LEARNING DAILY

Hebrews 13:5, Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Hebrew 13 is about Christian behavior.  These have included brotherly love (v.1), hospitality (v. 2), support for the abused and imprisoned (v.3), and an emphasis on sexual morality (v. 4). The focus of verse 5 is greed. 1 Timothy 6:10 is clear, “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Paul writes that not all sin is the result of material greed; it is that a love of money can lead a person to any other sin.

This verse is about the Believer being content and trust in God’s provision. “Keep your life free from love of money.” This phrase is a warning against the danger of materialism. Loving money and things can easily become an idol and takes one’s eyes off following the Lord. I might also add any type of success can do this as well. An unhealthy obsession with money can be related to being discontent, covetousness and jealousy. The result is becoming unhappy with what one has, instead of being grateful and thankful for what one has or may have in the future.

“Be content with what you have.” A dictionary would define contentment as “the state of being emotionally and mentally satisfied with things the way they are.” I wonder how many truly fit that definition. Jesus asked the question in Matthew 6:25, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” He was talking about unbelievers being worried about these things; Believers were not to worry about such things. Instead, they were to seek His kingdom and His righteousness – FIRST! (Matthew 6:26-33).

The apostle Paul knew what it was to live without the comforts of life. Yet, he knew the secret of being content. Philippians 4:12-13, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” It has been said that the problem is not having money or things; the problem is when money and things have you.” When that is the case, the person continues to seek more and more, never being content with what he has.

Being content means, one places their trust and confidence in God knowing He is the Giver of all good things. James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” He does use the hard times Believers go through to show their faith in Him is genuine! Worry can mean one does not trust God. The key to being content is to remember He said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Believing that comes from knowing who God is (and you know how you do that by now) and remembering how faithful He has been to supply your needs in the past. Peter wrote in his first letter, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”

Will you trust Him to supply your needs today? Stop living under the burdens of seeking more and learn to be content with what God has given you.