“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He himself has said, ‘I will never forsake you,’ so that we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:5
Today’s passage reminds us that a believer’s contentment is not found in money or possessions, but in a person—Jesus Christ. You see, contentment is not something we can muster up. It’s a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, who resides within every believer.
Being content with what you have and relying on the Holy Spirit go hand-in-hand, even in difficult circumstances. We can trust Jesus to work for us in any situation. Our peace and provisions are not dependent on outward conditions. Remember, Hebrews was written to people who were losing their homes and jobs because of their belief in Jesus. Yet, the writer tells them to be content because “The Lord is [their] helper.”
When we realize that Jesus is enough, we can rest in Him without fear. People may be able to take your house, your job, and your money but they cannot take your soul. That’s why Jesus said, “Do not fear those who can kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
When we’re free from the love of money, then we’re also free to enjoy the sufficiency of God’s grace. This delivers us from the tyranny of the temporary in order to enjoy the treasury of the eternal.
The puritan preacher, Jeremiah Burroughs, gives a great description of contentment. He said, “Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.” That doesn’t mean we should accept unsatisfactory conditions. It does mean, however, that we can find satisfaction in the sufficiency of Christ, even while those conditions linger.