Choosing Contentment

Hebrews 13:5 - 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.”

There are numerous verses that talk about contentment and related topics like peace, trust, humility, and righteousness. But I wanted us to look at this verse in Hebrews because the author of this passage sets a contrast between love of money and contentment. And then he clarifies that contentment comes from the understanding that we have Christ, Who will never leave nor forsake us. Our contentment is found in embracing the truth that our Savior, Redeemer, Friend, Helper, Defender, Provider, Lord, and Comforter is always with us and that He will never turn His back on us.

We are to be content in what we have: Christ. Why? Because He loves us so much, that He gave His life for us. So we know that if He is willing to give His life, there is no way that He would withhold any lesser thing from us. The author contrasts the love of money with contentment in Christ because our tendency is to pursue money as the source to obtain all we need in this world. And because we can use money to obtain things, we have a tendency to love it and pursue it relentlessly. But this passage tells us to be content in having Christ. We need to love Him and pursue Him relentlessly.

Further, we learn this:

You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him. (Matt 7:9-11)

We can actually be content and anxiety-free when we trust in the Father who loves us so much that He did not withhold His own Son, but allowed Him to die in our place so that we might be reconciled to Him. He is the one who will not withhold from us the good gifts that we need.

It can be challenging be anxiety-free in this world, but we can do it through Christ Who strengthens us, so…

My prayer today is that you choose CONTENTMENT.