Where Is The Contentment?

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10

It is difficult to form a loving relationship with money when it fails to stay around for long. As a couple, we just don't see each other often enough to really get to know one another. Me and money are a doomed and star-crossed thing it seems, never destined to be an item. So inconstant is money in my life that I don't have enough to buy it a ring. Ebenezer Scrooge, on the other hand, formed such a bond with his money that he refused to let it go anywhere without the prospect of it bringing more back to him.

Through the grace of God, I am making my way now and paying those bills, but the love of money is a present temptation. One can be like Scrooge and love the pile of money in a vault, or one can not have enough and pine away in unrequited money love. As Dickens pointed out, the world seems to hate both the rich and the poor with equal fervor. So, where is that contented place where one is neither rich nor poor, but able to fulfill obligations and put aside some for that proverbial rainy day?

In Luke 3:14: Jesus was asked by some soldiers what they should do and our Lord told them to be content with their pay. Note that these were not officers or even sergeants, but just soldiers, and as anyone who has served knows, the grunts don't make much. Tax collectors were considerably better off, at the expense of the people of course, and Jesus at that same time gave them the same advice: "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." (v13). Both speak of contentment, but where is the contentment found? I would say that it is in faith.

Faith tells us the Lord will provide what we need, whether it is more to the owner of several businesses who needs more to make his obligations or to the soldier who has less obligations and thus needs less. Faith says that we can be content through belief and trust in our great Lord. Faith is rather talkative on this subject because in the world we are so very tempted to be 'dis', as in discontented and disbelieving. Where is the contentment? It arrives on the wings of firm faith in our faithful Lord Jesus!

Now, firm up that faith with prayer and have a faithful week in Christ!

Bucky