Feb 27 - Be Content

Feb 27

Be Content

Heb 13:5 …be content with such things as ye have…

I heard a fun story that has a valuable lesson. A wealthy man retired and moved to the Amish country in Pennsylvania. His buildings were filled with tractors and all the modern farm equipment he would need. To show he wanted to be friends he invited all his Amish neighbors to his home for a wonderful meal. Afterwards he took them through his barns and then told them. “Neighbors if you ever need to use some of my equipment I will be happy to share it with any of you.”  An old Amish farmer spoke up and said “ We thank thee gentle neighbor for your generosity. And if thou ever is in need of something you do not have, if you will come to one of us we will show you how to get along without it!”

Get along without it? Who does that now days?  Why would you want to try to get along without something? 

I am sure I have told the story before but it bears repeating. Richard Wurmbrand was in a communist prison for 14 years. He was cold, hungry, brainwashed, beaten, and more for his crime of preaching Jesus Christ in Romania when it was behind what was known as the Iron Curtain. I heard him speak in Lansing, MI many years ago. He related the story of how they were forbidden to preach, but they preached anyway knowing the punishment was beatings.  He said the Christians he was imprisoned with loved to preach and the guards loved to beat them so everyone was happy. 

Now I doubt that they were content with their situation. But the lack of nearly everything we would consider essential did not stop them from their Christian witness. Actually I think the more “stuff’ we acquire may hinder our focus on Christ and what God wants for our lives. We find that to be true with the rich young ruler.

Mt 19:20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.  

Now it gets a little tougher when we read what was required of the young man.  The idea of selling all you have acquired and giving the money away does not set well on our modern way of thinking. But what Christ requested of the young man was not for everyone to do. Christ knew the man was covetous and valued things.  The problem was not that he had too much but that he was too much attached to what he had.  Riches were not the culprit! His head and heart were the problem.

In the world today advertisers hire experts to brainwash us with jingles, flashy ads, and attention grabbing commercials.  We are inundated with advertising.  Advertisers use only a couple means to motivate you to buy their stuff. If you buy it you will be happy. If you don’t buy it something awful may happen to you. Take this pill and end your problems. If you don’t buy our insurance you will be sorry.  It never stops. If things bought happiness why do we have to replace them every time a newer version, or more fashionable color arrives in the store?  Will your pancakes really dribble all over the counter unless you buy the latest kitchen gadget miracle pan that is coated with diamond dust?

So is it wrong to buy things? Is it wrong to be wealthy, or have nice things to enjoy? No, of course not. There is nothing wrong with having things. It becomes wrong when things have you!

Coveting is wrong. The Bible is clear about that and Bible believing Christians would agree that it is wrong.  But what is coveting? My Merriam-Webster defines it as craving things; An inordinate desire for wealth or other’s possessions. Coveting is wrong and Christians would not admit to having a spirit of covetousness.  Why all the talk of covetousness when the topic of this devotional is being content? 

Heb 13:5 …be content with such things as ye have…

The verse fragment I started with is from a verse that also mentions coveting. Conversation here could be read as "conduct"

Heb 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.

 Remember it is not how much you have but how much things have you?  How do we know if we are coveting?  Perhaps our level of contentment with what we have is an indicator of how much we covet. The more content, the less coveting. And vice versa.? It is just a thought you may want to ponder.  I only mentioned it because the scriptures require it!