Content?

One night, I woke up suddenly and for no reason I can explain, I started asking myself whether I was content. The more I thought about it, other words popped in my head. Before long, I started asking myself if the way I live and behave is a sign of contentment, or whether I was contentious or even contemptuous. I know it sounds like a play of words but it wasn't "punny" at the time. I really needed to look inwards and answer these difficult questions honestly.


In Philippians 4: 11- 12, Paul said

"Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty." (MSG)

It's so easy to think you're content [kən-tĕnt′] until you examine the content [kŏn′tĕnt′] (pun intended) of your behavior. In fact, contrary to what you were told or want to believe, no one was born content. How do I know? Just look at a new born baby... It seems to me that one of the reasons why they arrive with clutched hands is wanting to hold on to what they have...it speaks more about contention than contentment.

1 Tim 6: 6-8 tells us that:

⁶ Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. ⁷ After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. ⁸ So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. (NLT)

The other thing we need to be careful about is our desires to have more...sometimes it demonstrates contempt for what we already have. Ask yourself, when was the last time (or even the first time) you set out to pray and all you said was "Thank You Lord" and didn't slip in a request or two?

This song by Don Moen: Thank You Lord is fast becoming one of my favourite songs. The lyrics are so simple & rich. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARljoVIErN0

If you want to live a "wealthy life" be content...and express your appreciation to God.