Contentment

IBS 13

Hebrews 13:5             

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Reading this verse my initial thought is that the emphasis on being content with what we have is directed towards money and material items. I think this verse is simply saying don’t crave what you don’t have. But the more I meditate on the words in this verse; I realize that my view is so narrow. Conduct is more than a desire to possess more or less of something. Conduct is an attitude, it is behavior and it is action. This verse isn’t just saying don’t covet in my heart, but in the way I live my life. Let the way I live my life be without desiring what I don’t have or not given to me. The call is to a simple life. Let my heart not crave empty, fading, pointless items. The reality of this verse is that fulfillment cannot be found in material things and money never satisfies. We all have a longing in the depths of our souls. When we feed this longing with material items (clothes, products, any item), distractions (tv, movies, even music), or money; we simply feed that longing a counterfeit. What we truly long for is more of Him. We covet and crave more of Him; but in a world full of distractions, we don’t understand the depths to which our souls cry out for His presence in our lives. If Christ is not present and King of my heart, I know I will never be content with anything before me. In the book my class is reading, Real Worship, Warren W. Wiersbe writes:  Your adoring response of worship to your Creator ought to help cure you of worry. Isn’t this the root of discontentment?  We worry that we are not secure enough, we don’t have enough; we don’t have what we need. I am simply at a loss of words because of the heart of Christ. He is telling us to rest with what He has given us because His constant presence in our lives is sufficient to fulfill and satisfy all of our needs. In my life, I don’t want to feed my soul counterfeit satisfaction. This requires me to then choose what I find my satisfaction in each day and requires me to live it out.

Application: Today I will write down in my journal different ways I have found contentment and satisfaction in Christ, rather than what the world has to offer me. I will take time and meditate on these things and praise the Lord for His loving kindness.