True Contentment
How to shock the pants off a door to door salesman: Next time one comes knocking and asking “Howyagoing?” fully expecting “Goodthankyou?” as a reply, so that they can go on about their business, try answering them with, “I'm Content, thank you for asking. And how are you?” and watch as they reach for their mental dictionary to try and comprehend this wholly unexpected reply.
Although maybe they're not the only ones who should be reaching for contentment and its meaning; When was the last time that you actually would have been able to answer that you were content? What actually is contentment? Isn't it one of those outmoded concepts that went out with the paperful office, stationary phones and cargo pants? (Okay, cargo pants aren't outmoded yet, but they should be.) And what's contentment got to do with me as a Christian, and especially as a Christian “Living In A Rich Country”?
Well, it seems that one of the greatest threats to Christians in rich societies today is the slanderous lie that greed is good, Gordon Gecko style. We live in a culture of comfort zones, where everything we buy and each dollar we make serves to try and increase that comfort zone. Result? Firstly, we begin trusting our comfort zones, and not the Lord who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Secondly, our Christian brothers and sisters are being destroyed by the culture that we live in.
Seems a little over the top and preachy, doesn't it? Well, Jesus certainly didn't think so in Mark 4:19. And Paul doesn't think so in 1 Tim 6:9, when he says that “people who want to get rich fall into temptation...and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.” And isn't it strange how it doesn't mention getting rich in order to give more money to ministry? I am not saying at all that giving to ministry isn't a worthwhile goal. Rather, it is something that everyone in Christ should be giving to, and giving generously. But we should never forget that the most vital thing is our number one motivation; and that should never be to become wealthy. When our hearts are set on things above, then our wallets will naturally follow. All of this is exactly why Timothy is then instructed to “command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth...but to put their hope in God”, in 1 Tim 6:17.
There are several other examples I could give as to why contentment is a key part of this (Luke 12:15, for example) but there's one again in 1 Tim 6:6; that “godliness with contentment is great gain”. In other words, what is utter foolishness in the world's sight: to not want an extra CD/pair of pants/jetski/DVD player, is actually to gain in the eyes of the Lord. “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” For many of us, striving for contentment will mean to remove our comfort zones and to keep our minds set on the next world rather than this world which is passing away.
Lastly, and probably most dangerously, the danger of discontentment means that we do not truly trust God. God has given us some amazing promises in the coming of His Son, and to live with insecurity about our possessions is to live without security in those promises. In Hebrews 13:5, it says to '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.” To be content is to grasp the promises of God in His Word, and hold them tighter and as more valuable than anything we could possibly buy from a David Jones Stocktake Sale.
So try it. Or maybe they've recovered from the “I'm content” trick, and are a bit more wary. So next time reply that, “I'm content, thanks, because I trust in the promise God has given freely in Christ, and I need nothing that this world has to offer.” Pretty soon, you'll be a door to door salesman's worst nightmare and more importantly, you'll be truly content in what God has given.
Guan is a 3rd Year Christian University student and occasionally has time to do his Media degree. He is trying to be more content (and remains unphotographed).
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