November 7, 2000
The story is told about a complaining woman who griped about everything. Music was either too loud or too soft. Weather was either too hot or too cold. Other people were either too friendly or too aloof. She was never happy with life in general or any of its specifics.
Finally her pastor determined to find something that would bring a positive response. One Sunday morning, he stood at the door of the church shaking hands as the congregation departed. He noted a clear blue sky without a cloud or breeze. The air was perfect, not too warm nor too cool. Birds were singing but no flies or mosquitoes could be seen.
As the complaining woman approached, he remarked, “This is just a perfect day, isn’t it Mrs. Jones?”
Mrs. Jones frowned and said, “Oh, but I am certain it is raining some place.”
Mrs. Jones may strike our funny bone, but who likes being around a person who is always grumpy? These folks assume that contentment is within their reach only if everything around them is perfectly pleasing. Given the nature of life, little wonder they spend most of it griping.
The Apostle Paul said something interesting about contentment: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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.”
Notice that he said he ‘learned’ contentment. We are not born with it. A dry, well-fed baby is content, but it complains just as soon as its tummy is empty or its diaper is full.
Yet even Paul was not always content. Before he met Christ, he was so upset by the people with this new faith called Christianity that he determined to have them all arrested and executed. After he became a Christian himself, his life was seldom trouble-free, yet somehow, he learned to be content.
Note he also said that contentment is a secret, but as important as keeping secrets might be, Paul had no intention of hiding this one. He wanted others to be content too.
In 1 Timothy 6, he warned that falling in love with money would not do it. He said, “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”
Paul had an eternal perspective. He realized that no matter how much we accumulate, we cannot take it with us. We should be happy with the basics.
In another place, he said: “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.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’”
Paul was absolutely certain that God was on his side. He knew that no matter what kind of situation he found himself in, the Lord would be there to see him through.
This ties with the rest of the first passage quoted above. Paul finishes it by saying, “I have learned the secret. . . . I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
Those who know Christ know His presence and His power. They know that God is for them — more stuff, more friends, better weather will not do it. Paul looked much farther than that. For him, and for others too, God was with him – and that made everything else a non-issue.
He knew that contentment is not about having everything; it is about having God.
Showing posts with label contentment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contentment. Show all posts
Monday, January 15, 2018
Friday, July 28, 2017
The most profitable gain .......... Parables 620
December 8, 1998
When a celebrity or famous person dies, some people must rub their hands together thinking how many ways they can make a profit from it. In the case of Diana, Princess of Wales, it seems the funeral had not begun before greedy profiteers were marketing souvenirs. One recent ad announced that Westminister Abbey is selling the chairs used during Diana’s funeral. They say they need the money.
Everyone “needs the money” or at least some money. It happens to be part of how we live but the question is: how much do we need? Probably a lot less than most of us think.
When the Lord grabbed hold of my life nearly thirty years ago, He had much to teach me about money. I’d been just about as greedy as the average person, but suddenly a single parent with limited funds. My grocery budget, augmented by a garden and a deer hunting license, was about $7 a week. When my parents shopped for me, they slipped in the odd item but we survived on that $7, with creativity and lots of macaroni and cheese.
Our family financial picture changed over the years but the Lord blessed me during that lean time by showing me He is in charge and He will take care of me. When there seemed no funds for necessities, He provided in unusual ways. Maybe someone bought one of my paintings or a monetary gift arrived in the mail. My budget was adequate in God’s hands.
This year brings another change. We moved to a new house and have not yet sold the previous one. People are praying it will sell but it seems God has a different plan. For one thing, this forced simplicity has helped us get off the fast track and more able to enjoy life.
Virtue is neither in poverty or riches but in contentment with what is available. The lie is that money will either purchase a sense of security or give those who have it a greater measure of power, not only over their own lives but over other people too.
Security is important. Maslow says our basic needs must be met or we will not feel secure. But Jesus made a promise concerning where we put our trust for the necessities of life. He said, “Do not worry about what you will eat or drink; or what you will wear. . . . but seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Maslow also says our emotional needs must be met. If we do not have someone to love and are love by someone, we will be insecure. Again, Jesus points us to a different source for this need. He says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. . . . Love each other as I have loved you.” The love we crave is found first in God and then in God’s family.
As for power, it is important only to those who do not realize their almost laughable limitations. Although the money moguls of the world can buy and sell whatever they wish, not one of them can make a seed sprout or stop the wind from blowing.
