Be Content

Read or listen then scroll down to the end for questions to help you apply this to your everyday life! 

Why is it so hard for us to be content? How is it that we’re amongst the richest in the world and yet we waste so many of our days striving for even more? When did we get programmed into believing enough is not enough? Every day we fight the never-ending internal battle of desiring to do God’s will while still craving the things of this world. Oh, weary soul. Be at rest.

When Judgment Day comes, all the wealth of the world won’t help you one bit. So you’d better be rich in righteousness, for that’s the only thing that can save you in death. (Proverbs 11:4)

It’s much better to live simply, surrounded in holy awe and worship of God, than to have great wealth with a home full of trouble. (Proverbs 15:16)

Don’t keep hoarding for yourselves earthly treasures that can be stolen by thieves. Material wealth eventually rusts, decays, and loses its value. Instead, stockpile heavenly treasures for yourselves that cannot be stolen and will never rust, decay, or lose their value. For your heart will always pursue what you value as your treasure. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Loving money is the first step toward all kinds of trouble. Some people run after it so much that they have given up their faith. Craving more money pushes them away from the faith into error, compounding misery in their lives! (1 Timothy 6:10)

[People] who want lots of money are tempted. They are trapped into doing all kinds of foolish things and things which hurt them. These things drag them into sin and will destroy them. (1 Timothy 6:9)

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. (Matthew 6:24)

But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what He wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. (Matthew 6:33)

So, don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. (Proverbs 23:4)

Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from Him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity. (1 John 2:16)

But all too quickly the attractions of this world and the delights of wealth, and the search for success and lure of nice things come in and crowd out God’s message from [your] hearts, so that no crop is produced. (Mark 4:19)

‘What a fool you are to trust in your riches and not in [God]. This very night the messengers of death [could] demand to take your life. Then who will get all the wealth you have stored up for yourself?’ (Luke 12:20)

What profit is there if you gain the whole world—and lose eternal life? What can be compared with the value of eternal life? (Matthew 16:26)

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. (1 Timothy 6:6-8)

Don’t be obsessed with money but live content with what you have, for you always have God’s presence. (Hebrews 13:5)

Questions to Ask

·      What is it that you’re striving for that’s preventing you from being content?

·      How has your lack of contentment isolated you from the Lord?

Scripture to Study

·      1 John 2:16

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