Words about the WORD - Michael Atmar - MMPC
The Freedom of
Contentment
Are you living in the freedom of contentment today? I can tell you from my own experience that I might be living in contentment in one moment, but I often become distracted by an advertisement or something I see on social media. The next thing I know, my feelings of contentment seem to fly away like a helium balloon that comes untied. Have you ever felt this before?
The Bible makes it clear that contentment is something that God desires for His children. This is why He gave the tenth commandment: “You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17). He wants His children to experience the reality that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). But why is contentment so elusive at times? Why does it seem to slip between our fingers as we navigate life in this world?
One definition of contentment is “a state of happiness and satisfaction.” A dictionary that I was reading gave the following example of how contentment might be used in a sentence: “He found contentment in living a simple life in the country.” That sentence grabbed my attention! My family and I moved from Houston to Albany less than a year ago, and I thought I would be mostly freed from the temptation to covet after leaving the big city. After all, when I drive down the road in Albany, there aren’t nearly as many billboards and advertisements telling me that I need a new house, car, watch, body, etc. as there were when I lived in Houston. However, no matter where I live, I will always need to guard my heart from covetousness and all types of sin. John Calvin used to speak of the human heart as an “idol factory.” We are constantly searching for something that will satisfy us. We were made to worship the Lord, but our heart’s affections are often pulled in different directions. This is why God commands us in Proverbs 4:23: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
There is a place in Luke 12 where Jesus makes it clear that if we want to live in freedom of contentment, we are going to have to fight for it. Specifically, He says “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). The word He uses for “be on your guard” means to “guard, watch, observe.” Are you being this vigilant in guarding your heart against covetousness in this season of your life? Or have you let your guard down and allowed covetousness to slowly slip into your heart undetected?
One of the best ways I know to guard against covetousness is to focus my attention on God’s lavish generosity to me in Christ. In Luke 12:32, Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Jesus reminds us that our Heavenly Father is good, loving, and generous. It is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom! We are welcomed into His family as beloved children by faith in His Son Jesus. We are also given the honor of laboring alongside Him to further His kingdom in the world. He not only provides us with our daily bread on earth, but He is preparing a place for us in heaven right now (see John 14:2). May we value Jesus, our Savior and Lord, as our greatest treasure—the One who died for our sins on the cross and rose again. As the famous hymn says:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
In Luke 12:34, Jesus says: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” May we live in the freedom of contentment as we treasure Jesus above all. Our hearts were made to be in the freedom and joy of His presence forever. May we abide in Him today. Amen.
