You Can't Upgrade Contentment

You Can’t Upgrade Contentment

“Now 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 clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.” 1 Tim 6:6-9 (NKJV)

How many of you enjoyed this past holiday break filling up on turkey, stuffing and whatever that green stuff was your guest brought to the Thanksgiving table? Did you happen to catch the commercials during the football games? Did you notice what I was noticing? That the stuff you have now is in desperate need of upgrading and you should get up out of your tryptophan-induced serotonin slumber and venture into that nightmare they have titled “Black Friday” and get yourself that 92 inch television that my buddy Pete Subotin was telling me about.

Our Wednesday night Bible study has been going through Jerry Bridges “The Practice of Godliness” study book and there is a very convicting chapter on contentment. Our study group has found it ironic how this ties in with this Christmas shopping season. It is a shame how the world is being force fed this notion that you not find contentment unless you empty your wallet on the new Android toy. I am even trying to justify my latest upgrade from the DROID 2 to the DROID 3 smartphone.

In Bridges’ book he talks about how Paul warned Timothy to only be content with food and clothing and to “flee from” this love of money and discontentment with possessions (1Tim 6:10-11). This is also reinforced by the writer of Hebrews when he pens, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb 13:5) We need to keep in mind that was written in the Old Testament was written for our instruction (Romans 15:4) like the story of Achan’s covetousness at Jericho resulting in the defeat of the army of Israel at Ai (Joshua 7).  Or that of Gehazi (2Kings 5) who brought the disease of leprosy on himself and everybody in his family line forever. Let’s never forget Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)

Remember when Paul learned how to be content whatever the circumstances (Phil 4:11). Maybe he learned this from what he writes in 2 Corinthians 12 when he tells us of being caught up in heaven and hearing inexpressible things. It was in this chapter when a thorn was put in his flesh, a messenger of our adversary to harass him so that he couldn’t boast in the experience but to plead with the Lord to have it removed. To only have the Lord respond by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” 

To finish this in Paul’s own words, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” And that, my Brothers, is an attitude that needs not to be upgraded. Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a regular Freedom Fighter contributor

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Psalm 125; 2 Corinthians 5-9; Proverbs 5

Compass Pointers: “In view of such strong biblical warnings against covetousness and the earnest exhortations of the New Testament writers to be content with what we have, we must take seriously the need to earnestly pursue contentment as a dominant character trait in our lives. It is not a spiritual luxury. Contentment with what we have is absolutely vital to our spiritual health.” The Practice of Godliness  Jerry Bridges

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 17:3; Level 2: John 17:1-5

Anchored to the Rock: Prayer at its best is the expression of the total life, for all things else being equal, our prayers are only as powerful as our lives.