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.

Psalm 10:1

Psalm 10:1 ESV
Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Ever feel this way?  Sure you do - at least some of you.

But - a feeling isn't a fact.

God is always working through and with and for His children.  It's impossible for Him not to.  We may not "feel" it - but that's just us.

The world, flesh and devil love to get us to think - feel this way.  They probably have a party.  They know they can't snatch us away from Him but they can get us to crawl into a corner and curl up in a ball.

Reading one of the works of Christopher Love, a Puritan preacher, he talks about how we are overly anxious or afraid or sorrowful when we allow our sorrow to keep us from our duties (prayer, study, worship, tithing, etc.).  The enemy doesn't have to score points of get the ball - the enemy only needs to hold us in place.  The enemy wants us to so enlarge our afflictions that we cease to look to Him and just look at them.

Love also writes about how we need to have a greater sorrow for our sins than for our afflictions.  He provides some good insight into how this looks.  NOT that he is encouraging us to focus on our sin to our greater sorrow but to sorrow for what is more important.

It's so easy to get so focused on our difficulties that we forget to continue our growth.  When that happens, there is little joy in the duties of the believer.  BUT - the duties of the believer aren't intended to be a means of "feel good."  They are our means of staying focused on Him and of "standing" in the assault.  They are intended to accomplish two things (but not just two things).  They are intended to honor and glorify Him and to conform us to the likeness of our Lord.

A verse like the one above can do one of two things.  It can worsen our pity party or it can make us search our hearts and minds for the source of the "feeling."

Being "severely bummed out" when things are hard and painful is not a bad thing - it's actually a healthy thing.  but one can be "too" bummed out.

Of course our minds should recall:


We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,   (2Co 10:5)

Such speculations and thoughts as we find in the Psalm need to be destroyed - but gently.  It's not that we need to beat ourselves up when we have these thoughts or feelings but rather we must take then to the Word and to the Lord in prayer for His attention and action.  Such thoughts are a clear reminder of not only the warfare we are in but of our weakness, immaturity and frailty as well.

Remember the "little children" we're supposed to be like?  OK - don't be afraid or ashamed of having childish thought - but don't let them take root.  Rather, take them to Him - ask Him for insight and strength.  Ask Him to do what He has promised AND acknowledge that He is never far from you - He is never not to be found - NOTHING can separate you from His love.

Yeah, it's hard and these thoughts are so easy to have.  Please be a gracious with yourself at these times as He is with you at all times.

Father, sometimes I feel abandoned.  Sometimes I feel like You and I are far apart.  Please Lord, comfort me and strengthen me when I feel this way.  Call me to You in prayer.  Call me to Your word.  Call me to Your people and call Your people to me.

In my most desperate "felt" need I know my greatest real need is for Your comfort and strength.  Don't let me get distracted.  Don't let me be deceived.  Don't let me become so depressed that I withdraw from You and Your people.

I will do my best to take every damaging, deceptive and devious thought captive.  I will bring them to You and ask You to destroy them for what You destroy stays destroyed.

Thank You for Your lovingkindness - please help me to apply it to myself when I struggle.

Amen

Flee - run away! 012313

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.   (1Ti 6:10-11)

Two things really stood out for me in these verses.  "craving" and "wandered away from the faith."

On the subject of "cravings" or literally "stretching out."  I certainly understand the error of this and it's subtlety.  It is not hard for any of us to find ourselves so dissatisfied with both what we have and what we don't have that we go beyond God's provision or mis-handle God's provisions so that we are indeed "stretched out."

But don't make the mistake of thinking simply in terms of being financially stretched out.  More relationships - especially marriages - suffer greatly from financial "stretching."  but it really isn't the money (I am learning) that is the problem.  It is the fear and guilt of being on thin financial ice.  It is also the conviction of the Holy Spirit working in our hearts and minds and our resistance to it.

Our flesh not only indulges itself in all the recriminations and accusations the unbeliever experiences but it resists the promptings and conviction of the Holy Spirit.  For the young or weak believer all these "feelings" can get mixed together and seem to be one.  But they are not.  We need to take the biblical view that sin is sin and that God has blessed us with the Spirit that we might recognize it and repent.  

This can result in that "wandering away from the faith."  Huh?  Well, when we are in distress and we are sensing a need to be rescued from it our flesh wants us to turn to things of this world in order to solve the problem.  But the critical factor is that the flesh wants us to do this instead of turning to God and seeking His correction and solution.

"Wandering away from the faith," may refer more to wandering away from trusting God than in refers to some theological or doctrinal error (however - this is also very possible).

I have had to simply recognize that the provision I have mis-used came from God and that the provision I need must come from Him as well.  Certainly He can and will use secondary sources to bring that provision but we have to fight the fight of keeping our eyes on Him.

God does not scheme and His people need to avoid scheming as well.  If I had a nickle for every "scheme" I've come up with in our current situation - well, I think I'd be out of this situation.  But the cost of doing it according to the world, the flesh and the devil is much to high (trust me, I know).  I have to really "keep my eyes and ears on Him," sometimes by force.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Puritans.  I love their insight and sensitivity but I struggle with their faithful acceptance of the fact that "here" isn't any kind of priority.  What I mean is that they had such a wonderful hope of heaven that they really did count everything as "dung" compared to the riches of God's grace.  

I consistently read their admonitions to trivialize earthly needs (in relation to heavenly provision) and I am dumb-struck - and not a little ashamed of myself.  They lived in a cycle of earthly need.  They were no strangers to suddenly suffering the loss of their "livings" not to mention their incarcerations.  And yet they were satisfied that God's will was perfect regardless of the earthly consequences.

That's the part I "hate," because it reveals to me my lack of strength and maturity in the Way.  It shows me my weakness and self-centeredness.  It shows me my sin.  Though this is truly a blessing, it hurts deeply and my flesh hates it (another sign of the battle we must fight).

But Paul admonishes us to "flee" from all of this.  If we're not in it we must watch and pray that we might be warned and flee.  If we're in it we must trust and pray and flee from within it.

We are to, "Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness."  as well as:

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 

(1Ti 6:12)

This is tough to do when the bill collectors are calling or unexpected needs arise.  This is difficult as we struggle to pretend to our brothers and sisters that all is well (not a good thing).  This is difficult when we live in a culture where we are told we have to "succeed" according to the standards and ways of the world, flesh and devil.

But we must pursue these things regardless of where they lead us here in this temporary residence.  We must flee from this evil but we must flee to Him.  Just running away from the problem does not sever the tie.  We must go to the only one who can free us from all the fleshly pain and sorrow even i it is through godly pain and sorrow.

I'm learning - quite late - a lesson I have not studied and absorbed.  It is hard and it is good.

We, Patti and i, are praying for all of you who are where we are and we pray that you will - as we are striving to - break away from the world, the flesh and the devil and flee to Him more faithfully and more whole-heartedly.