Be Content

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Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NRSV)

6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.

Devotion

            Contentment is in short supply these days. Everyone seems to be wanting the newest and best of everything. Wanting more and better stuff comes naturally to the human race. Indeed, the tenth commandment, “you shall not covet. . .” is probably the most broken commandment in the world today. As if it were not enough that desiring more and more things comes naturally to us human beings, we have the advertising industry. This industry constantly seeks to magnify our desire by showing us more and more shiny new objects which we can covet. How can we resist these desires?

            The key to contentment is for the soul of a person to be filled with the desire to please God. It involves learning to desire God who alone can fill our souls with peace. This is not easy. It involves voluntarily turning to God whenever the desire for material things rears its ugly head. We have a choice to make, desire to be more like God and pursue the things of God or submit to our fleshly desires and pursue the things of this passing world. All this to show the truth of the words of St. Augustine “our hearts are restless till they rest in God.”

            The way to gain contentment lies in restricting and moderating our desires for earthly possessions. The power we need to do this can only come from relying entirely on God. In order to rely on God to achieve contentment you must be a person who prays. Our prayer must fill our heart and minds with thoughts of God and how to please him. We must let God fill our hearts with a love for him that drives away all other loves from us. We must know that our treasure resides with God in heaven and not in the stuff we can accumulate here on earth that can rot or be stolen.

            We must learn to remain content with whatever we have as far as earthly possessions. The scripture above tells us to be content with food and clothing it does not even mention shelter which most people would consider essential. For it is true that we brought nothing into this world, and we will take nothing out of this world. Materially speaking that is true, but spiritually speaking we will take one of two things. Either a heart set on the lusts of the flesh and covetousness or a heart at peace with God. Our eternal destiny rests on the choice we make. Which will you choose?

Prayer:

            Lord God Almighty we come before you a people whose hearts are frequently drawn to material possessions and distracted from you and your will for our lives. Teach us by your Holy Spirit to love you more deeply and to desire you more completely. Lead us beside the still waters of contentment and restore our souls with rightly ordered desires. Then we will know your peace and contentment will be with us now and forever. Amen.

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