Freedom, Contentment, Presence Part 2

Freedom, Contentment, Presence  Part 2
Contnetment

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?"

"And be content with what you have,"

First we get rid of the love of money-stuff and then (only then) can we begin to seek contentment with what we have.

But we do not have to wait for our freedom to be full.  When we cease to covent and act on that coveting we can also begin to reduce the clutter in our lives.  Look around your place - are you really content with all you have or is some of it convicting?

Does some of it make you feel foolish?  Does some of it show you your covetousness?  Does some of it make you, well, ashamed?

Can you answer the question, "Why do I have this and do I need it?"

OK - yes, you work hard and have a "right" to have nice things, to enjoy the fruit of your labor------MAYBE!  Maybe you have some culturally endorsed "right" but do you carry it too far?  Let me ask you this.  If you see a brother or sister in need how well fixed are you to really help them?  How much better could you care for those in need if you were content with less?  "Oh," you say, "I give to this and that cause and ministry and the church!"  Yes - many of you do but who gets the lion's share of the spoils?

1 John 3:17 ESV
But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?

This closing of the heart takes place long before the need is ever seen.  Read Deut. 15 and watch as God's heart breaks for the poor.  Read it slowly and carefully and watch the corruption of covetousness bring God to finally and I believe tearfully conclude that we will always have the poor among us becasue we will NOT obey Him in regards to our money-stuff.

I have learned that covetousness can be a subtle enemy of contenment.  We buy just a little, we keep it simple and we do it often.  Doing it a little and often exposes our covetousness and our lack of contentment - two ends of the same stick.

But I wander.  Are you content with what you have?  No, not do you have enough? - Most of us have too much.  What I am trying to get you to ask is; Does what I have satisfy me, fulfill me or convict me?

What do you have that was bought through a covetous spirit?  What was indeed bought as an idol?  What do you have that was bought so you would feel better about yourself apart from God?  What do you have that you bought to show others how acceptable, successful and good you are?  How can you be "content" with these things still in your possession?  It is little different that Israel in the OT wanting to be like the nations around them so they began to aquire little idols and ended up worshipping alongside the Pagans.

Colossians 3:5 ESV
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

I do not believe we can ever experience the contentment Christ would have us experience unless we work at "killing" the covetousness in our hearts.  So, if you indeed want to be content, covetousness - past - present and future has to be attacked with all our energy and all the help the Holy Spirit can give!

Let me ask something that I ask myself.  How can I be content when I am surrounded by things that are in truth idols?  Must I not cast them down - cast them out?  Must I not cleanse my home of these evil idols to money-stuff?

If that sounds silly, I'll pray for you.  If that sounds legalistic my heart breaks for you.  If there is a twinge of ache in your heart, a glimmer of conviction I thank my God for you and encourage you in casting down and out all the "idols" you have accumulated and surrounded yourself with.

Contentment can not compete with covetousness.  You must choose - and pray.  Contentment comes over time and through effort and is empowered by the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Philippians 4:11-13 ESV
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. [12] I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. [13] I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Freedom, Contentment, Presence Part 1

Freedom, Contentment, Presence Part 1
Freedom

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?"

Keep your life free from the love of money ----

Easily said - not so easily done.  Sure, we can talk about not loving money but money buys things and oh how we love our "stuff."  Money is just paper - until we exchange it for stuff ---  so perhaps we need to add "and stuff," to this admonition.

And the "love of stuff," is a tough one in our culture where the latest's i-phone is seen as a necessity and the newest car a need and -----well you know what I mean.

Look around your house or apartment - what of all the "stuff," you see there.  Did you need it when you bought it?  Do you need it now?  Or was it a "want it."

I (and I think most of us) are very very good at rationalizing a want into a need.  There are great things we can do with "it," we can do things so much better with "it."  We need "it" because - well, we need "it".  "It" will remind us of a time or an event, a trip, that we took since we will soon forget it.  "It" has a "special" meaning to us.  I just "had to have it."  "It" reminded me of you.

Yeah, we can have all kinds of reasons for loving money stuff.  And we all have to admit we have more stuff than we need - but not enough that we want (OUCH).

Not having money can be a real eye-opener as to how much we love money (stuff).  When money is scarce it is not unusual to get just a little bit "testy," about money and stuff.  WE can find ourselves resenting others their money-stuff.  We can begin to disparage the culture of "I want it and I want it now."  We can grow to hate instant gratification.  We can get envious and jealous of people we really care about because they have money-stuff and we don't.  There is nothing more sad than a person who is resentful and critical because they don't have money-stuff.

But note - we are the actors in this passage- "keep your lives."  There is something we are to do here.  We are to attain and "keep" a certain freedom - a freedom from the LOVE of money-stuff.  It is not money - it is not stuff - it is the love of money-stuff of which we are to be free.

How do we do that?

Mmmmmm that's a tough one.  First we have to see our love for money-stuff - our covetousness (which, by the way, is idolatry).  Are we willing to admit that we have such a love - even if we don't have the money to get the stuff?  Are we willing to see our covetous hearts and to repent and seek His power to kill that covetousness?  Are we willing to fight with His aid in changing the way we think and the way we see the world and all the "stuff?"

To keep our lives free we have to get our lives free - we can't just start where we are and go forward.  We have to dig deeply into our hearts and see how twisted and corrupted they have become in and from the world.  We have to - well, go backwards - that's what repentance is, a 180 degree turn.

That might mean we, like the rich young ruler, have to dump the stuff and give, or give the stuff.  This is NO easy thing - we get our "self-esteem" and all that other "self" stuff from what we have and what we don't have.  This repentance demands a complete change of focus - a change of center - a change of heart - and a radical one.

NOOOOOOOOOO do not just go crazy here.  This needs to be a well thought out move on your part not some willy -nilly whole sale dumping of all the stuff.  Slowly and mercifully we begin to divest ourselves of "I want = I need."  Until we do that no reduction of "stuff" will have any meaning - we'll just get more stuff.  We have to carefully accept (and prayerfully engage) a change of view about everything.

Do you NEED a new season wardrobe?  Do you NEED that new piece of jewelry?  Do you NEED that new suit, shirt, shoes - ad infinitum.

You see we must stop loving money-stuff before we can ever hope to address the stuff we have and do not need!  Just dumping stuff is futile if our hearts are not yielded to Him and resistant to the love of money-stuff