Contentment and coveting

True wealth comes from being happy with how the Lord meets all of our needs, not how much money we have in the bank. Contentment comes from having a close relationship with God, just like joy. This is something that money can’t give us. It’s knowing and being okay that God is in charge of everything in our lives. He also takes care of His spiritual children when they put their trust in His promise. He taught us to pray for our daily needs, like food, clothes, and a place to sleep.

God is the one who gives us everything we need. His promise is something we can stand on no matter what time of year. Jesus, not money, should be what makes us feel safe. But things go wrong when we mix up what we need and want. This leads to the trap of “if only.”

We say we’ll be happy if we have this or that, and we even try to make it spiritual by thinking that more money will make our ministry stronger and grow. Here’s where wanting comes in. Wanting something makes you unhappy. The book of Hebrews tells us that we should not love money and be happy with what we have. God, our ultimate source, is always with us and will never leave us, so we should be satisfied. Should we insist on getting our wants and not be happy with what we have, our happiness will be dependent on fulfilling our “greed.”

Gratitude matters

We can learn to be happy with what we have by being thankful for what we have. Don’t run after what you don’t have. Instead, be satisfied with what you do have. You don’t have to eat at the most expensive restaurants to get packed. Do you need a castle to keep your head from getting wet?  

Does wearing name-brand clothes keep you warm? Learn how to be happy with what you have, just like Paul did. Our calling is too faithful stewardship. Therefore, God can bless us with wealth or take it away from us at any given time. God does not prevent us from having the desire for material things. Nevertheless, we need to be careful that it doesn’t lead us to lose our gratitude for what we have at present.