We have little or no control over almost everything. Control is only a delusion at worst, a privilege at best. God allows people a measure of responsibility, an arena to make decisions, so we can be a blessing or a tyrant, but if He wanted to, He could strip everything away from any one of us.
The people who make Diana dolls for a profit from pieces of her life are fooling themselves. Their money is fleeting and whatever things they buy with it, soon they want something bigger or better. They are like the man Jesus talked about who kept building bigger and bigger barns to hoard his crops. One day, he died and God called him to account about what he had done with the wealth God had entrusted to him. Sadly, he may have gained the world — but he lost his own soul.
The other option is giving our soul to Christ — and gaining His entire kingdom!
When a celebrity or famous person dies, some people must rub their hands together thinking how many ways they can make a profit from it. In the case of Diana, Princess of Wales, it seems the funeral had not begun before greedy profiteers were marketing souvenirs. One recent ad announced that Westminister Abbey is selling the chairs used during Diana’s funeral. They say they need the money.
Everyone “needs the money” or at least some money. It happens to be part of how we live but the question is: how much do we need? Probably a lot less than most of us think.
When the Lord grabbed hold of my life nearly thirty years ago, He had much to teach me about money. I’d been just about as greedy as the average person, but suddenly a single parent with limited funds. My grocery budget, augmented by a garden and a deer hunting license, was about $7 a week. When my parents shopped for me, they slipped in the odd item but we survived on that $7, with creativity and lots of macaroni and cheese.
Our family financial picture changed over the years but the Lord blessed me during that lean time by showing me He is in charge and He will take care of me. When there seemed no funds for necessities, He provided in unusual ways. Maybe someone bought one of my paintings or a monetary gift arrived in the mail. My budget was adequate in God’s hands.
This year brings another change. We moved to a new house and have not yet sold the previous one. People are praying it will sell but it seems God has a different plan. For one thing, this forced simplicity has helped us get off the fast track and more able to enjoy life.
Virtue is neither in poverty or riches but in contentment with what is available. The lie is that money will either purchase a sense of security or give those who have it a greater measure of power, not only over their own lives but over other people too.
Security is important. Maslow says our basic needs must be met or we will not feel secure. But Jesus made a promise concerning where we put our trust for the necessities of life. He said, “Do not worry about what you will eat or drink; or what you will wear. . . . but seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Maslow also says our emotional needs must be met. If we do not have someone to love and are love by someone, we will be insecure. Again, Jesus points us to a different source for this need. He says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. . . . Love each other as I have loved you.” The love we crave is found first in God and then in God’s family.
As for power, it is important only to those who do not realize their almost laughable limitations. Although the money moguls of the world can buy and sell whatever they wish, not one of them can make a seed sprout or stop the wind from blowing.
We have little or no control over almost everything. Control is only a delusion at worst, a privilege at best. God allows people a measure of responsibility, an arena to make decisions, so we can be a blessing or a tyrant, but if He wanted to, He could strip everything away from any one of us.
The people who make Diana dolls for a profit from pieces of her life are fooling themselves. Their money is fleeting and whatever things they buy with it, soon they want something bigger or better. They are like the man Jesus talked about who kept building bigger and bigger barns to hoard his crops. One day, he died and God called him to account about what he had done with the wealth God had entrusted to him. Sadly, he may have gained the world — but he lost his own soul.
The other option is giving our soul to Christ — and gaining His entire kingdom!
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Perfect Contentment .......... Parables 484
September 12, 1995
A wealthy employer once overheard one of his workers exclaim, “Oh, if I only had a hundred dollars, I would be perfectly content.”
Knowing something about having money and feeling discontent, he surprised her. “Since I would like to see someone who is perfectly content, I am going to give you a hundred dollars.”
He handed her the cash but before he was out of earshot, he heard her remark, “Why didn’t I say $200?”
Contentment is like stepping into your own shadow. It certainly is not part of the package we call success. Wealthy people wish they had more money. Autocrats crave more power. Models want wrinkle cream and facelifts. Famous people worry about the few who never heard of them.
What is perfect contentment? Is it being happy and totally satisfied all of the time? If true, no one would come to the table for lunch! Some would say it is life without distressing or uncomfortable concerns; hunger but not starvation, earning a living but not staying below the poverty line.
