About Discipleship Envy: The Robber of Contentment
| Envy: The Robber of Contentment |
| Written by David Zook |
| Wednesday, 30 September 2009 22:41 |
|
Tucked inside this poll question reveals a bit about the state of your heart. The heart generates desire, motive, intention, and passion. These are good until you begin to focus too much on them, then you become a slave to them. I think that is why God wrote about coveting as the 10th commandment (Exodus 20:17). He knew how our hearts could become imbalanced because of the drive and desire that we have so He wanted to protect us from harm by commanding us not to have obsessive desires. He knew that when obsessive drive kicks in nothing is ever enough. Not enough money, possessions, men, women; not enough victories, not enough "highs". Not enough of not enough. But God in His infinite wisdom, didn't leave it at that. He wrote a prescription to this ailment found in Philippians 4:11-12. Paul reveals the prescription this way, "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." (Philippians 4:12 ESV) How can he write this? Because he learned to be content in any situation, "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." (Philippians 4:11 ESV) In other words, Paul did not wrap up his identity in his situation or the world standards; rather he drew close to God and saw the trappings of the world as just that with zero eternal significance. In other words, Paul valued God's desires for his life more than his own. Our hearts are finicky and conflicted. On one hand we give them to God to allow him to do his will; while at the same time we give them over to our desires. Jeremiah was right when he wrote that our hearts are desperately sick and that we are unable to understand them. (Jeremiah 17:9) As you navigate through your heart's desires may you apply the same prescription that God gave Paul ... not to get to bound up with coveting stuff, but to be content. Â |
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