Godly Contentment Brings True Happiness

But godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6)

Sometimes it seems like some of the best illustrations come from children’s books. For example, the other night I was suddenly awakened by a crashing noise coming from the living room. I quickly arose and went out to see what happened. It was completely dark, didn’t sense anyone else in the room, and as I peered around the corner to look into the room I remembered the Winnie the Pooh scene where Pooh, “being a bear of very little brain,” went outside to see what the disturbance was. In Pooh’s case, he got bounced upon by Tigger but in my case there wasn’t a burglar but only a picture that had fallen from the wall.

But it got me to thinking and I laid in bed for awhile unable to sleep as I thought about it. How many times do we humans, being “humans of very little brain,” open the door to look at something that seems interesting or attractive or even scary? How many times do we go places we shouldn’t and check out what something is like when we know darn well that we shouldn’t?

Think about it for a minute. How many times has the average man gazed upon forbidden images and fantasized about women that aren’t his to have, only to find that he opened the door to discontentment, sexual dissatisfaction, and even impotence? And how many times has the average woman read the romance novel or watched the soap opera and then found her man to be lacking in the romance department? She opened the door to marital dissatisfaction and relationship envy without a second thought to where it might lead.

And what about those of us who like to compare and compete? You know what I mean, as most of us have fallen into this trap one time or another. We look at Facebook or listen to some gossip and then compare our lives to those of someone else. We tell ourselves, “if only I had his job” or “if only I had her house” then I would be happy. If only I had a newer car, more money, better neighborhood, better opportunities, better family background, better education, better this that or the other thing, then I would be happy. And then sometimes it gets even more personal. If I was better looking, if I wasn’t so dumb, if I wasn’t so lazy, if I wasn’t so unlucky, if I was married to someone else…..the list goes on. We open the door to dissatisfaction by comparing ourselves to some idealistic idea of other people’s lives.

Think about it. How many times have you opened the door to jealousy and covetousness instead of closing the door by being thankful for what you have? How many times have you opened the door to stress and anxiety instead of closing the door by casting your cares upon the Lord and trusting in Him? How many times have you opened the door to addiction by looking for comfort or escape in a bottle or a drug instead of turning to the God who created you and loves you with an undying love? How many times have you opened the door to loneliness instead of forgiving others and working hard to have healthy relationships?

I could go on, but you get the idea. Most all of us have opened the door to many things that wind up being harmful to us. So don’t beat yourself up over it. Instead, resolve to not even open the door to those things that bring you harm. And if you think it is too late, that you opened those doors long ago, then ask the Lord to help you close the doors and keep them closed.

Change the way you think, the way you live, the things you choose to do. If television or social media cause your thinking to go in a negative way, avoid them. If logging on to your computer tempts you to look at porn, use software that won’t allow porn sites. If going to certain locations or hanging out with certain people stumbles you, don’t go there. For me, when I was a young pastor who didn’t have much money, something as seemingly innocent as going to Best Buy was a stumbling block. If I went and looked at all the new tvs and laptop computers, my stuff seemed archaic and I felt poor and inadequate. But if I didn’t go there in the first place, I could be content with what I had. By not going there I kept the door closed to a whole line of negative thinking about myself and what I didn’t have and what I couldn’t afford.

So then, close those doors that lead to dissatisfaction, spiritual sickness, and even death. Open those doors that lead to peace, joy, and eternal life. Choose to love God instead of the things of this world. Set yourself to serve God and not the sinful pleasures that lead to addiction and emptiness. Put the needs of others ahead of your own instead of continually chasing after your own lusts. Take time to talk to God in prayer and passionately pursue a relationship with Him. Read or listen to His Word and allow Him to shape your life and guide your steps and guard your lips. Let your mind be renewed by the Word and your life transformed by His Spirit. Let His life flow into you and out to others.

As you close the door to those things that quench the Spirit and open the doors to things that bring life, you will be changed. You will discover that godly living with Christ-centered contentment does indeed bring great gain. You will no longer be a “human of very little brain” that opens the door to gaze longingly at worldly pleasures but will instead be a Spirit-filled saint of the Most High God who lives in the abundant life that Jesus offers – a life of unending love, unspeakable joy, and indescribable peace.

