My Contention with Contentment
Living by Faith: Practical Instructions for Christian Living
The Book of Hebrews concludes with powerful, practical instructions for believers who want to live by faith. After establishing Christ's supremacy and calling us to persevere through trials, the author gives us specific ways to demonstrate our faith in daily life.
What Does It Mean to Let Brotherly Love Continue?
The command to "let brotherly love continue" reveals an important truth: love is a choice we make every day. We can choose to love like Christ or choose not to. Often, we allow circumstances to dictate our responses rather than choosing to love consistently.
This isn't just about loving fellow believers. When Scripture calls us to love God with all our heart and love our neighbors as ourselves, "neighbor" extends far beyond the church walls. We're instructed to love everyone because we never know who God has placed in our path.
Why Should We Entertain Strangers?
The instruction to "be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware" carries profound meaning. We don't know who the people are that God brings into our lives. We don't know their stories, their struggles, or their purpose.
Angels are messengers from God. When we encounter strangers in need, they might be God's messengers - not necessarily supernatural beings, but people God has strategically placed in our path. Sometimes God sends someone who needs our help, and through serving them, we learn to love unconditionally. Other times, God sends someone to help us grow in our capacity to serve others.
How Do We Show Discernment in Helping Others?
While we're called to love and serve, we must also exercise Holy Spirit-led discernment. Not everyone who appears to need help genuinely needs it - some want something from us rather than truly needing assistance. The key is allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our responses rather than relying on our own judgment.
What About Those Who Are Suffering?
We're told to "remember them that are in bonds as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the body." This means we should empathize with those who are imprisoned or suffering, treating them as if we were in their situation.
This can be challenging when people have done terrible things. But God calls us to love even those we don't want to love - the person who gets under our skin, who we don't like, or who we suspect has ulterior motives. God loves them just as much as He loves us, and He may have placed them in our path specifically so we can demonstrate His love.
What Is God's Plan for Marriage?
Scripture clearly states that "marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." God has a specific design for marriage, established in Genesis when He declared that a man and woman become "one flesh."
Why Does Sexual Purity Matter?
God gave us sexual desires, and this is good and natural. However, He also provided the proper context for fulfilling these desires - within marriage. The marriage bed is holy and undefiled when we follow God's design.
Doing things our way instead of God's way brings consequences. When we pursue sexual fulfillment outside of God's plan, we damage our souls and miss out on the inheritance God intends for His children. What we put into our minds and hearts through wrong choices never truly leaves.
How Can Marriage Glorify God?
A godly marriage should glorify God in every aspect, including physical intimacy. When spouses pursue Christ individually, they become the partners their spouse needs. Men who pursue Christ become the husbands their wives need, and women who pursue Christ become the wives their husbands need.
How Do We Deal with Discontentment?
The instruction to "let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have" addresses one of our greatest struggles. Our "conversation" refers to our entire lifestyle, not just our words.
Why Is Contentment So Difficult?
Many of us struggle with always wanting something bigger, better, or newer. We live in a "bigger, better deal" mentality, constantly looking for the next thing that will make us happy. We tell ourselves we deserve to be happy and use this to justify pursuing whatever we want.
True contentment comes from recognizing that if we have Christ, we have everything we need. God promises, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," which means no matter what our circumstances, we have the most important thing - our relationship with Him.
What Happens When We're Discontent?
When we're discontent, we rarely look to the Lord for resolution. Instead, we try to figure out ways to get what we want through our own efforts. This discontentment, when followed to its conclusion, always leads to sin because we're essentially saying Christ isn't enough.
Discontentment led to the original sin when Adam and Eve weren't satisfied with what God had given them. If Christ and what we have in Him isn't enough, then whatever we're seeking will pull us away from what truly is enough.
How Should We Respond to Spiritual Leadership?
Scripture instructs us to "remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation."
What Should We Look for in Spiritual Leaders?
It's wise to know who God has placed to direct your spiritual walk. When spiritual leaders bring God's Word to you, consider not just what they say but how they live. Watch for consistency between their words and actions. Are they faithful to Scripture in their lifestyle, not just their teaching?
If you determine that your spiritual leaders are following Christ faithfully, then follow them as they follow Him. This doesn't mean blind obedience, but rather recognizing God's authority structure and submitting to biblical guidance.
How Should We Respond to Biblical Counsel?
When seeking advice from spiritual leaders, remember that they should help you make biblical decisions rather than telling you exactly what to do. If the counsel comes from God's Word through God's servant, take any disagreement up with God rather than dismissing the guidance.
When we choose to go against biblical counsel, we will face the consequences of those choices. However, as long as we have breath in our lungs, there's hope for repentance and making different choices.
Life Application
This week, choose one area where you struggle with contentment and commit to thanking God daily for what you already have in that area. Instead of focusing on what you lack, practice recognizing Christ as sufficient for your needs.
Ask yourself these questions:
The goal isn't perfection but progress in living by faith rather than by our feelings or circumstances. When we truly believe that Christ is sufficient, our lives will reflect that confidence through love, contentment, and obedience to His Word.
