Freedom, Contentment, Presnce Part 5

Freedom, Contentment, Presence  Part 5
Fini

Hebrews 13:5-6 ESV
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." [6] So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"


"I will not fear, what can man do to me?"

The fear of man is probably one of the most common sins that keeps us from breaking through from covetousness to contentment.  "What will other people think?" "What will others say?"

We covet the approval or others and we are not content to be different.  We want to fit in, to be a part of so we fear not fitting in or being a part of.  We fear what people might say to us and of us.  We fear that if we truly plant our feet for God we will be odd - peculiar - and hence be maligned and rejected.

Uhhhhhh - what part of the cost of discipleship did you not get?  Did no one tell you that being rejected and maligned was part and parcel of the Christian walk?  Did no one tell you that you have to REJECT the world to gain heaven?   Being His means you are none of the world's.  We are to be in and not of the world - but the cost is great and it can be painful.

What can man do to you if indeed you begin to grow from covetousness to contentment?  Reject you?  And why would you want to be accepted by those who wouldreject your growth in HIm, those who even reject Him?  Why do we need that new suit or that new dress?  Is it because the old are not wearable any more?  Are the old rent and torn and unmendable?  Then perhaps we do NEED those new clothes.  Do we need that new anything?  Do we even need the "thing" we have?

Christ came for one, to set us free - free from the penalty of sin - free from the power of sin but not from the presence of sin.  So He gave us His presence in the Holy Spirit as a counselor and comforter - one who comes alongside to help.  But are we addressing those things in our lives for which we need His help?

We choose comfort over contentment and then we wonder why our walks seen so halting and short.  We wonder why we do not have the wind for the long haul.  We limp along.

We live lives of bondage and that bondage is by choice - the choice to follow our covetous desires and the common covetousness of our culture.  We are "wanting" oursevles into shallow, weak and ineffective lives in Christ.we are making the links in the chain that binds us to this world and the ways of this word.  And so the author of Hebrews adminishes us - indeed commands us:

Hebrews 13:5-6 ESV
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." [6] So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"

Only in centering and building our lives on the gospel can we ever hope to fe free of covetousness, bound in contentment and living out the presence of the Lord in our hearts.

Oh, will you not see and allow the Spirit to convict your hearts of the covetousness in which you have become content and are bound by the fear of man.  Will you not let Him drive you to yur knees crying out for the freedom He provides?  Will you not repent of and reject the covetousness and face the rejection of man for your efforts?

Oh Lord, have mercy on me, a miserable sinner.