Even defined that way, contentment is still elusive. Who can ensure their circumstances will be somewhere between great and favorable? Working hard does not guarantee financial independence. Living carefully does not guarantee healthy bodies and intact bones.
Another definition comes from Webster’s dictionary. It says contentment is “limiting one’s desires or expectations.” In other words, if steak is not on the menu tonight, a contented person will be just as happy to eat hot dogs. This is not resignation but a true attitude of acceptance. A contented person has a sense of well-being that does not depend on “having it all.”
The Apostle Paul displayed this kind of contentment, but he had to learn it. In his letter to the Philippians, he told them how glad he was that they could care for him, but added, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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.”
This great man of God was not exaggerating when he said “in any and every situation.” He had known extremes. He had adoring followers and spiteful persecutors, great moments with God and terrifying hours at the hands of men. If we lived as he did, we would find ourselves on an emotional roller coaster, nevertheless, Paul learned how to remain level.
His secret? He said, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Paul knew that no matter what happened to him, Christ was with him, giving him the power he needed to handle the situation. It is like walking through a dark alley with Joe Fraser or Mike Tyson. Who cares what danger lurks in the shadows!
Paul also had a philosophy about money and contentment. He realized “men of corrupt mind . . . think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” He said “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”
For him, food and clothing was enough. There is a life beyond this one and that was far more important. Besides, he had seen “people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires.” Paul was smart enough to look elsewhere for his contentment. He firmly believed “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”
One hundred dollars or one million dollars cannot buy lasting peace of heart or total satisfaction. However, to those who are willing to seek out their true source, both are available.
A wealthy employer once overheard one of his workers exclaim, “Oh, if I only had a hundred dollars, I would be perfectly content.”
Knowing something about having money and feeling discontent, he surprised her. “Since I would like to see someone who is perfectly content, I am going to give you a hundred dollars.”
He handed her the cash but before he was out of earshot, he heard her remark, “Why didn’t I say $200?”
Contentment is like stepping into your own shadow. It certainly is not part of the package we call success. Wealthy people wish they had more money. Autocrats crave more power. Models want wrinkle cream and facelifts. Famous people worry about the few who never heard of them.
What is perfect contentment? Is it being happy and totally satisfied all of the time? If true, no one would come to the table for lunch! Some would say it is life without distressing or uncomfortable concerns; hunger but not starvation, earning a living but not staying below the poverty line.
Even defined that way, contentment is still elusive. Who can ensure their circumstances will be somewhere between great and favorable? Working hard does not guarantee financial independence. Living carefully does not guarantee healthy bodies and intact bones.
Another definition comes from Webster’s dictionary. It says contentment is “limiting one’s desires or expectations.” In other words, if steak is not on the menu tonight, a contented person will be just as happy to eat hot dogs. This is not resignation but a true attitude of acceptance. A contented person has a sense of well-being that does not depend on “having it all.”
The Apostle Paul displayed this kind of contentment, but he had to learn it. In his letter to the Philippians, he told them how glad he was that they could care for him, but added, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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.”
This great man of God was not exaggerating when he said “in any and every situation.” He had known extremes. He had adoring followers and spiteful persecutors, great moments with God and terrifying hours at the hands of men. If we lived as he did, we would find ourselves on an emotional roller coaster, nevertheless, Paul learned how to remain level.
His secret? He said, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Paul knew that no matter what happened to him, Christ was with him, giving him the power he needed to handle the situation. It is like walking through a dark alley with Joe Fraser or Mike Tyson. Who cares what danger lurks in the shadows!
Paul also had a philosophy about money and contentment. He realized “men of corrupt mind . . . think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” He said “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”
For him, food and clothing was enough. There is a life beyond this one and that was far more important. Besides, he had seen “people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires.” Paul was smart enough to look elsewhere for his contentment. He firmly believed “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”
One hundred dollars or one million dollars cannot buy lasting peace of heart or total satisfaction. However, to those who are willing to seek out their true source, both are available.
Monday, March 28, 2016
Lasting satisfaction .................. Parables 411
March 11, 1994
The first professional skating performance I recall seeing was a spectacular version of Ice Capades. The program began in total darkness. Suddenly there was a shaft of light bouncing off a slowly spinning mirror ball hung high above the ice. Tiny diamonds of light whirled like huge falling snow flakes around and into every corner. It was magic.
