Week 3 | Day 3 | The Secret to Contentment

Command:

Beware of Coveting/Greed - Luke 12:15

Read:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. 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. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Reflect:

After several years advancing in my career, I became a stay-at-home mom following the birth of our third child. Adjusting to life on a single income presented its challenges. I often found myself admiring those families that seemed to thrive on just one income, pondering their secret to contentment. They didn’t appear to have more than we did, yet they didn’t display the same worries about meeting their needs.

Throughout my journey with Jesus, during which I sometimes lamented our situation, we eventually enrolled in a financial study at our church. Here, I was introduced to the principles of stewardship, worship, generosity, and, most crucially, the elusive secret of contentment.

My understanding shifted. I realized I had been looking at my discontentment through the world's lens, which equates happiness with the accumulation of material possessions. While money can empower us to be generous and share our blessings, it was only when I started viewing my finances from God's perspective that I found genuine contentment. The insatiable desire for more worldly possessions transformed into a yearning for serving the Kingdom, which in turn enriched my life even more.

Remarkably, the more I channeled my resources into helping others, the fuller my own heart became, quenching that constant thirst for "more."

React:

Do you grapple with feeling content? Reflect on where your resources are spent. Do these expenditures satisfy your deeper cravings? Seek God's guidance in directing your resources towards lasting fulfillment.

Pray:

Lord, guide me in utilizing my resources in alignment with Your purpose. Let me find genuine contentment in Your ways. Amen.