Let’s Pray Together: Lord, I confess that I have opened the door many times to things that have done me harm. Forgive me, and help me to keep those doors closed in the future. Help me to stay away from lust, covetousness, jealousy, rage, hatred, addictions, and all the other stuff that pulls me down. Help me to change my thinking and be transformed through the renewing of my mind, by spending time with You and reading Your Word. Lead me as I think about some practical steps I need to take, such as….(keep praying as you feel led).

Scriptures: 1 Timothy 6:6-12, Romans 12:2, Rev. 3:20

Action Point: Identify those points in your life where you tend to open the door and go after things that will ultimately bring you harm even if they seem attractive or interesting at the time. Plan out the changes you are going to make in order to keep the door closed to things that are harmful. Set aside some time each day to spend time with God and invest in your relationship with Him.

True Prosperity

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

My wife and I were doing our devotion time, reading a devotional article by a well-known author and the Bible readings that went with it, when it occurred to us that the article didn't really hit us where we were living at that time in our lives. The writer did a great job of pointing people to Jesus and reminding the reader that in the Lord there is always hope -- a springtime after the winter, a resurrection after a death, healing after a wound, a source of help in a time of trouble.

As we talked about it, we remembered that there were many times in our lives that we held on tightly to the Lord and the hope that He offers. In fact, we could offer our own testimonies to go along with those shared by the author. So it was a great devotional article, full of truth and encouragement in the Lord, but it wasn't for us at that time even though there were many times in our lives when we could have used that encouragement. Instead, the Lord showed us something else.

We realized that the reason that we didn't have so many crises in our lives anymore was because we had been following the Lord for over 30 years and our current season of rest and peace was a result of abiding in Him and making godly choices that produced a harvest of righteousness in our lives. The reason we weren't in despair and needing a message of hope was that we have sunk our roots deep into the Lord and know of His faithfulness, even in the face of death, illness, trials, or calamity.

Even so, even though we have followed the Lord for decades, we are far from perfect. We still have our bad days. We still struggle with issues of the flesh from time to time. We still live in a fallen world where all creation is groaning and waiting for the Lord to come back so we face difficulties with health, finances, career choices, and all the other stuff that is just a part of life. What makes the difference is that we have planted ourselves in the Lord, sending our roots deep into His living water, receiving the life and strength that He offers, and then by His grace producing spiritual fruit in our lives and even in the lives of those around us.

So then, when the storms of life come upon us, we do not despair nor do we lose hope because we know that we have built our house on the Solid Rock. And many of the troubles that afflict so many people we have avoided altogether by being good stewards, staying faithful to one another, being kind and loving towards others, serving the Lord wholeheartedly, and offering grace, mercy and forgiveness to those who are struggling (including ourselves!).

Will you join us? Maybe you already have, maybe you have been following the Lord for decades like we have. But experience has shown us that many people find it difficult to sink their roots deep in the things of the Lord. Many of us want to delight ourselves in the Word and meditate on it night and day but life just seems to get in the way. One moment it is our heart's desire to be like that tree planted by the stream, full of life and fruitfulness, but later that same day we find ourselves making choices that lead to death and misery.

Our prayer for everyone that reads this devotional is that you would draw nearer to God than you ever have before and begin to develop habits, routines, and ways of thinking that nurture your relationship with Him. Start right now by doing what we did 30 years ago -- ask the Lord to make you like that tree by the stream -- full of life, bearing fruit in due season, experiencing the steadfast hope, indescribable joy, and all-encompassing peace that comes from abiding in the Lord.

Action Points:

1) Do something to help you get into the Word on a regular basis. Download the You Bible app, find a Bible reading program or devotional website online, begin reading a book of the Bible or a devotional book in which you are interested.

2) Think about how you can nurture you relationship with God throughout the day. Listen to the Bible online while you are in the car. Put worship music in your headphones as you take your walk. Carve out moments of solitude when you can just relax and be in the Lord's presence. Spend time with brothers and sisters in Christ on a regular basis. The possibilities are limitless -- find out what works for you.

3) Make prayer a part of who you are. Talk to God in your own heart throughout the day. Develop a routine meeting place where you can talk to God out loud without fear of embarrassment or being overheard. Just as you would make a regular appointment with a friend, say 8am at the coffee shop, make a regular time and place in your schedule to talk to God -- your kitchen table in the morning, the back deck in the evening, in the car or your bedroom, whatever works for you.

