was founded on this rock of comfort: in this world we will have tribulation – much trouble – yet we can be of good cheer, we can take heart, be encouraged and comforted by this: Jesus has conquered the world!

If we be in Christ, He is our comfort and fellow saints are given to one another to encourage and care for each other. A most beautiful picture is given by an author of the early part of the second century. He observed:

The Christians are not distinguished from other men by country, by language, nor by civil institutions. For they neither dwell in cities by themselves, nor use a peculiar tongue, nor lead a singular mode of life. They dwell in the Grecian or barbarian cities, as the case may be; they follow the usages of the country in dress, food, and the other affairs of life. Yet they present a wonderful and confessedly paradoxical conduct. They dwell in their own native lands, but as strangers. They take part in all things, as citizens; and they suffer all things, as foreigners. Every foreign country is a fatherland to them, and every native land is foreign. They marry, like all others; they have children; but they do not cast away their offsprings. They have the table in common, but not wives. They are in the flesh, but do not live after the flesh. They live upon the earth, but are citizens of heaven. They obey the existing laws, and excel the laws by their lives. They love all, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown, and yet they are condemned. They are killed and made alive. They are poor and make many rich. They lack all things, and in all things abound. They are reproached, and glory in their reproaches. They are calumniated, and are justified. They are cursed, and they bless. They receive scorn, and they give honor. They do good, and are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice, as being made alive. By the Jews they are attacked as aliens, and by the Greeks persecuted; and the cause of the enmity their enemies cannot tell. In short, what the soul is to the body, the Christians are in the world. The soul is diffused through all the members of the body, and the Christians are spread through the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, but it is not of the body; so the Christians dwell in the world, but are not of the world.

This sounds like something from another world, does it not? I believe it is so easy for us to get accustomed to living in the richest nation on earth and drift into that age-old belief that temporal blessings are the measure of God’s favor.

1 John 3:13-17. The world is set up on a system of using people and things for self-benefit. Capitalism rests on this foundation – and if allowed to operate freely, all things for self-benefit would actually benefit all involved because there would be no coercion. People freely enter into business because they see a way to profit. When people are coerced to do business or kept from doing business, those doing the coercion profit at the expense of others.

The Christian faith has often been described as a volunteer organization; this description to contrast with the state-church which is built on subscription – the coercion of man by man. We know our call by God to become part of His family is irresistible; and yet, once called, we come freely and eagerly. We should not use coercion to get things done. Coercion happens by word and deed, by personality and circumstance. These things reveal a lack of being content – they reveal a selfish heart. Those who are not content are described in Jude 10-16. Always this contrast between two kingdoms, two ways of life, two masters.

We have encouragement from our Master in 1 Timothy 6:3-12. In the midst of warning about who slander and quarrel, are envious of others and promote disputes, Paul reminds us that godliness with contentment is worth much. Some promote godliness as a means to material gain, but our Lord tells us we are to be content with food and clothing, knowing that we brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out of it. Men who love money are vulnerable to many pitfalls and harmful desires, but the man of God is to run from that, pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

This is the good fight we are called to. Not one of carnal weapons of coercion, brought forth by envy or selfishness; but a battle in the spiritual realm, where only the Holy Spirit within us can win the war. 1 Peter 4:1-17. May God give us grace to suffer as Christians and keep us from falling into envy and selfishness.