BY GREG CRUM
“Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 5:18-19
According to Ecclesiastes 5, wealth and, more importantly, the ability to enjoy it, is a gift from God. That’s not to say that everyone that is wealthy got that way in a godly manner or that wealth in and of itself is a definite sign of God’s approval of someone’s lifestyle (we know that this is not the case from I Timothy 6:5), but the grace to be able to enjoy the resources He has provided for us is a special gift from our Heavenly Father. This is a gift that He would love to give you as well, in fact, it’s His desire that all His children rest satisfied in the rich resources that He alone can provide.
Last week we wrote to you about the blessing of contentment. We said that godly contentment is a gift from the Almighty that allows us to actually enjoy what He has given us (whether much or little). It’s the ability to be full, to be satisfied, and to push away from the table with a smile on our faces. In contrast we mentioned that there are people in this world who have billions but can’t enjoy it. They aren’t satisfied with the possessions and power that their massive wealth provides. What a miserable position to be in, right? Swimming in water but not a drop to drink! What should be blessing in their lives is a curse in reality.
So, how can we keep ourselves from their plight? How can we keep material things in proper perspective, use them, enjoy them as God intended, but not allow them to dominate our pursuits in life? How can we tap into the blessing of contentment? How do we get there and stay there for life?
Well, first let me say that the quest for contentment isn’t the easiest pursuit in our day. Our generation has been brainwashed to believe that “he who dies with the most toys wins.” The bigger your house, the faster your car, the more you can travel, the more successful you are. This has proved to provide a group of people in our society who constantly seek to acquire more, bigger, better, and when that’s the case there’s little to no time to enjoy what you have. It’s anti-contentment, and it’s the most natural disposition for those who have bought into the “American Dream.”
Friends, we can and should pursue a different path as believers in Jesus. A path that thoroughly enjoys all the big and little blessings in life—contentment. So, what does this contented path look like? Well, know this: it’s a path lined on both sides with thankfulness. In I Thessalonians 5:18 we are reminded “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” If we are ever going to be content and enjoy what God has given us, we are going to have to be openly and outwardly thankful for what we already have. We must recognize the good in what we currently possess, even if we’ve had it for what seems like forever and it’s well past the latest trend. It’s this thankfulness that will grow appreciation, and appreciation to God for our resources enables us to truly enjoy these things as we should.
Secondly, if we are going to be content with what God has blessed us with, we must learn to slow down and “chew our food.” In other words, we must take the time to experience (think actually use) what we have. We need to purposely use the resources God has given us in the ways He intended us to use them. We can’t allow ourselves to be like the kid who gets a new toy only to throw it in the bottom of the toy box never to be played with again after just a few days. I’m sure you’ve experienced this, but it’s amazing how using things helps us to grow appreciation for them that will keep us from chasing the next, new, and/or better things.
Brothers and sisters, God desires to bless us beyond our imaginations, but He desires to give us contentment along with these material things so we can truly enjoy them in proper measure!
Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.