When the skaters entered, everyone gasped. They were dressed in white with fur and feathers, silver sequins and glittering rhinestones. Since then, I’ve seen higher quality skating yet that performance was so magnificent, nothing else has ever met the standard it set. If I never see another, I am content.
In contrast, most of life’s pleasures give little lasting satisfaction, particularly material pleasures. People see or try one thing and enjoy it, but the enjoyment lasts only a short time and they soon want something else. For young people and adults, one thrilling ride at the fair is not quite enough so, “Please, just one more.” Or the latest new outfit is old after one or two wearings so, “But I have nothing to wear.”
As our economy enters a downturn, the ability to satisfy that hungry desire for more, bigger, and better in the realm of having things is also affected. Many of these pleasures carry large price tags. What people long for to make them feel good brings strained budgets to the breaking point. As a result, any hoped for or promise of lasting satisfaction becomes more elusive than ever.
The people of ancient Rome thought their material desires could be satisfied by their thousands of gods. If the people did what the gods wished, the gods would provide whatever was necessary, not only to stay alive but to live abundantly. However, that culture, well-known for its indulgences and excesses, was never satisfied.
It was into this that Jesus Christ was born and later made the outrageous claim: “I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
He was not a wealthy man. Born in a stable, raised by a carpenter, and “having no where to lay his head” were good reasons for those who heard Him to wonder what on earth He could do to raise their standard of life and give them what their gods could not. Even though some people wanted to make Him their king, He really had no political clout either. On what basis could He claim to satisfy anyone’s desire for abundance?
The Apostle Paul knew. When he wrote to the church in Philippi, he told them he was glad for their sakes they had been able to send an offering, not because he needed anything. Instead, he said, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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.” (Phil.4:11,12)
Paul had not always been like that. Before he met Christ, he was a driven, unhappy person. After he came to faith in Jesus, he was never wealthy, but he was satisfied. He didn’t need a new car every year, or a bigger house, or a new suit, or even greater thrills. Whether life was ho-hum or exciting, borderline or outstanding, he was happy. Verse 13 gives his reason: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Christ provided him with the capacity to take life as it came, no matter how it came. He did not worry when the money ran out before the month or the days seemed dreary. He knew he was being taken care of and he was satisfied. He had seen the ultimate provision, experienced the ultimate high: he met Christ. In Him, Paul discovered nothing or no one can match the standard He set so he looked no further; he was content.
The first professional skating performance I recall seeing was a spectacular version of Ice Capades. The program began in total darkness. Suddenly there was a shaft of light bouncing off a slowly spinning mirror ball hung high above the ice. Tiny diamonds of light whirled like huge falling snow flakes around and into every corner. It was magic.
When the skaters entered, everyone gasped. They were dressed in white with fur and feathers, silver sequins and glittering rhinestones. Since then, I’ve seen higher quality skating yet that performance was so magnificent, nothing else has ever met the standard it set. If I never see another, I am content.
In contrast, most of life’s pleasures give little lasting satisfaction, particularly material pleasures. People see or try one thing and enjoy it, but the enjoyment lasts only a short time and they soon want something else. For young people and adults, one thrilling ride at the fair is not quite enough so, “Please, just one more.” Or the latest new outfit is old after one or two wearings so, “But I have nothing to wear.”
As our economy enters a downturn, the ability to satisfy that hungry desire for more, bigger, and better in the realm of having things is also affected. Many of these pleasures carry large price tags. What people long for to make them feel good brings strained budgets to the breaking point. As a result, any hoped for or promise of lasting satisfaction becomes more elusive than ever.
The people of ancient Rome thought their material desires could be satisfied by their thousands of gods. If the people did what the gods wished, the gods would provide whatever was necessary, not only to stay alive but to live abundantly. However, that culture, well-known for its indulgences and excesses, was never satisfied.
It was into this that Jesus Christ was born and later made the outrageous claim: “I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
He was not a wealthy man. Born in a stable, raised by a carpenter, and “having no where to lay his head” were good reasons for those who heard Him to wonder what on earth He could do to raise their standard of life and give them what their gods could not. Even though some people wanted to make Him their king, He really had no political clout either. On what basis could He claim to satisfy anyone’s desire for abundance?
