Contentment;-Covetousness Versus Contentment -{Hebrews 13:5}

“BE CONTENT…” – COVETOUSNESS TO BE AVOIDED –

 “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.” – {Hebrews 13:5}

Two Commands:  First,“Keep your life free from love of money,” and secondly, “Be content with what you have!”

Money is not evil, it is our attitude, and supreme love and pursuit of it that is the evil! It cannot satisfy, sustain, save, protect you. Keep your attitude free from being captivated and controlled by it.“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.”-{Ecclesiastes 5:10}. ” A GREEDY person stirs up STRIFE…” -{Prov 28:25}.

BE CONTENT because He promises His presence with you and never ever to abandon or forsake you whatever the circumstance. Guard your heart against the “LOVE OF MONEY!” BE CONTENT WITH HIM, HIS PROMISE, HIS GUARANTEED PRESENCE WITH YOU! Money comes, or it may not, to that which you crave after, it comes and goes, “BUT GOD…” is eternally committed to you, never to abandon you. You cant’t buy His love for you but you can rest in it, no matter what the circumstances, He is unchanging. The people whom the writer is addressing have suffered loss, put out by the religious, some have lost property, some are immature in the faith, suffered, and what do the suffering and insecure need? The assurance He has not, will not, cannot, ever abandon or forsake them! He is security, stability, in Him there is a Promise to them and they can be content with what they have in light of Whom has promised and what He has promised. And all these years since the letter was sent to them they are now face to face in eternity with Him who has loved them and continues to – {Read Rev 1:5}.

We too must choose to be alert to recognize seeking to substitute Security, satisfaction in craving for material over who we really need … Jesus Christ who is the same, yesterday today and forever!

“The world constantly seeks to make us feel discontented.

All advertising, whether on TV, billboards, or in catalogs, is designed to make you think, “I need this product to be happy!” A PBS television program stated that the average American sees over a million commercials by age 20 (Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle [Multnomah Publishers], p. 50). I don’t know how they came up with that number, but it averages out to 137 per day, if you start at birth! Even a fraction of that many commercials has got to affect us! So we have to fight the influence of the world, or its swift cur-rent will sweep us downstream.”-{Stephen Cole.}

God, the Scripture teaches Gives the capacity to make wealth.“But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth,” -{Deut 8:18}. It is never to control us but to be used to care for our own and those in need, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share…” -{1 Tim 6:17-18}…. and to further the Gospel, “…Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.  Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;  for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”– {Phil 4:14-19}. { Read 2 Cor 9:12-13; Eph 4:27-28; 1 Tim 6:17-18}.

Don’t Substitute Christ for Covetousness in seeking security, satisfaction, significance with money!

“Be Content”, {Arkeo}. The word means “‘contained,” and speaks of the person who has all they need independent of others, in this case not self sufficient, but Christ dependency, to meet and satisfy the person. The word means “sufficient, ENOUGH Satisfies!”

“Paul was self-sufficient because he was Christ-dependent. The word “content,” therefore, in our Hebrew passage means more than “satisfied.” It refers to the ability of the Christian dependent upon the Holy Spirit, to be independent of outward circumstances.”-{Wuest}. ”

“Build your life on God Him-self and your soul will be satisfied. David was in a barren desert, with enemies seeking his life. But because he sought God, he wrote, ” My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.” “-{Psalm 63:5}-{Steven Cole.}

He is enough. His promises of His presence with you, never to abandon you. He Himself is Sufficient. Christ is ENOUGH, Satisfies! Paul uses the same word in 2 Cor 12:9 “My Grace IS SUFFICIENT.” {“Enough, Adequate, Satisfies”}. It is in the present tense which means it is to be our continual attitude… content with what we have, because of Who has us! “BE…” speaks of  exist… and in the content here speaks of the state of contentment!!! It is not a pipeline dream but potentially a reality for all “In Christ” who choose to cultivate that relationship with Him, by guarding your thought life, deviating from loving God and others and seeking as the priority of your life the Kingdom of God as priority….Developing a world view through the lens of Scripture regards possessions, money, temporal versus eternal.

“Be Content,” because of Him, His promises, permanent Presence, Power to supply what you need!

Cultivate your relationship with Christ, and it will counteract covetousness! Meditate upon Him, His Promises, His character.