Contentment: Serving God Through Simple Living

For those of you new to Free Money Finance, I post on The Bible and Money every Sunday. Here's why. Today we have a guest post from Crackerjack Greenback.

Take a breath.

Every 3.6 seconds, about the time from one breath to the next, one person dies of starvation. Usually, it's a child under the age of 5.

About 1 out of every 7 people in the world lives in chronic hunger. That's more than the combined populations of the world's developed nations.

The average person living in chronic hunger eats on only 3 ounces of rice a day—a small handful.

In Matthew 25:34-36, Jesus says:

   ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. ³⁶ I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Matthew 25:34-36 (NLT)

What does any of this have to do with contentment? It sounds more like an appeal for giving.

Contentment Enables Generous Giving

When we chase after wealth, worry constantly about our material needs, or otherwise fall into the trap of consumerism, we separate ourselves from God and fail to see His generous blessings in our lives. When we aren't content, our mentality is such that we cannot give generously or cheerfully because we are wrapped up in our own needs. Our selfishness and greed prevent us from realizing how wealthy we are in Christ or fully trusting in God's Providence.

A lack of contentment in our Christian lives means that we are not fully trusting God. Instead, we are trusting in and serving money. We think that a bigger house, a higher income, or some new gadget is going to make us happier. We focus on saving up money for retirement as a way to protect ourselves as we age. We are trusting in money to give us a safe, secure, and satisfying life.

But the Bible tells us that the rich imagine their wealth to be an unscalable wall (Proverbs 18:11). While it seems that money can protect us or provide us with the things we desire, the truth is that it does not last and has no eternal reward. The current economy is clear proof of how quickly wealth can disappear. And the Bible has warned us about this as well in Proverbs 23:4-5.

When we give our hearts to Jesus and begin trusting in God, however, we can acquire wealth that will last for all eternity. Once we get this true wealth, we can experience contentment in any situation because God has promised He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5-6). Nothing that happens to us on Earth can take away the richness of the eternal life we have in Christ.

Once we fully comprehend our wealth as Christians, we realize we don't need nearly as much as the World tells us we do. We can be content with just food and clothing (1 Timothy 6:6-8) because we realize that our ultimate reward and destination is in Heaven. The things of the world suddenly seem worth so little when we put them in the light of eternity.

This is where of the power of contentment in God really shines. When we are willing to live simpler lives because we realize we already have everything we need in Christ, we can become extremely generous givers. We won't need as much money to live on, leaving us free to give a substantial portion of our wealth or income to the poor. We can "live simply, so others can simply live."

This escape from materialism and consumerism through contentment allows us to serve God by feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting those in prison. It takes our focus off of the treasures in this world and puts them on our heavenly treasures. Contentment is the means by which we "seek first the kingdom of God".

I encourage all Christians to seek God's contentment in their lives. If you'd like to learn more about contentment in the Bible, please download a free copy of the Contentment Is Wealth: A Bible Study on Contentment ebook now!

Comments

[Ian @ Quick Online Insurance Quote]

I agree with the sentiment that people in the developed world should be very content with what we have. Moreover, I think we should all endeavor to be a little bit more frugal.

However, I don't think you need to do them because you hope to get into heaven. Giving to the poor, living a frugal life etc. Are their own reward. Doing it only because you want to get into heaven strikes me as being a rather selfish reason.

[Paul Williams @ Crackerjack Greenback]

Ian,

It's not about doing those things because you want to get into heaven. Christians are called to follow Jesus Christ and obey His teaching. It's not about us doing something to get into heaven. It's about obeying Jesus because of the gift of salvation that He's already given us. We do those things out of love for God and other people (or should be) - not because of some obligation, requirement, or deal to get into heaven.

[Ed]

The current economy sure shows that wealth can disappear. But that's nothing new under the sun. The story of Joseph storing grain in for famine shows that listening to God not only fulfils a purpose, it transferred wealth to Egypt. Who would have thought of storing grain when there was plentiful, right?

While I totally agree that contentment is key, I think it quite difficult for a person who follows the ways of the world to BE contented. That was certainly the case for me until I became a Christian & follow what the Bible says. Even then, it has been a journey of over a decade for me to let go of what I thought was important i.e. expensive cars, nice toys, bigger houses, etc to work earlier held beliefs & attitudes towards wealth, money, stuff out of my system.

All said & done, what the bible teaches about life & money is truly accurate, no matter what the present "gurus" try to spin their message.

[Josh]

Excellent Post, very insightful! Nice before church reading :)

[Paul Williams @ Crackerjack Greenback]

Thanks Ed and Josh! Ed, you hit my point exactly when you said it's hard for a person who follows the ways of the world to be content. You first have to accept Jesus and then focus on Him to gain God's contentment. The articles I've written on contentment are geared toward Christians, but they could show a non-Christian what can happen when you accept Christ and let God renew your mind. A life that's fully submitted to God is very different in both appearance and experience.

[anna]

this was a good post, thanks!

[James]

Thank you for this post. I am embarrassed to say that this post is speaking to me. I have been struggling with this, and I needed to read this.

[Paul Williams @ Crackerjack Greenback]

Thanks, Anna!

James, I'm glad it spoke to you. I hope you'll download the free ebook and give it a read if you'd like to learn more about contentment in the Bible!!!

[Gina]

I could not agree more. I need if everyone lived as a minimalist we would all be happy. Instead of trying to fill that void with material that is temporary satisfaction we can endure for an everlasting satisfaction of loving god and him loving us. I struggle with this as I think of my daughter's future and what I can and can not give to her as far as money (i.e. vacations, music lessons, a good school, neighborhood) because it does play a part in how she will become. I guess I just don't want her to miss opportunities, but the real opportunity is to know God.

[jos. r]

That was a very moving and compelling post. I could feel the passion and conviction in your words. I just wanted to encourage you to keep writing. You're a very talented. Thank you.