The Apostle Paul knew. When he wrote to the church in Philippi, he told them he was glad for their sakes they had been able to send an offering, not because he needed anything. Instead, he said, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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.” (Phil.4:11,12)
Paul had not always been like that. Before he met Christ, he was a driven, unhappy person. After he came to faith in Jesus, he was never wealthy, but he was satisfied. He didn’t need a new car every year, or a bigger house, or a new suit, or even greater thrills. Whether life was ho-hum or exciting, borderline or outstanding, he was happy. Verse 13 gives his reason: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Christ provided him with the capacity to take life as it came, no matter how it came. He did not worry when the money ran out before the month or the days seemed dreary. He knew he was being taken care of and he was satisfied. He had seen the ultimate provision, experienced the ultimate high: he met Christ. In Him, Paul discovered nothing or no one can match the standard He set so he looked no further; he was content.
Friday, January 29, 2016
The Value of Money? ............. Parables 386
September 7, 1993
Cicero said, “There is no fortress so strong that money cannot take it.” Joe E. Lewis figured that money is so powerful that “the only thing it cannot buy is poverty.”
Both men put money and power on the same pedestal and many of us do the same thing. Who has not said or at least thought, “If I had enough money I could do what I want”?
Neither money or power is good or evil; what we do with them makes the distinction. Immense fortunes administered by influential people have benefitted thousands of needy people. Immense fortunes administered by powerful criminals have harmed thousands more. The difference is in priority: the criminal uses people for personal gain, whereas the philanthropist uses gain for people.
Even those who are not Christians recognize one major principle in Christianity is love. Love rules out using people for personal gain. For this reason, the Bible tells Christians to avoid having a love for power, or for money.
Jesus warned, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves” (Luke 22). Love does not allow power trips.
As for loving money, Paul said, “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 3:3). Money allures people away from loving others and away from their faith.
For that reason, an inordinate desire for both power and money is an dangerous combination. Behind such desire is fear, the opposite of faith. The writer of Hebrews put it this way: “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.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’”
According to this, the antidote to misdirected love is not only contentment with what we have, but also a confidence that God is our helper. He controls what other people do and we do not have to fear poverty, lack of power, or other people.
On one hand, those with money do seem to have power. Anyone who is afraid of people could easily assume money will take care of that problem. The more money they have, the more in control they think they are.
However, faith and love do far more to banish fear than money or power. We cannot be afraid of people we love, nor fear anything when we really trust God. In fact, true power is having the confidence that God is our helper. He is sovereign, in full control of our circumstances and “works all things together for our good.” What or who can harm those who God promised to protect?
Money, as powerful as it is, also runs up against a dead end when it comes to resolving conflicts, rebuilding broken relationships, or causing ruined lives to change. In contrast, love and faith are potent forces for change. People who live by that combination also possess a powerful ability to influence and bless people, an ability that does not have to be connected to their bank balance.
Cicero said, “There is no fortress so strong that money cannot take it.” Joe E. Lewis figured that money is so powerful that “the only thing it cannot buy is poverty.”
Both men put money and power on the same pedestal and many of us do the same thing. Who has not said or at least thought, “If I had enough money I could do what I want”?
Neither money or power is good or evil; what we do with them makes the distinction. Immense fortunes administered by influential people have benefitted thousands of needy people. Immense fortunes administered by powerful criminals have harmed thousands more. The difference is in priority: the criminal uses people for personal gain, whereas the philanthropist uses gain for people.
Even those who are not Christians recognize one major principle in Christianity is love. Love rules out using people for personal gain. For this reason, the Bible tells Christians to avoid having a love for power, or for money.
Jesus warned, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves” (Luke 22). Love does not allow power trips.
As for loving money, Paul said, “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 3:3). Money allures people away from loving others and away from their faith.
For that reason, an inordinate desire for both power and money is an dangerous combination. Behind such desire is fear, the opposite of faith. The writer of Hebrews put it this way: “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.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’”
According to this, the antidote to misdirected love is not only contentment with what we have, but also a confidence that God is our helper. He controls what other people do and we do not have to fear poverty, lack of power, or other people.
On one hand, those with money do seem to have power. Anyone who is afraid of people could easily assume money will take care of that problem. The more money they have, the more in control they think they are.
However, faith and love do far more to banish fear than money or power. We cannot be afraid of people we love, nor fear anything when we really trust God. In fact, true power is having the confidence that God is our helper. He is sovereign, in full control of our circumstances and “works all things together for our good.” What or who can harm those who God promised to protect?
