Wrestling with contentment

Charles Spurgeon once said: “You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.”

These words hit home, as they remind us of how we mistakenly believe that 'more' will always make us feel better. More money. More 'friends on Facebook.' More possessions. More time. More 'likes' on our social media platforms.

The writer of Hebrews had these wise words to offer us: "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

Thought: In what area of contentment are you struggling with at the moment?

Living in Grace

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Struggling with discontentment?

There are so many of us struggling with discontentment at the moment. I joked with a friend the other day, suggesting that if I could manufacture a pill that could offer people 'contentment' I would be a very rich man. 

The reality is that there is no such quick fix solution. I am discovering that contentment is a life-long process in which we have to actively decide to become more content. It sounds a little strange, but the more we wrestle with our discontent, the closer we can move towards peaceful content. 

So, what robs us of deep contentment? What stumbling blocks trip us up on the journey towards becoming content?

Here are some helpful words from the Bible, which I pray will guide us towards this illusive gift.

Job 36:11 - If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.

Proverbs 19:23 - The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Philippians 4:11 - I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Hebrews 13:5 - Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Once you have learnt the secret of contentment please share it with others.

Living in Grace

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Money is like sea water

The Roman's had a proverb that went like this: "Money is like sea water - the more you drink it, the thirstier you become." 

In our generation we see this proverb coming to life, although I think this has been true of all generations. Greed is at the heart of many public ills and is certainly prevalent in most governments. It is ironic that the more we pursue "greed" the thirstier we become.“

"Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.” – Erich Fromm

I believe that if we had the privilege of hearing Jesus preach in our modern churches he would use the same words he used in the first century: 

"Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” - Luke 12:15

Living in Grace

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Living to be 2000 years old

What would it be like to live to 120 years of age? Or maybe 200? I truly can't fathom that humans can live to this age, but apparently scientists claim that the first person to live to 200 has already been born. My deeper question would be - what quality of life would that person truly have? If one can live that long, then surely it must be worth living all those years?

In his dark musings today, Solomon says that a person could live to be 2000 years of age, but if they still haven't found contentment in all those years then there is really no point. His exaggeration makes a strong statement.

"A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn’t even get a decent burial, it would have been better for him to be born dead. His birth would have been meaningless, and he would have ended in darkness. He wouldn’t even have had a name, and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man. He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use? (Ecclesiastes 6:3-6)

What do you feel?

"Contentment is the only real wealth." - Alfred Nobel

Living in Grace

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How much is enough?

Today's passage from Ecclesiastes reminded me of the question posed by Adam Hamilton - "How much is enough?"

"Once again I saw that nothing on earth makes sense. For example, some people don’t have friends or family. But they are never satisfied with what they own, and they never stop working to get more. They should ask themselves, “Why am I always working to have more? Who will get what I leave behind?” What a senseless and miserable life!" - Ecclesiastes 4:7-8 (CEV)

There is such a sadness in his observation. I know he is not advocating doing nothing in our lives or being lazy, but he does get to the root of why we actually work? Is it because we need money or is it because we feel satisfaction in our work and can enjoy this Life as a gift from God?

Psalm 78:25 - He gave them more than enough, and each one of them ate this special food.

Prayer by Adam Hamilton - “Lord, help me be grateful for what I have, remember that I don't need most of what I want, and that joy is found in simplicity and generosity.”

Living in Grace

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Content?

http://thechristianupdate.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/contentment.png How content are you at the moment? Rate yourself out of 10. The writer of Ecclesiastes hits home to us today that we live in times where people are so discontented with everything. As soon as we get the things we desire, we start looking for the next thing. All the time we are praying that this will be the silver bullet for us - surely this will give us peace!? "Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content." - Ecclesiastes 1:8 I am not sure if you can relate to this sentiment today, but if you can, then read these words from Paul. They may guide us into a new way - the way of Christ. "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little." - Philippians 4:11-12 That is the secret. This is what Solomon was after. May you find peace and contentment today. Living in Grace D3LM3

You are Enough

 

 

In her incredible book One Thousand Gifts Ann Voskamp wrestles with her life and whether she is ever going to feel content with herself. In one chapter she writes: "Would I ever be enough, find enough, do enough?" Her question is profound and one that many of us may have asked ourselves.

Can I take a moment to remind all of us that in God's eyes we are enough! God loved every one of us to the ultimate extreme - He gave Jesus for us - surely that is LOVE in action? If you need to read it with your own eyes then start with these two verses today:

Deuteronomy 23:5 - However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you.

 

John 16:27 - No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

 

Living in Grace

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Discontentment

One of the hardest thing to master in this life will be Contentment. We struggle to come to a place of feeling satisfied with the things in our lives. We ask questions such as these:

When will I have enough? 
Why is this wrong? 
When will this change? 
Why can't that person be different? 

