Be content with what...
Illustration
Object:
Be content with what you have! How many times have you heard that -- even as children growing up! We always want to answer, "It may be easy for you to say!" Today there are many who have little food or clothing even in our country. Sometimes I have seen them begging on street corners. I can understand why those people would have trouble being content.
It was surprising to me when I lived in Nepal, where the "annual" income of a person averages the equivalent of $200! Yes, things are cheaper over there, but a meal can still cost a dollar. A pastor's monthly salary is around $30, which has to cover not only his food and lodging and clothing for his children but also the cost of renting the room for his church and buying Bibles and hymnals! Yet they were always positive and happy. When I saw that it made me more content with what the Lord had given me.
There is nothing wrong with making money. It is the desire for more and more, the love of money that is the problem, not money in itself. Money is a part of life and we can't ignore that, but we can't allow it to take over our lives. If we are not content with what the Lord has given us, then it can drive us to spend our time and effort trying to make more money. One problem we all have is: Where do you draw the line? But if you are drawing lines it means that you are not content with what you have. Sometimes when we see other people enjoying a fulfilled life it makes us discontented with what we have.
If we are struggling for something, let it be endurance and gentleness, and of course the faith that gives us strength. It sounds like faith is a fight! It doesn't just happen. We need to reach out for it more than money or any earthly thing. If we hold on to the eternal life we confessed before witnesses (our confirmation?), then we will inherit eternity.
Our eternal security comes from the one who earned it for us on the cross -- the one who stood faithfully in hard times so we could find eternity with him.
We are commanded to live a clean life without blemish. That doesn't mean we are earning our way to be with the Lord! We should do it out of gratitude for what he has done for us. We are supposed to be rich, not in money, but in good deeds, laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven. That will give us a solid foundation. That should give us something to meditate on -- even for a lifetime!
It was surprising to me when I lived in Nepal, where the "annual" income of a person averages the equivalent of $200! Yes, things are cheaper over there, but a meal can still cost a dollar. A pastor's monthly salary is around $30, which has to cover not only his food and lodging and clothing for his children but also the cost of renting the room for his church and buying Bibles and hymnals! Yet they were always positive and happy. When I saw that it made me more content with what the Lord had given me.
There is nothing wrong with making money. It is the desire for more and more, the love of money that is the problem, not money in itself. Money is a part of life and we can't ignore that, but we can't allow it to take over our lives. If we are not content with what the Lord has given us, then it can drive us to spend our time and effort trying to make more money. One problem we all have is: Where do you draw the line? But if you are drawing lines it means that you are not content with what you have. Sometimes when we see other people enjoying a fulfilled life it makes us discontented with what we have.
If we are struggling for something, let it be endurance and gentleness, and of course the faith that gives us strength. It sounds like faith is a fight! It doesn't just happen. We need to reach out for it more than money or any earthly thing. If we hold on to the eternal life we confessed before witnesses (our confirmation?), then we will inherit eternity.
Our eternal security comes from the one who earned it for us on the cross -- the one who stood faithfully in hard times so we could find eternity with him.
We are commanded to live a clean life without blemish. That doesn't mean we are earning our way to be with the Lord! We should do it out of gratitude for what he has done for us. We are supposed to be rich, not in money, but in good deeds, laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven. That will give us a solid foundation. That should give us something to meditate on -- even for a lifetime!
