Contentment Through Knowing Christ

"I have held many things in my hands, and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess."  - Martin Luther

Over the years, I have taught a number of classes and spoken at various seminars. Interestingly, one of the most frequent topics of interest is contentment. After all, the search for contentment is universal. What brings us contentment varies individually, and is quite diverse. This should come as no surprise, after all, contentment primarily means a state of happiness and satisfaction.

However, when we hitch our wagon of contentment to things such as houses, jobs, automobiles, clothes, personal relationships, money, etc., there's a pretty good chance that we're going to be disappointed at some point. As you've probably noticed, this list is composed of material, or earthly things.

It's more than fair to say that we live in a very materialistic society where money is the name of the game. We are constantly bombarded with the message that one is unfulfilled or inadequate without it. Therefore, we fall for the hype and the false sense of contentment it brings; which at best may be only temporary.

Matthew 6:19-24 speaks about the risks, or folly of trusting in such wordly treasures. In these verses of scripture we can learn a couple of lessons about "true" contentment. First, contentment grows out of devotion to Christ. Jesus says in Matthew 6:24 that we can only have one master. Think about how much of our lives is devoted to trying to keep or hold on to things that, in reality, are only temporal.

The materialistic trap is an easy one to fall into (1 Timothy 6:10). Ask yourself this question, " Can I honestly say that God, and not money is my master?" Which (God or money) involves most of your thoughts, time, and efforts. We all should honestly reflect on this, it wouldn't hurt.

Let's look at another source of "true" contentment. Eternal values can produce contentment. Jesus compared heavenly and earthly values. He made his point by explaining that we should adhere to only those things that do not fade, cannot be stolen or consumed, and never decay (Matthew 6:19). In any case, we shouldn't be so mesmerized by our possessions that they possess us!

Ultimately, this might require cutting back on some of your possessions if they are ruling your life, which for some is not easy to do (Matthew 19:21-22). Jesus is asking us to decide between a life of temporary, materialistic bliss, or one that allows us to live contentedly with what we have because we have preferred what is eternal and lasting.

The bottom line is this. There is only one true source of contentment. Which one will you choose to devote your life to?

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5; Philippians 4:11; Luke 12:15; 1 Timothy 6:6; Proverbs 3:5  

Prayer: Dear Jesus, Help me focus my heart on that which has lasting value, and brings eternal rewards. Today, as I lift my voice to You and turn my heart toward Your unfailing love, may I find true joy and satisfaction which can only be obtained by knowing You. Amen

May God bless you!

Joyce