The JOURNEY 1 Timothy 6:6-8 - Content - If youre like me youll read this word with some false pretenses. Our definition of content is so far from the way many people actually live in the world. Content to us and content to so many others are on different ends of the spectrum. We have most all of the things Paul list and so much more. Weve become so accustomed to so many of the pleasures of life that we dont really understand what it means to be content. Content having the necessities of life like food and clothing and then having all those things that spoil us. Before I go further I need to clarify that Im not opposed to being blessed in any way shape or form. I used to hear people preach against having anything and that the poorer you were the more holy you were. The less you had the more right you were living. That was so far from the truth. It caused people to run from church because they were being told if you had anything then there must be something wrong with you spiritually. Wrong! Content is not the absence or the abundance of anything. Content is absence of your ideals and the presence of His. Content is the ability to know the difference between over indulgence and true appreciation. Paul says that we brought nothing into this world and well take nothing out of this world. All the stuff that we try to gather around us will not be taken with us. All the pleasures we think we need on this earth to survive will be left when we leave. How can you tell if a person is content or not? They dont care and they dont have to have it. How can you tell if you are or not? Let the satellite go out. Let the toaster smoke. Let the coffee maker quit. Let the car not start. Let the dryer go out. Let the snow blower not work. Is there food on the table? Do you still have clothes to wear? What do we really need to live this life. I was reading about a man that put down all modern technology for a month for other than what he needed to do his job. NO computer to play games on or facebook. NO TV to watch who wins the next singing competition or competes on the next reality show. NO cell phone. Ouch! And after 30 days; he was in a better mood, more appreciative, felt better physically and yes, more content with life. He discovered that he could wait to get where he needed to make or receive calls. That it didnt really matter who won American Idol. Life didnt hinge on who went to the playoffs. The real things that mattered rose to the top. His personal sense of joy. His life with his wife and children. He was no longer tied down by the things of this world. The chain of pleasures had been broke over his life and he was now living in freedom because he was actually content. How do you know if youre content? Stop and ponder the idea of the same and youll see.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 13:41:08 +0000
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