07/19/2011
Contentment
The only verses I can find in the Bible about being content are in dealing with finances and material things.
Philippians 4:12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
Luke 3:14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, "And what about us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages."
Hebrews 13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"
1 Timothy 6:3-10 3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs
I have not found any verse that instructs us to be content in our Christian walks; not yearning for a deeper relationship and revelation of Jesus Christ. Yet so often we get sermons that give us snack foods, make us “feel-good” by the end of the sermon and even to the point where the focus is on giving to God to receive material riches form the Lord.
I had a vision while in prayer several years ago. It was of a fat man filling up on sweets, he never put any meat in his mouth, simply getting fat on sugars. The Lord spoke to me and said this is how His people are, coming to the table looking for the sweets, meanwhile getting fat and unhealthy. I talked to my dad about this and earlier that week he too had been in prayer and the Holy Spirit was revealing the same thing to him. My dad was shown a man at a grocery store filling his cart with packaged sweets. He went on to share that the Lord was showing him the condition of many of His people; they want the sweet things; no discipline or correction. As I continued praying about this I realized the Lord was speaking to me about loving His truths…all of them. This is when He opened my eyes to His “hard truths”. Christianity in a large part here in America has become a grocery list of shopping for what you want. Taking the good thing like promises and blessings and health and such but refusing the correction, the uncompromising of the Word of God, standing for righteousness in this PC and “tolerant” age; being willing to be hated by the world because you will not compromise to the world.
The people have been eating and filling themselves with so many “snacks” that when they come to the table for the meal they aren’t hungry. They have no hunger for the Lord, they are CONTENT in their Christian walk, yet never content with their lives, their careers, their possessions, their statuses and titles. It seems so simple, our mothers taught us to not fill up on snacks and such before dinner. Why? Because we wouldn’t have a hunger for the real meal.
John Piper says it like this, “If you don’t feel strong desires of the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with the small things, and there is no room for the great.”
I take it a step further and say its not just the world that is keeping us full but even in the church we are filling ourselves up with the easy things to hear. Who desires the discipline of the Lord that grows us and changes us?
My friend Marla was given a word from the Lord recently that confirms for me that that Spirit is indeed speaking His truths about this:
“Stand up and hear the voice of your God. You have heard Me with your ears, as I whisper to you and as I call on you through various ways. But your heart is far from Me. You have not heard so as to do what I have spoken. My words are like a song unto you. You like the flow of them, but you quickly forget what I have spoken. Hear Me with your heart. Allow Me to change you with My words. For My words are power, and My words are deliverance. Allow for them a place in your heart, that you may be pricked by My convicting power and be changed. For who can come into the presence of a holy God without correction and change, without a pricking of the heart to know Me more? You have heard Me with your ears and proclaimed Me with your mouth, but your heart is far from Me. Turn your heart to Me and live, for I will bring about that change that I cause you to desire. Fall on your faces before Me and ask of Me, and I will cause your hardened heart to be made new, pliable once again in My presence.”
Oh Lord, make us a people who love Your truths and will be a people that will have faith when you return. Let us not be simply hearers of Your word but doers. Lord let us recognize contentment in our walks as the chains of apathy that face us in this spiritual battle that we face here in America. Give us Your godly perspective of what we should be content with and where we need to change our perspectives to line up with Yours. Grace us this very day to have desire…even if it’s the desire to even have the desire. Change our hearts oh Lord. Make us a people who will correctly represent (glorify) You in this Earth. Thank You for creating us in this time for this purpose. In Jesus name, Amen.