In reflecting on this topic, Benjamin Franklin once remarked:  "Contentment makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor." 

The writer to the Hebrews adds his clear voice on this issue: 


"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”(Hebrews 13:5)

Question: What is the one thing that is causing you discontent at the moment? Is God perhaps trying to teach you something through this particular situation? 

Living in Grace
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Hungry for more

"Why is everyone hungry for more? 
“More, more,” they say.
“More, more.”
 

I have God’s more-than-enough,
More joy in one ordinary day than they get in all their shopping sprees.

 
At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep,For you, God, have put my life back together." - Psalm 4:6-8

It is very hard to go against the flow of the majority at Christmas time. People are caught up in the whole 'more, more, more' mindset and we can so easily follow suit. The challenge for all of us to get to the place where we can say - "God is more than enough!"

Living in Grace

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Doesn't Black Friday miss the point?

Doesn't Black Friday miss the whole point of "Thanksgiving"? When people gather with their families on Thanksgiving Thursday, it should be about celebrating LIFE, family, friends, togetherness and just simply being thankful for all that we already have in our lives. There is usually a sense of deep contentment or blessing on this particular occasion. But, clearly it seems that underneath the surface this is NOT the case!

The fact, that we are rushing around 24 hours, trying to get the best bargain on toilet-paper and TV's, implies something about our lack of Contentment. Now, don't get me wrong, I am part-Scottish and so I love a bargain more than most people, but I feel there is something amiss.

Reflecting on this today, I am left with a few questions and I am always open for your wisdom and insight into this event called Black Friday. My musings are as follows:

1. It shows how discontented many of us are probably feeling.
2. It points to a desperation among the poorest of the poor - who rely on these bargains to survive.
3. It tells us the shop owners and stores are already making loads of cash on their goods, so discounting them is not a problem. Is that Just?
4. It is a brilliant strategy to draw people into the shops to buy things they made not really need.
5. People fight each other for the limited bargains - where is the humanity in that?
6. Does Black Friday now mark the beginning of the Christmas spending spree - stretching people's already tight budgets?
7. It makes people live more off their credit cards as they believe these bargains will never be repeated.

I just don't know - please let me know your thoughts. And if you are one of those bargain hunters, let me know what you managed to get and why you think Black Friday is a good idea - I am open to all suggestions.
 
2 Corinthians 4:15 - All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Living in Grace
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Salt water anyone?

Have you ever drunk salt water? Either intentionally or by accident when you have been swimming in the sea? It doesn't taste nice hey? In fact, drinking Salt Water actually makes you more thirsty. The more you drink - the more you need to quench your thirst.

This is what Jesus is getting at when he speaks to his followers in this parable from Luke 12:15-16.
"Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest."

In reality, we think that 'things' will satisfy the thirst we have for life. We argue that if I have the latest phone, or car, or gadget or whatever, that then I will be really satisfied. However, we all know that this is not true is it? Remember that toy you just had to have when you were a kid - where is that toy now? We thought that this would be the answer to the longing in our hearts, but it wasn't .

Reflection: There is only one person who can meet all of our desires and hopes. His name is Jesus.

Living in Grace
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Who is the wealthiest person in the world?

Socrates – “The wealthiest person is the one who is content with the least.”

I am not sure if this is always true, but the one thing I know is that money doesn't buy happiness.
If we fall into the trap of thinking that 'things' are going to buy us 'wealth' then I urge us to rethink this logic.

No one has ever whispered on their death-bed, "I wish I had more money!" However, I bet there have been plenty of wealthy people who have died thinking, "I wish I had more friends and family right now!"

Worth thinking about.
#justsaying

If you have a moment read Matthew 6:21

Living in Grace
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Contentment poem

"He that is down needs fear no fall;
He that is low, no pride;
He that is humble, ever shall
Have God to be his guide.
I am content with what I have,
Little be it, or much;
And, Lord, contentment still I crave,
Because Thou savest such." - John Bunyan, quoted in Anthology of Jesus.

Job 36:11 -  If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.

 Proverbs 19:23 - "The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble."

Are you content today? Why or why not?
Can you be honest enough to pinpoint what it is that is messing with your contentment?
Is it the choices we have made recently?

Living in Grace
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When is enough ENOUGH? - Lent #21

I was listening to 'Beat the Bank' on East Coast Radio this morning. It is a show where you get an opportunity to open 15 'bank vaults' - each one has a monetary prize inside, but there are some vaults that trigger an alarm system and you lose all your money. It is a game of chance and the more vaults you open the more money you stand to win - and also to lose.

