Each day we are bombarded on social media with images of those who seem to have it all. Perfect lives filled with everything a person could want. And when we see such images we can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy and wonder, “Why can’t that be me? Why can’t I have it all?” Such thinking is what the Bible calls coveting. Chip Ingram describes coveting as, “an inordinate, ungoverned, selfish and passionate desire that leads us away from God and corrupts our relationship with others.” That seems kind of harsh doesn’t it? I mean what harm can it do to want more then we all already have? What’s wrong with seeing the grass as greener on the other side? The truth is that when we covet, we are telling God that we are not satisfied with what He has already so generously given us. And as far as the harm it causes, all we have to do is look at Adam and Eve. Not content with the beautiful garden provided by God, they wanted more. And that more resulted in a broken relationship with the Lord, and a fallen world.
Contentment, or lack there of, is actually a heart problem. When we base our value and self esteem on how we stack up against others or what the world considers successful, we will find ourselves always coming up short. As the pastor of the church at Ephesus, Timothy faced the challenge of members who too thought that contentment could be found in the material things of the world. The apostle Paul warned against such beliefs saying, “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.” (vs. 6:6) No amount of wealth or things can fill the hole inside of us. Fulfillment can only be found in a close personal relationship with the Lord. In fact Paul goes on to say that those who seek contentment in the worlds riches, “fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (vs. 6:9-10)
So how can we be learn to be content? By having hearts filled with gratitude. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us, “In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” No matter how great or how small, everything we have is due to the generosity of the Lord. Although He may not give us everything we want, He promises to give us everything we need. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19) “God already has blessed us with so much. And Satan is the one who seeks to redirect our focus to what eludes us, fostering a malignant virus of discontent. Instead of falling for his lies, why not take inventory of all that He has blessed you with and thank Him for each and every blessing.”...Dr. Charles Stanley
Nothing this world has to offer can give us the contentment, peace, and joy that comes with knowing the Lord. When the world tells us that we aren’t enough, God calls us perfect and His cherished treasures. He loves us like no other. So much so that “He did not spare His own Son but delivered Him over for us all”. (Rom. 8:32) The writer of Hebrews tells us to be content with what we have. (Heb. 12:5). And what do we have? A Heavenly Father who promises to never leave or forsake us. So if in this world all you have is Jesus, you already have everything. And to me that brings more contentment than any earthly treasure every could!
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