Week 17: Contentment

Hebrews 13:5-6

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

After much prayer, my daughter has recently taken a leap of faith and left a lucrative, secure job at a large company to work for a smaller one with considerably less pay. This choice was made through prayer, discernment, and seeking God’s guidance for clarity and wisdom on how to move forward. And it is frightening! On paper, it doesn’t make sense. Her expenses haven’t decreased, nor have her daughter’s needs. Yet she knows this decision will set her up for greater financial security in the future. She is walking out Psalms 27:14: “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

Hebrews 13:5 instructs us to avoid the love of money and to be content with what we have. This is seen as our acceptable act of worship to God (Hebrews 12:28). Why is this considered worship? Because when we refrain from loving money and chasing after it, even when we could use more, and instead choose to be content, we honor Him. We do so because we are trusting Him to be Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we can be content and not have to love money because God promises never to leave us or forsake us. As my daughter embarks on this journey of faith, where the math doesn’t quite add up when it comes to her income and expenses, God assures her that she can confidently declare that the Lord is her helper (Hebrews 13:6a). She can walk with boldness, eagerly anticipating how God will provide for her and her daughter in their current situation, while also preparing her for the future blessings He has in store (Jerimiah 29:11). She can confidently proclaim that she will not fear because she isn’t loving and chasing after money.  She is instead content and knows without a doubt that the same God who has been faithful to her in the past is the same God who will be faithful to her now and in the future. Jesus is the same God yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Friends, if you’re in a season of abundance, enjoy it, honor God with it, and be a vessel to bless others. God is the giver of all good things. But if you’re in a season of needing to trust God to meet your needs, know that He will bless you for not loving and obsessing over money. He will bless you for being content with how He has already provided. God is your helper and the source of all things. He sees you, knows you, loves you, and has made provision for you. Do not fear lack because He promises never to leave you or forsake you. What can man do to you when God is on your side?