Hebrews 13:5-6: How to Remain Content

Hebrews 13:5-6.. "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'"

How would you define contentment? Seriously, take a minute and think: what does it mean to be content? If you were a pastor and had to give a sermon on "contentment," how would you define it to your congregation? Got your answer? Okay, good. Remember it, and compare it to the following definition.

In his book The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Jeremiah Burroughs defines contentment as "that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition." Was your definition that elaborate? If so, great! If not, then don't feel bad. This guy is kinda wordy. Putting his definition in simpler terms, contentment is the duty and delight of a Christian who through any circumstance keeps a peaceful and joyful spirit before his Lord.

Now that we at least have a slight intruduction to what contentment is, let us turn to Hebrews 13:5-6. This is one of my favorite verses on contentment because it points us directly to God. The verse is specifically talking about not being content with our finances, but the principle can certainly be applied to any situation.

Hebrews 13:5-6 first and foremost exhorts us to "be content with what [we] have." The command is clear here. What are we to be content with? Answer: what we have, that is, what God has given us. Furthermore, this verse shows us what we have, that is, God--the one who will never leave us nor forsake us (v. 5), who is also our helper (v. 6). Do you see the beauty of this verse now? It encourages us to be content with what we have, but then points us to what we have: GOD! What more could we want?

Nevertheless, so often we desire more, and this is where discontentment seeps in. If contentment is "keeping a peaceful and joyful spirit before the Lord," then one could only imaging what discontentment could mean. Discontentment asks for more even when God has given us all that we need in himself. Discontentment breeds chaos when God has offers us everlasting peace in him. Discontentment brings rebellion against the One who has promised that he is fully powerful and willing to bring about our ultimate good in all circumstances (Romans 8:28). Discontentment is surely not where we want to be.

So, how are you doing at remaining content? Surely there are many more things that I'd love to say here, but here's the point: The key to remaining content is realizing what you have in God. The Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings, the Savior, the Almighty God, has promised to never leave you nor forsake you and to help you. What more could you want? I encourage you to remain content today, knowing that God is with you, and in him, you need nothing else.

P.S. I'm so very in love with this Christian virtue of contentment. It is something I've studied much. This morning, I'd love to supply you with three extra tid-bits on this from past teachings I've put together...

1) Charles Spurgeon once said "If you are not content with what you have, you would not be content if it were doubled." This is my favorite quote of all time, and it is so very true. Oftentimes, we tell ourselves that if we had more, we would be content. Charles Spurgeon (and the Bible for that matter) says otherwise. Even if God gives us more when we ask for it, we will always desire even more unless we find how to be content with less in Christ. David had hundreds of wives, but he told himself he needed one more (Bathsheba). Look how that turned out for him.

2) I once taught my small group guys a three-step way to find contentment. Step one was to realize what you have. God has given us the fullness himself, which we have already looked at this morning. Step two was to realize what you don't have. Sometimes God doesn't give us what we want in order to bring about a greater plan. Perhaps he witholds from us a new job, a raise, or something alike. Realize that God hasn't given you that for a reason. Step three was to not ask for more. In God's wisdom, he has supplied you with all you need for life and godliness. What he has given you is enough--don't ask for more, lest you fall into discontentment.

3) I preached a sermon a while back on contentment, and gave the following acronym. I hope it helps you today:

C - Confess what God says (Heb. 13:6, 2 Cor. 12:8-10)

O - Obey what God commands (Heb. 13:5, 1 Tim. 6:8)

N - Notice who God is (Heb. 13:5-6, 1 Tim. 6:15)

T - Take what God gives (Heb. 13:5, Phil. 4:12)

E - Expect what God promises (Heb. 13:6, Rom. 8:28)

N - Notice what God does (Heb. 13:6, Ecc. 3:1-8)

T - Trust in God's promises (Heb. 13:5, 2 Cor. 12:7-10)