  MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2012 CONTENTMENT Who is more content, the person with a million dollars or the person with ten children? You probably guessed the person with ten children, and you are correct. He is more content because he does not want any more. That is the definition of contentment: not wanting anything more or different.
The desire for contentment comes from being blessed by God to be fruitful, multiply, and subdue (bring contentment to) the earth (Genesis 1:28).
Pride seeks contentment from money. Jesus taught, "But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness" (Matthew 6:23). Two thousand years ago, a "bad eye" was a greedy one. It desired something more or different than the time, talent, and treasure given by God.
The result is the darkness of discontentment. Jesus continued, "If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness" (Matthew 6:23).
Contrastingly, humility seeks generosity. "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light" (Matthew 6:22). Two thousand years ago, saying that a person had a good eye meant that he was generous, content, and focused. Today, we use the term "good eye" when a batter lets a bad pitch go by. The batter is content enough to let the foolish opportunity pass.
Will you be content enough to allow life's bad pitches to go by and become generous with our time, talent, and treasure? The result will be the peace of God in Christ (Ephesians 2:14).  |
