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Contentment With Our Things
C.S. Lewis said, “He who has God and many other things has no more than
he who has God alone.” This is true, and perhaps a statement with which
we would all mentally agree. But that doesn’t keep us (both rich and
poor alike) from having problems convincing ourselves of that fact on a
daily basis. O how we struggle with materialism, that desire for more
and more and bigger and better things -- things for the kitchen, things
for our entertainment system, things for the golf game, things for our
transportation, things for lawn care, even things to house and to hold
our things!
The Bible doesn’t condemn having material goods, but it does sound (what
ought to be) a sobering warning about the desire for more. The Lord
Jesus said, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life
does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke
12:15). Notice that Jesus’ warning is about covetousness, “the greedy
desire to have more” (J.H. Thayer, “A Greek-English Lexicon,” p.516). He
doesn’t warn us about having things (though they do come with problems),
but rather about the discontented spirit, “the greedy desire” to have
more and more and more of them. It is an idolatrous spirit (Colossians
3:5). Such a spirit has lost sight of what (or who) one’s life truly
consists. After all, didn’t the apostle say that “Christ is our life”?
(3:4) Is He not our all?
The child of God’s attitude toward the materials of this world must be
one of thankfulness toward God -- Yes! Most certainly! -- but also one
that recognizes that they serve a fleeting purpose and will rust and
decay and ultimately “melt” and “be dissolved” (Matthew
6:19-21; 2 Peter 3:10). “For the things which are seen are temporary,
but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Take a moment and think about it, folks! Your house and land aren’t
going with you into eternity; neither is your SUV or car, Playstation,
wardrobe, library, yard tractor, or any other thing. “For we brought
nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out”
(1 Timothy 6:7). All those things men strive for come to naught when the
line is crossed from time into eternity.
How important it is, then, that we learn to be happy with what we have.
Truly, “godliness with contentment is great gain... And having food
and clothing, with these we shall be content” (1 Timothy 6:6,8). And
if we aren’t content? Well then, perhaps we need to go back and read the
scriptures cited in this article. There is hope for us, though, for
others have “learned” to be, and so can we (Philippians 4:11).
--Mike Noble
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