Money, as powerful as it is, also runs up against a dead end when it comes to resolving conflicts, rebuilding broken relationships, or causing ruined lives to change. In contrast, love and faith are potent forces for change. People who live by that combination also possess a powerful ability to influence and bless people, an ability that does not have to be connected to their bank balance.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Contentment is a gift ............. Parables 379
July 20, 1993
Is it that “familiarity breeds contempt” or that people are never satisfied? I’m not sure. What I do know is that the thrill or satisfaction of having a new car or house or dress or anything else lasts about a week, maybe two.
What is the matter? Why do we get tired of things so easily? We seem prone to discontent. I even wonder if necessity really is the author of invention? or is it discontent? We produce new things simply because we get tired of the old.
Sure, that excludes some things... like shoes that fit well, good friends and favorite recipes.... but most old things are discarded long before they outlive their usefulness.
Perhaps lasting satisfaction is fleeting because contentment is elusive. In fact, Solomon figured contentment was a gift from God. Notice these few lines from Ecclesiastes:
“When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work — this is a gift of God... he seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.”
If anyone considers themselves content, thank God. What a gift to be occupied with gladness!
Solomon goes on. “I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men: God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.”
Without this God-given gift of contentment, no matter how much a person has, there is no capacity to enjoy possessions. How sad. Solomon says: “No matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity... a stillborn child is better off than he.... it has more rest than does that man.”
Solomon also said “all man’s efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.”
Some say we have a God-shaped void inside of us, one created by Him that He intended only be filled by Him. Whatever that means, the Bible never portrays God as a kill-joy who doesn’t want us to be happy about anything else but Him. He made us able to enjoy many things, just as Solomon says.
Rather than making God the Creator of an inner void, is seems more realistic to see Him as Enabler of satisfaction and contentment with what we do have, whatever it is and however much it is. That way, God is not restricted as to how He will fill the void.
Sometimes He does it by helping us better understand our inner longings so we match the remedy with the ailment instead of confusing them with a need to go out and spend money. Sometimes He does it by giving us an eternal perspective so the things of this world lose some of their importance — and having them loses some of its immediacy.
What God really wants is that we understand His promise to take care of all our needs. He is concerned about our wants but only grants them if they will not harm us. He also teaches us how to recognize the difference between needs and wants so we can be thankful instead of grasping for more.
Solomon discovered the important things in life and the secret of being content, but it was not without trying everything else. After filling his life with all anyone could ever want, he concluded that unless God blessed him with satisfaction, he might as well not bother.
Is it that “familiarity breeds contempt” or that people are never satisfied? I’m not sure. What I do know is that the thrill or satisfaction of having a new car or house or dress or anything else lasts about a week, maybe two.
What is the matter? Why do we get tired of things so easily? We seem prone to discontent. I even wonder if necessity really is the author of invention? or is it discontent? We produce new things simply because we get tired of the old.
Sure, that excludes some things... like shoes that fit well, good friends and favorite recipes.... but most old things are discarded long before they outlive their usefulness.
Perhaps lasting satisfaction is fleeting because contentment is elusive. In fact, Solomon figured contentment was a gift from God. Notice these few lines from Ecclesiastes:
“When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work — this is a gift of God... he seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.”
If anyone considers themselves content, thank God. What a gift to be occupied with gladness!
Solomon goes on. “I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men: God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.”
Without this God-given gift of contentment, no matter how much a person has, there is no capacity to enjoy possessions. How sad. Solomon says: “No matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity... a stillborn child is better off than he.... it has more rest than does that man.”
Solomon also said “all man’s efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.”
Some say we have a God-shaped void inside of us, one created by Him that He intended only be filled by Him. Whatever that means, the Bible never portrays God as a kill-joy who doesn’t want us to be happy about anything else but Him. He made us able to enjoy many things, just as Solomon says.
Rather than making God the Creator of an inner void, is seems more realistic to see Him as Enabler of satisfaction and contentment with what we do have, whatever it is and however much it is. That way, God is not restricted as to how He will fill the void.
Sometimes He does it by helping us better understand our inner longings so we match the remedy with the ailment instead of confusing them with a need to go out and spend money. Sometimes He does it by giving us an eternal perspective so the things of this world lose some of their importance — and having them loses some of its immediacy.
What God really wants is that we understand His promise to take care of all our needs. He is concerned about our wants but only grants them if they will not harm us. He also teaches us how to recognize the difference between needs and wants so we can be thankful instead of grasping for more.