The Book of Hebrews concludes with powerful, practical instructions for believers who want to live by faith. After establishing Christ's supremacy and calling us to persevere through trials, the author gives us specific ways to demonstrate our faith in daily life.
What Does It Mean to Let Brotherly Love Continue?
The command to "let brotherly love continue" reveals an important truth: love is a choice we make every day. We can choose to love like Christ or choose not to. Often, we allow circumstances to dictate our responses rather than choosing to love consistently.
This isn't just about loving fellow believers. When Scripture calls us to love God with all our heart and love our neighbors as ourselves, "neighbor" extends far beyond the church walls. We're instructed to love everyone because we never know who God has placed in our path.
Why Should We Entertain Strangers?
The instruction to "be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware" carries profound meaning. We don't know who the people are that God brings into our lives. We don't know their stories, their struggles, or their purpose.
Angels are messengers from God. When we encounter strangers in need, they might be God's messengers - not necessarily supernatural beings, but people God has strategically placed in our path. Sometimes God sends someone who needs our help, and through serving them, we learn to love unconditionally. Other times, God sends someone to help us grow in our capacity to serve others.
How Do We Show Discernment in Helping Others?
While we're called to love and serve, we must also exercise Holy Spirit-led discernment. Not everyone who appears to need help genuinely needs it - some want something from us rather than truly needing assistance. The key is allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our responses rather than relying on our own judgment.
What About Those Who Are Suffering?
We're told to "remember them that are in bonds as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the body." This means we should empathize with those who are imprisoned or suffering, treating them as if we were in their situation.
This can be challenging when people have done terrible things. But God calls us to love even those we don't want to love - the person who gets under our skin, who we don't like, or who we suspect has ulterior motives. God loves them just as much as He loves us, and He may have placed them in our path specifically so we can demonstrate His love.
What Is God's Plan for Marriage?
Scripture clearly states that "marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." God has a specific design for marriage, established in Genesis when He declared that a man and woman become "one flesh."
Why Does Sexual Purity Matter?
God gave us sexual desires, and this is good and natural. However, He also provided the proper context for fulfilling these desires - within marriage. The marriage bed is holy and undefiled when we follow God's design.
Doing things our way instead of God's way brings consequences. When we pursue sexual fulfillment outside of God's plan, we damage our souls and miss out on the inheritance God intends for His children. What we put into our minds and hearts through wrong choices never truly leaves.
How Can Marriage Glorify God?
A godly marriage should glorify God in every aspect, including physical intimacy. When spouses pursue Christ individually, they become the partners their spouse needs. Men who pursue Christ become the husbands their wives need, and women who pursue Christ become the wives their husbands need.
How Do We Deal with Discontentment?
The instruction to "let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have" addresses one of our greatest struggles. Our "conversation" refers to our entire lifestyle, not just our words.
Why Is Contentment So Difficult?
Many of us struggle with always wanting something bigger, better, or newer. We live in a "bigger, better deal" mentality, constantly looking for the next thing that will make us happy. We tell ourselves we deserve to be happy and use this to justify pursuing whatever we want.
True contentment comes from recognizing that if we have Christ, we have everything we need. God promises, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," which means no matter what our circumstances, we have the most important thing - our relationship with Him.
What Happens When We're Discontent?
When we're discontent, we rarely look to the Lord for resolution. Instead, we try to figure out ways to get what we want through our own efforts. This discontentment, when followed to its conclusion, always leads to sin because we're essentially saying Christ isn't enough.
Discontentment led to the original sin when Adam and Eve weren't satisfied with what God had given them. If Christ and what we have in Him isn't enough, then whatever we're seeking will pull us away from what truly is enough.
How Should We Respond to Spiritual Leadership?
Scripture instructs us to "remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation."
What Should We Look for in Spiritual Leaders?
It's wise to know who God has placed to direct your spiritual walk. When spiritual leaders bring God's Word to you, consider not just what they say but how they live. Watch for consistency between their words and actions. Are they faithful to Scripture in their lifestyle, not just their teaching?
If you determine that your spiritual leaders are following Christ faithfully, then follow them as they follow Him. This doesn't mean blind obedience, but rather recognizing God's authority structure and submitting to biblical guidance.
How Should We Respond to Biblical Counsel?
When seeking advice from spiritual leaders, remember that they should help you make biblical decisions rather than telling you exactly what to do. If the counsel comes from God's Word through God's servant, take any disagreement up with God rather than dismissing the guidance.
When we choose to go against biblical counsel, we will face the consequences of those choices. However, as long as we have breath in our lungs, there's hope for repentance and making different choices.
Life Application
This week, choose one area where you struggle with contentment and commit to thanking God daily for what you already have in that area. Instead of focusing on what you lack, practice recognizing Christ as sufficient for your needs.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Am I choosing to love like Christ in my daily interactions, especially with difficult people?
- What areas of discontentment are pulling me away from finding my satisfaction in Christ?
- Am I following the biblical guidance of the spiritual leaders God has placed in my life?
- How can I better demonstrate that Christ is enough for me this week?
The goal isn't perfection but progress in living by faith rather than by our feelings or circumstances. When we truly believe that Christ is sufficient, our lives will reflect that confidence through love, contentment, and obedience to His Word.
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