By Pastor Doug Stauffer
During this time of year, Christians celebrate Christ’s resurrection (called Easter). Upon dying, the soul of the Lord Jesus Christ left his dead body and spent three days and nights in the heart of the earth. On Sunday morning, his soul was resurrected and reunited with his body in the tomb. Christians are promised a future day when the departed souls will again gloriously reunite with their bodies. The Bible calls this the Blessed Hope. But I want to focus on the here and now – another topic in light of God’s promises – contentment. The Apostle Paul tells us that we should be content no matter our state.
“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).
The words content and contentment infer that one is satisfied with life’s conditions. Living contently is the opposite of wanting and covetousness and is strongly associated with godliness (1 Timothy 6:6). No one is born into the world content. Contentment is a learned behavior that believers must practice consistently throughout life. Yet, once learned and regularly practiced, Christians will experience contentment despite their circumstance. Unfortunately, far too often, Christians exhibit no more contentment than non-Christians, coveting the things of the world more and more with each passing year. Imagine a world where everyone emulates Job.
Seemingly, Job possessed many of man’s most treasured possessions: health, wealth and a strong family unit. Suddenly, he lost them all. Job lost his health, his possessions, and his children. He also lost the esteem and approbation of his wife and friends. These events very quickly could have devastated and embittered him. Yet, rather than expressions of doom and gloom, Job’s words offer a profound glimpse into the depths of his contentment.
Amid his heartache, Job exhibited an essential truth. A Christian’s material and physical blessings are entirely within the Lord’s control and should never influence one’s relationship with the Lord or others. Job also pointed out that man will depart this world in the same condition he entered: without one shred of material wealth. Ultimately, a Christian’s possessions or the lack thereof reflect God’s provisions; therefore, a lack of contentment demonstrates an unwillingness to trust the Lord.
Since God is responsible for man’s possessions or the lack thereof, some Christians question why God gives some things while He withholds from others. Romans 8:28 contains one of the answers as it points out that “all things work together for good.” This truth does not imply that everything in the believer’s life is enjoyable or good. It means that the summation of all things combined is good! God works in every segment of a believer’s life. He merges every aspect so that even the supposed bad things result in what is “good” according to the will of God. So long as God is in control, contentment teaches satisfaction. A person’s conditions, circumstances, and possessions are appropriate because God has worked everything together for that individual’s good.
The Lord expressed His care for Israel during the 40 years of its wilderness wanderings. Few people would consider the wilderness a place of plenty. Yet, the wilderness was the place where God furnished Israel “a table” (Psalm 78:19), “brought streams also out of the rock” (Psalm 78:16), and kept their shoes and clothes from deteriorating (Deuteronomy 29:5). God could honestly say to His people that they wandered in a barren but “lacked nothing” (Deuteronomy 2:7).
Why not renew your commitment to serve the Lord even more in the coming days? Things are changing fast, but God is unchanging. God is still in control, and prayer changes things. The Bible says to look up because your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28).
Dr. Doug Stauffer is pastor of Faith Independent Baptist Church. He was saved July 6, 1980, in Niceville, while stationed at the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base and has now been in the ministry for over 35 years. He has written 20 books including the best selling “One Book” trilogy (“One Book Rightly Divided, One Book Stands Alone, One Book One Authority”); along with several devotionals (“Daily Strength” series); and prophecy books (“Reviving the Blessed Hope, When the End Begins”).
