Contentment. Yes. Even at a time like this

This morning I began to think about my current contentment level. Am I content in these troubling times? Truly content? Have I learnt to speak the words the apostle Paul spoke so many years ago?

Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

The days we’re living in right now are hard. Life is discouraging. Fear abounds. Despair is everywhere. But, can we, as Christians, learn to be content? 

How long will we struggle to alter the circumstances we find ourselves in? I’m finding that I need to take a good hard look at what God has blessed me with and not be distracted by what He has taken away. 

God is sovereign and he has his reasons for what we’re facing today. We may never understand why the whole world had to go through such an enormous upheaval, but we can trust God through it all.

If we stop, even for 5 minutes, and take the time to write down our blessings, we will find peace in knowing that we are blessed beyond measure. 

I’ve found myself feeling fearful at times. Uncertain. Anxious. We, like many others have a business to run and bills to pay. It’s easy to become distracted by the here and now and worry about what the future holds.  Will we have enough money to keep us afloat? Will we be able to make the payments on our loans? Will those that owe us, pay us? Yes, these thoughts have rattled around in my tiny brain until they became giants of despair. 

I love the passage in Matthew that helps me put things back into focus. Take the time to read it all. Don’t just skim over it because it’s a familiar passage. 

Matthew 6:25-33 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

God, in all His majesty and awesomeness, feeds the birds. He takes care of the lilies of the field. If he can stoop down and take care of such small and seemingly insignificant parts of creation, how much more can he take care of us? 

We worry about food, shelter, clothing. We fret over finances. And yet, God tells us not to worry. He tells us that we are better than the birds and the flowers. He WILL take care of us. He reminds us that if we seek Him first, then all those things that we worry and fret about, he will take care of. 

In going back to our lists of blessings, we can see that we can learn to be content with what we have. We don’t need to be discontent because we can only buy 2 tins of spaghetti or that there is no pasta left on the shelf at our local Woolies. We don’t need to be miserable because we can’t go for our usual coffee with a friend. These things are so insignificant in God’s big plan for us. 

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

What is it he wants us to learn from all this? What questions should we be asking ourselves at a time like this? Here’s a few to think about. 

What does God want me to learn about Him that I might never have learnt had he removed me from this situation or not allowed the situation to occur in the first place? 

What Godly, Christlike characteristics is he trying to grow in my life that I need to learn in order to become a better Christian and develop my walk with him? 

Who is watching? And what are they discovering about what God is like by how I am reacting to the current situation?

What is God trying to say to me as I go through this trial? Am I listening to his still, small voice? Am I learning the lessons he is trying to teach me? 

When I think of how we may lose everything we’ve worked for and end up with just the clothes on our backs (I know that sounds dramatic, but it may be the case with many people), I am convicted about how tightly I’m holding onto the things of this world. This passage in 1 Timothy is a good reminder to be content. 

1 Timothy 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

This verse reminds us that we came into this world with nothing, and we won’t be able to take anything with us when we go. So, if the Lord chooses to take it all from us, as in the case of Job, and if we have the Lord Jesus in our hearts and lives, then we haven’t really lost anything, have we? All that we have is borrowed anyway, we are just stewards. If we have food and clothes, then we should be content with that. 

That’s not easy to swallow. Being left with only food and clothes and being content. We love our possessions. We want to be comfortable. We don’t like going without. 

Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

But life shouldn’t only be about what we possess. Our hope shouldn’t lie in what we have. If you want to see where your hope lies, then watch what happens as God takes things away from you and see how you react. If you’re hoping in your job, your house, your finances, your spouse, then when God begins to peel open your firmly curled fist from the things you hold so tightly, you’ll soon see where your hope lies. Our hope is to be in the Lord. 

My Hope is in the Lord

My Hope is in the Lord, who gave Himself for me

And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary

For me He died; For me He lives,

And everlasting life and light He freely gives.

My Hope Is Built

My hope is built on nothing less

than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand,

all other ground is sinking sand.

Take a ‘hope inventory’ and find where it is your hope lies. If it’s not in the Lord, then you’re in trouble. Facts are facts. When we put our trust in the things of this world, we’re going to be disappointed, devastated and fearful when these things are suddenly and forcibly taken from us.

As Christians, we have a hope of greater things to come. No matter what is thrown at us, no matter where we find ourselves to be financially right now, we have hope.  When all the world is crumbling around us, when all we see is despair, we can have the peace of God in our hearts. We can rest in God’s promises and we can know without a shadow of a doubt, that God can and will bring us through this and do his purifying work in our hearts.

Contentment is not something we can get in a ‘take away, drive-thru’ sort of a way. It isn’t available in a microwaveable format.  It is something we must cultivate. Patiently and purposefully. We have to consciously work on it, every day of our lives. We have to start embracing where God has us, our current lot in life, our past, our present and our future.  But it has to start with you. And it has to start with a resolute decision to strive to be content in whatever circumstances God sees fit to put you in. And God will fill you with his peace if your mind and heart is focused on him.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Begin today to count your blessings. Name them one by one. Put your hope in the Lord. Rest in him. Seek him first. Develop a spirit of contentment. Abound in hope.

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.