Contentment

 

Every once in a while I am reminded of a sermon where the preacher taught that everything in our lives is a test. “If you wake up in the middle of the night and step on a Lego, it’s a test.”

Little and big incidents test our faith. Will we praise God whether or not there are Legos in our path?

Right now it appears that the test is a test of contentment.

I see the memes on social media about the men who served our country through world wars and stood the test compared to those of us who are being expected to sit on our couches and be content with our circumstances but whine like we were over-burdened.

Many fear the economic burden that is coming, for themselves and their neighbors. Others seem to want to complain about the people who complain. And many appear to be living in fear of getting a virus that seems unstoppable if you listen to all that the media has to say about it.

Personally, I am happy to take what precautions I can without living in fear or dread of what “may (or not) be.” Being content with that is my goal.

Fear seems to come more naturally than contentment. I like to look at the numbers but at this stage we don’t have anything reliable. At first, it didn’t look like the death rate was high and the incidence of COVID 19 did not look much different than any other flu we’ve had over the years.  Then the media really ramped it up and it looks like we’re all gonna’ die!  I was (and am) not afraid of the illness although, I am afraid for our nation’s economy. I truly believe that what we are doing to it is going to destroy many more than a virus.

In God’s grace, my husband gently reminded me that, “God gave us a spirit not (emphasis mine) of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).  God is in this. He will see us through.

We read  about how all the prophets of the Old Testament had to live through the judgment of God along with those God was judging. Is that what is happening to us? We have to look at what God is doing inside the Church as well as outside it. 1 Peter 4:17 says that it was “time for judgment to begin at the household of God.”

God has taken our idols from us. We cannot even be together to fellowship with one another. Will we examine our own hearts? Our activities as the Church? Where and how we have been spending our time? Has God been glorified in our lives?

God has poured out His blessings on this nation and His people in it for a very long time. He is not obligated to continue to do so.

Have we been thankful or whiny about what He’s given? Content or discontent? At peace with what we have or at war with God because of what He failed (in our eyes) to give us?

His provision each day is enough. We are not promised a life of no problems but we are promised that the grace of Jesus Christ is enough for us. His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Our job is to be content, not fearful, in our circumstances. Do we trust God to provide for our needs? He never works like the human mind wants Him to. In other words, if you are one who has lost your paycheck, it is not going to rain $100 bills (though He can do anything He wants).

But He will supply the peace to think and act in ways that glorify Him in the process of whatever He is doing in our lives…when we repent of our sin of idolatry, greed, apathy about His law, etc. and turn to His ways.

It’s a test. No grades. We pass or we fail.

This is not to say that the Christian who is afraid right now is going to Hell. It is to say that if we live in contentment (and not fear) others will see the power of love and self-control that comes with the Spirit of the Lord.