Be Content

The writer has been giving the Hebrew Christians commands concerning the Christian life. He has told the believers to:

Love one another

Show hospitality to others

Honor the institution of marriage

He hasn’t given much detail for any of these commands. That doesn’t change in the text we are looking at tonight. The command is a very convicting and practical one.

The dangers of the love of money and the struggle to live a content life is something we can all relate to. Let’s take a look at what the Scripture says.

v. 5 “Keep” It’s a struggle. We must be intentional about this.

“Life” refers to a person’s character. This is the way you live. Keep your life, yourself, your character.

“love of money” People love money because of what they can do with it. In our minds we believe money gives us all sorts of things.

We may think:

If I have money, I have security.

If I have money I have happiness.

If I have money, I have respect.

If I have money I can get things.

The truth is we need money. We must survive in this world.

Scripture teaches us to work.

Scripture teaches us to save.

Scripture teaches us to spend wisely.

At the same time Scripture warns us against the love of money. When we love money it will corrupt our character.

When a person loves money they reveal they are trusting in money. 1 Timothy 6:17:

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

When a person loves money they open themselves up to a host of other sins. 1 Timothy 6:10:

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.

Jesus warned us against trusting in money in Luke 12:15:

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

After He said that He gave the parable of the man who built bigger barns.

When you love money, money becomes your god. It determines how you spend your life.

“Free” The love of money binds you. It makes you a slave.

Some of the Hebrew Christians may have lost money because they became a Christian. It was not uncommon to lose a job or be ostracized by their Jewish family, lose inheritance, etc. Some of these may have been tempted to focus on getting their money back and creating security for themselves. Some may have even been tempted to leave Christianity in hopes of being received by family once again.

There are people who do not want anything to do with Christianity out of fear it may cost them something.

Tithing

Giving to the church for special needs

We hear people say about the church “All they want is your money.” Normally a person says that because they are covetous. They love money. Most churches do not ask for money much at all.

If you are fixated on getting and keeping money, you love money. If you love money, you have a serious character flaw.

“be content with what you have” This means to be satisfied.

Let me ask you something:

Do you have enough? Be honest?

Do you eat every day?

Do you have a place to sleep?

Are your bills paid?

We all have enough. If we all have enough, we ought to all be content.

We are discontented when we begin to think about what we don’t have. The sinful nature always wants more.

We have a car, but the neighbor has one that is nicer.

We have a home, but the one for sale down the road is bigger.

We have a wardrobe, but they are having a sale down at the mall.

One of the most difficult things a family must do after a loved one dies is find something to do with all the clothes they left behind. It’s often difficult to find a place to donate them. So many people do this there is a surplus.

When we are discontent it reveals some things about ourselves:

We are thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought (I should have that…).

We are not trusting in God.

We are complainers.

We are consumed with the things of this world.

We think we know what we need more than God does.

Be content with what you have is a command.

You may have more one day.

You may have less one day.

Paul said in Philippians 4:

for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 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. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Discontentedness causes us to love money. We become so unhappy with our circumstances we go outside of the will of God to change them. To love money is to love things.

This will cause us to be workaholics and forsake the church.

It will cause us to spend money on ourselves, we should be investing in the Kingdom.

It will cause us to build ourselves a bigger and better life rather than help those in need.

I don’t want to give the impression that people with money love money. That is not always the casae. In fact some of the most generous people I know are people who have been blessed financially. If you are well off financially in this world and do not love money you should praise God. God has done a great work in your life. There’s a verse that illustrates this in James 1: 9-10.

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation.

James says the rich man should rejoice in the Lord because the Lord has shown him that money does not make him immortal. I have known and do not wealthy Christians who are free from the love of money.

On the other hand, you can be poor and love money. You don’t have to have money to love it.

“For He has said I will never leave you nor forsake you”

God has promised He will be eternally present with us. This quotation comes from Deut. 31:8 and Joshua 1:5. Jesus also told us this in Matthew 28:20.

If you are saved this promise is enough for you. Job after losing everything he had said “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” (Job 13:15). Throughout history many believers have spent their entire lives or much of their lives in:

Prison

Homeless

Lonely

Poor

Sick

Handicapped

Yet God is enough for them. God has promised to never leave or forsake them and that’s enough. They know that the promises of God are sure and because of that someday:

The prisoner will be set free

The homeless will have a home

The lonely will have fellowship

The poor will be rich

The sick will be healed

The handicapped will be made whole

We need to understand that God does not promise us all of our desires will be met on earth. He promises to be with us in our hurt and our lack.

If you are saved, you believe in heaven. You believe in glorification. God has given you these promises.

Will you be satisfied with experiencing lack in this world so long as God is with you? Is the presence of God enough to satisfy you in this world?

Have you ever noticed we never hear people complaining about things like:

I’m not as close to God as I once was.

I’m not as holy as God wants me to be.

Our complaints are usually focused on the material, not the spiritual.

v. 6 When we are content, we will boldly proclaim that the Lord is our Helper, not man.

The writer quotes Psalm 118:6. Let’s look at what we can confidently say when we are content in the Lord.

1) The Lord is my Helper. This reveals we are weak, and we need help. We should admit that. We need God to save us but we need more than that. The old song says, “I can’t even walk without You holding my hand.”

When I experience lack in my life I say in faith “The Lord is my Helper!” That’s a statement of faith. God will get me through it!

2) We are not trusting in riches. Money itself cannot rescue us from our problems.

Perhaps money does get me out of a bind. God gave me the money. When I say grace at before a meal I don’t say “Thank you Lincoln, Jackson, and especially you Franklin.”

3)We do not fear man. Men can only hurt us physically. They may oppress us, degrade us, imprison us, even kill us. We have no reason to fear them because God is our Helper. Whatever they do to us He will undo.

They may take all we have- He will make us rich.

They may slander our good name- He will say well done good and faithful servant.

They may kill us- he will resurrect us.

Whatever man does to us God will undo! We have no reason to fear man.

The purpose of these two verses is to encourage us to be content. Are we?

Do I complain?

Do I find myself coveting what others have?

Do I thank God often for what I do have?

Am I overly concerned about the way man perceives me?

Do I spend more time on my physical life or my spiritual life?