Greetings in Christ our Savior!
“What makes us content?” It is safe to say that many feel content when there are no financial concerns. We feel that, when we no longer have to stretch that paycheck to cover the month’s expenses but can splurge on some luxuries, we’ll be content. That is to say, some feel content when they have the latest and the greatest, you fill in the blank. Just maybe when we have enough socked away to cover the kids’ college tuition we can rest easy and be content about our lives.
Jesus met a man who was in such a situation, and he was still a young man.
The heading in the Bible in Mark 10: 17 reads, “The Rich Young Ruler.”
This man came to Jesus with a question:
“‘Good teacher, ‘he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Apparently, since he came to Jesus with this question, he was not content. If he had been, he wouldn’t have felt the need to prove himself to Jesus, which as we read on, we find to be his motive, nor would he have been disturbed about his eternal future, a concern he must certainly have experienced after his conversation with Jesus.
In the end, we see that it was his wealth that kept him from true contentment. Jesus offered it to him. Jesus said, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow Me” (Mark 10:21). But he couldn’t part with his riches …
St. Paul gives us another perspective on contentment.
In Philippians 4:11-13 he writes,
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him Who gives me strength.”
Hanging onto our money, depending on our wealth for security, building up our assets may bring us fleeting contentment. True and lasting contentment, however, contentment that endures no matter what circumstances we encounter is a result of dependence on our Lord Who enables us to do all things through the strength that He alone can provide us.
Now, more than ever, as our daily routine changes and changes again with COVID-19 practices, at work, home, school, church, and in the community, we need to follow St. Paul’s example – “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
Be content in Christ! Pastor Hartwig