Anyway, I was so impressed with one of the contestants this morning, because after she had won a certain amount of cash, she said, "I have enough thanks" and she walked away with the prize. She could have chanced her arm for another chance, but she was content with what she had. This is an admirable trait to have. Often we think we need more! We are NOT content with what we have and so we desire more and more, until eventually our greed destroys us.

"Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich.
Be wise enough to know when to quit.
In the blink of an eye wealth disappears,
for it will sprout wings
and fly away like an eagle." - Proverbs 23:4-5

Living in Grace
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Discovering Happiness

My friend Collin preached on "Finding Happiness" this morning and one of the questions he asked was, "What makes you happy?" It is interesting that while many people think that spending money on "things" will make them happy, most of us realise (deep down) that it is relationships that make us feel the most content and happy.

I agree with that. It is my relationships with my family and friends that make me the most happy. I feel blessed to be part of a family and to be loved by them. And I feel blessed to have friends who stand alongside me and support me in my life.

Ultimately I feel honoured to be loved by God and to be in a relationship with God. There is nothing else that comes close to satisfying our deepest longings.

Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.
³ Give ear and come to me;
    listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
    my faithful love promised to David.
⁴ See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander of the peoples.
⁵ Surely you will summon nations you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.”

⁶ Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near." - Isaiah 55:2-6

Living in Grace

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Being content

Contentment is something that many of us wrestle with. We wonder how much is enough? We look across at our neighbours and wish we had what they've got? We think that some people have got it all together - and we long for more!

The Bible reminds us to be content with what we have. This is not a ploy to make us unambitious or lazy, but rather it is just a reality check - it teaches us to count our blessings before we long for more and more.

Psalm 17:15 - "But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face-to-face."

Philippians 4:12 -  "I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want..."

Thomas a Kempis writes...."you will learn to be content with little, to be pleased with simple things, and not to complain about inconveniences."

Living in Grace
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Promise after the challenge

This is my last post on Contentment for a while - I promise!

In Hebrews 13, Paul writes:
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (v.5-6)

We often freely quote the last part of this passage without putting it in context. God promises us that He won't abandon us & so we don't have to be afraid. However, we mustn't forget that this promise comes after his challenge to be content with what we have.

Challenge: What are you feeling most discontent about today?

'For richer or poorer,' God will be alongside us. Have a blessed weekend.

Sustained by Grace,
D3LM3

Up or Down?

When it comes to comparing ourselves with other people, our natural inclination is to compare 'UP'. By this I mean, we look at those who seem to have more money, more gadgets, more security, better lifestyles etc. Sadly, this only feeds our sense of disillusionment.

In a sense Jesus invites us to compare ourselves 'DOWN'. This is not what we may automatically think, as He is not saying we must look at other people and feel better than them, but rather to compare the things of nature and to recognise how God provides for them.

Matthew 6:26-29 - "Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth more than birds? Can worry make you live longer? Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of them."

Having said this, it is also worthwhile remembering that there are other people worse off than we are. It's all about correct perspective.

“I had no shoes and complained until I met a man who had no feet.” – Anonymous

1 Timothy 6:6 - But godliness with contentment is great gain.

By God's Grace,
D3LM3

Heart led by eyes

As we contemplate another aspect of Contentment, read these words from Job 31:7
"If my steps have turned from the path,
if my heart has been led by my eyes,
or if my hands have been defiled..."

Is it not when our 'hearts' are led by our 'eyes' that we begin to feel the pangs of discontentment? Is it not when we see what others have (and we don't), that suddenly our hearts long for more? People can't really covet things that we can't see. I am not envious of the person in Europe, living in a Castle, when I don't know them or haven't even met them. However, the person in my community, who seems to have it all, is the one that I struggle not to envy.

So, perhaps Job was spot on - my heart can be led by my eyes!

Exodus 20:17 – “Do not want anything that belongs to someone else. Don't want anyone's house, wife or husband, slaves, oxen, donkeys or anything else.” (CEV)

Lord, in your mercy, hear my prayer!

His Grace remains,
D3LM3

Unfair Comparison?

When we are struggling to feel content with life, relationships or even with our material possessions, we usually start the 'comparison game'. We start to look around at what others have and often this feeds into our discontentment even more. Michael Levine calls this the 'Contrast Effect.'

Most people compare their lives with those who are on the levels above them and so we then justify our sense of disappointment when obviously we don't match up. Proper perspective reminds us of how richly we have been blessed, even if we don't have it all.

My reading this morning reminded me of how the Israelites tried to make new gods, because they noticed how other religions had gods they could see & touch. Speaking on behalf of Yahweh, Isaiah writes:
"To whom will you compare me or count me equal?
To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?" (Isaiah 46:5)

"I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me." (v.9)

When we understand the Grace of God, we will realise that there is no real comparison between Jesus and other gods. There is none like Jesus.

Sustained by Grace,
D3LM3