Scriptures: Psalm 1, James 3:17-18, Hebrews 12:11, 2 Cor. 9:10-11

Let's Pray Together: Lord God, I want to know you more. I want to sink my roots deeper in You. I want to make my relationship with You a priority in my life. I give you first place above everything else and I'm begging you to help me to live out this commitment. Make me be like that tree by the stream. Help me sink roots deep into You and draw out of your Living Water. Let me be full of life and happiness. Let joy, peace, hope, and love be mine. Help me to talk to you throughout the day and to meditate on Your Word every chance I get. Help me to develop good routines and habits that nurture our relationship..... (keep praying as you feel led....)

I am Yours; You are Mine

I was singing these lyrics this morning when it hit me – how can I, a mere mortal, a man whose days are numbered and whose body is becoming weaker day by day, who is confined to to the limits of space and time in which I am placed, how can I possess a limitless, all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present God of the universe? It doesn’t seem possible.

Sure, I can understand how God can possess me – I voluntarily lay down my life for His glory and His purposes, and He comes and lives inside of me and reveals Himself to others through me. But how can I possess Him? I can’t possibly know His mind the way He knows mine. I can’t tell Him what to do in every situation – His knowledge and understanding far surpasses mine. So how can I possess Him? How can I be His owner? In what way can He be mine?

As I contemplated these things, it struck me – God is mine in the same way that my mom and dad are my mom and dad. It is a relational belonging, and one in which I can find strength and comfort. He is for me, not against me, because He is my heavenly Dad. He teaches me things, leads me in the way that I should go, provides for me, and is there for me in times of trouble. Of course, He doesn’t always rescue me from trouble, although He often does, but sometimes He lets me learn a lesson or how to handle something on my own. The bottom line, though, is that He is there for me because He is my dad and I am His son. He is mine and I am His.

And what makes it even better is that we have chosen to have this kind of relationship. I am His and He is mine because we have chosen to belong to one another in the same way that a groom chooses a bride and vice versa. We choose to belong to one another rather than simply being born into a parent-child relationship that may or may not last. God has chosen to have a relationship with me and, for that matter, with anyone who will respond to His love. And I have chosen Him by putting my faith in Him and giving Him my life and all that I am.

God has chosen you already by dying on the cross for your sins and for mine. Will you choose Him? Will you join me in saying, “I am His and He is mine?” I will let you work out the implications and applications of that kind of relationship with God. For me, it begins by recognizing that Jesus gave His life for mine by dying on the cross for my sins. In return, I give my life to Him by living for Him. I let Him live through me by loving people, following His teachings, being thankful and giving Him glory for everything He has done. My life is His and His life is mine.

Will you join me in pursuing this kind of relationship with God? It’s really not as hard as it sometimes seems. Start by simply talking to God and telling Him you would like to have a closer relationship with Him. Tell Him that you want to know Him better. Find a private place and talk to Him out loud or go to a quiet place and write out whatever is on your mind. Tell Him about your troubles, your life issues, your victories and defeats. Share your heart and life with Him and be ready to hear back from Him or see Him move in the situations of your life. Read the Bible and let Him speak through the Word. Listen for His voice in your conversations with Christian friends or Biblical teachings at church or online. Build some quiet time into your life so that you can hear the whisper of God in your own heart.

Above all, remember that He is yours and you are His. Through faith in Jesus you are a friend of God, a son or daughter of the Most High, His cherished possession. You are His child and He is your dad, your friend, your help in time of trouble. So hold your head high and live for Him, knowing that He is with you and will never forsake you. He is your best friend forever, for all eternity, and you are His.

Scriptures: Eph. 1:3-13, Phil. 3:7-11, John 15:1-17, 1 Peter 2:9-10

Action Point: Take that first step towards improving your relationship with God. Start talking to Him right now if you have time. Make a plan for when you will spend time talking to Him. Think about what section of the Bible you would like to listen to or read (start with the Psalms or something in the New Testament such as Luke or John, and take advantage of Bible apps such as the You Bible that enable you to read or listen to whichever version you want).

Let’s Pray Together: Father in heaven, I want to know You more. Reveal Yourself to me in ways You never have before. Help me to hang onto You and to always remember that I am Yours and You are mine. I want to be friends with You in ways that I never have before. Help me to share my heart with You and to spend time in Your Word. Help me to hear your voice, whether it be through the Bible or the teachings and encouragement of others or that still small voice within my own heart. Thank you that I am Yours and You are mine and that we will be together for all eternity. Right now, though, I could sure use some help with these people and situations I bring before you now…..