"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
Hebrews 13:5-6
This is interesting. On one level it is about not wanting things that we don't have... or at least not so much that we are resentful or that we would sin to get them. If we want something so much we're willing to rob a bank, or commit any other type of sin, including cheating, embezzling, or even being unkind to someone, then our daydreams have gone way too far. God isn't okay with us walking over anyone on our way to our goals.
The other side of not lusting after things that we can have is actually being content with what we do have. Not just having the ability to "settle" for it, but learning to love and enjoy whatever we can. And that's a huge lesson for all of us, because no matter how fortunate we are in life, there will always be something that we want that is out of reach. Rich or poor or in-between, we can choose to be upset because we don't have more, or we can choose to be happy with what we have.
That's the same trick to being happy in our lives in general. Good and bad things are going to happen to us, no matter who we are. But if our trust is in God, we don't have to let any of the external details get in the way of our happiness. The Lord will help us, and provide for us, as we follow his path. ... Doesn't mean at all that bad things won't happen, or that we might not be poor. What it does mean is that we can find happiness where we are, and that people and circumstances can't blow our inner peace.
Today, let's work on being content and happy with what we have. Let's trust the Lord, and let's make sure that our happiness and peace come from internal sources that can't be touched by external circumstances. God will always be there for us.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
Hebrews 13:5-6
This is interesting. On one level it is about not wanting things that we don't have... or at least not so much that we are resentful or that we would sin to get them. If we want something so much we're willing to rob a bank, or commit any other type of sin, including cheating, embezzling, or even being unkind to someone, then our daydreams have gone way too far. God isn't okay with us walking over anyone on our way to our goals.
The other side of not lusting after things that we can have is actually being content with what we do have. Not just having the ability to "settle" for it, but learning to love and enjoy whatever we can. And that's a huge lesson for all of us, because no matter how fortunate we are in life, there will always be something that we want that is out of reach. Rich or poor or in-between, we can choose to be upset because we don't have more, or we can choose to be happy with what we have.
That's the same trick to being happy in our lives in general. Good and bad things are going to happen to us, no matter who we are. But if our trust is in God, we don't have to let any of the external details get in the way of our happiness. The Lord will help us, and provide for us, as we follow his path. ... Doesn't mean at all that bad things won't happen, or that we might not be poor. What it does mean is that we can find happiness where we are, and that people and circumstances can't blow our inner peace.
Today, let's work on being content and happy with what we have. Let's trust the Lord, and let's make sure that our happiness and peace come from internal sources that can't be touched by external circumstances. God will always be there for us.
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