Solomon discovered the important things in life and the secret of being content, but it was not without trying everything else. After filling his life with all anyone could ever want, he concluded that unless God blessed him with satisfaction, he might as well not bother.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
The secret of contentment ................................ Parables 041
Two girls hurried across a downtown street on one of our cooler November mornings. One of them wore light shoes, a light weight V-neck sweater, and cotton slacks. No hat. No gloves. Her 3/4 length winter coat was wide open as she faced the biting northwest wind.
As they passed, she remarked to her friend, “I’m just freezing. I’m going to have to get a new coat.”
Maybe she thought that heavy boots, and thick gloves and mitts are unattractive. That I understand. What I don’t understand is being cold, having a coat to wrap up in, yet not bothering to do so.
Is it laziness? Ignorance? I don’t think so. It is more related to habit, and to a way of life. Many of us have become so accustomed to buying something new to fill the slightest need, that it is abnormal to consider that we may already have all that we need.
It is called affluence, the good times, with high wages, plentiful jobs, and an ample supply of “discretionary income,” money to spend after the necessities have been taken care of.
No wonder that the economic slump has upset lifestyles. People are faced with situations that they have never before faced. Adjustment is not easy. Many don’t know how to make last year’s coat, or car, or suit, do for this year. They don’t know how to take the seams in, or let the hems down. They don’t have 1001 ways to cook hamburger, or 500 variations on macaroni and cheese. Pride battles with practicality, and charge cards are at war with common sense. The wounded are everywhere.
Paul, a great man of God, said this, “I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances. 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.” (Philippians 4:11,12)
He learned a secret. What a secret that is, in days of rising costs and having to cut back. If Paul had been so minded, he could have sold his secret. In fact, today, an ad in TV Guide would make him a millionaire.
But Paul wasn’t interested. His secret was not for sale. Money cannot buy it, just as money cannot buy the contentment that he described. His secret was a gift to him, and he shared it freely with anyone who wanted it . . . His “secret” was, “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
He wasn’t talking about the physical strength needed to do up a coat. Instead, he meant the special kind of inner strength that enables a person to wisely use the resources at hand, to live “a little leaner,” and to be content in any lifestyle. The inner presence of Christ in Paul’s life kept his heart at peace.
The young lady can be thankful that she is still in a position to consider a new coat. Some of her neighbors are not so fortunate. However, both could have a wealth that has nothing to do with purchasing power. Instead, it is the wealth of Paul’s secret.
As they passed, she remarked to her friend, “I’m just freezing. I’m going to have to get a new coat.”
Maybe she thought that heavy boots, and thick gloves and mitts are unattractive. That I understand. What I don’t understand is being cold, having a coat to wrap up in, yet not bothering to do so.
Is it laziness? Ignorance? I don’t think so. It is more related to habit, and to a way of life. Many of us have become so accustomed to buying something new to fill the slightest need, that it is abnormal to consider that we may already have all that we need.
It is called affluence, the good times, with high wages, plentiful jobs, and an ample supply of “discretionary income,” money to spend after the necessities have been taken care of.
No wonder that the economic slump has upset lifestyles. People are faced with situations that they have never before faced. Adjustment is not easy. Many don’t know how to make last year’s coat, or car, or suit, do for this year. They don’t know how to take the seams in, or let the hems down. They don’t have 1001 ways to cook hamburger, or 500 variations on macaroni and cheese. Pride battles with practicality, and charge cards are at war with common sense. The wounded are everywhere.
Paul, a great man of God, said this, “I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances. 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.” (Philippians 4:11,12)
He learned a secret. What a secret that is, in days of rising costs and having to cut back. If Paul had been so minded, he could have sold his secret. In fact, today, an ad in TV Guide would make him a millionaire.
But Paul wasn’t interested. His secret was not for sale. Money cannot buy it, just as money cannot buy the contentment that he described. His secret was a gift to him, and he shared it freely with anyone who wanted it . . . His “secret” was, “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
He wasn’t talking about the physical strength needed to do up a coat. Instead, he meant the special kind of inner strength that enables a person to wisely use the resources at hand, to live “a little leaner,” and to be content in any lifestyle. The inner presence of Christ in Paul’s life kept his heart at peace.
The young lady can be thankful that she is still in a position to consider a new coat. Some of her neighbors are not so fortunate. However, both could have a wealth that has nothing to do with purchasing power. Instead, it is the wealth of Paul’s secret.
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