Robert Hatfield

Some things never say “that’s enough.” They just keep taking and taking; they are never satisfied. The Bible gives us an example of one such creature – the leech – and then offers four more examples of things that never say, “Enough.”

The leech has two daughters—
Give and Give!
There are three things that are never satisfied,
Four never say, “Enough!”:
The grave,
The barren womb,
The earth that is not satisfied with water—
And the fire never says, “Enough!” (Prov. 30:15-16).

A leech only takes. And it takes, and it takes. It is never satisfied! The Bible says that its daughters are “Give and Give.” In other words, they only want more. Further, the grave, the barren womb, the earth and its relationship to water, and fire are four more examples of things that are never satisfied. You know, a fire will continue to take wood as long as you continue to feed it wood. It’s never satisfied!

If we aren’t careful, we can become people who are never satisfied. Sin will make us that way. Is there anything wrong with things? Not until those things begin to rule our lives. The same goes for money (1 Tim. 6 will tell you all about that).

That’s why learning contentment is so important.

Yesterday, we noted Philippians 4 where Paul states that he had learned to be content in whatever circumstance life threw at him. He realized each day’s blessings. He recognized that God gives us every good gift. He had a relationship with Christ, and continually reminded himself of his focus. He repressed self-centeredness, substituting it with godliness. That’s contentment, and that’s what it takes to learn contentment.

As we go through life, we have to be on constant watch for the leeches. We can become addicted to something – yes, it could be drugs or alcohol, but it could also be something like TV or the Internet – and, almost before we realize it, we’re hooked to a leech. We become covetous or jealous or lazy or rebellious, and all of these things can become leeches to our souls; they’re never satisfied, always taking.

Let’s wrap it up: No one has to go on living an insatiable life. Real satisfaction is available! Jesus says that the truth can set you free from the leeches of life (John 8:32). You can truly be satisfied in Him.

So, today, I want us to conclude these thoughts together by considering Hebrews 13:5-6:

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say:
“The LORD is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

[divider]

 This is a partial transcript from my weekday podcast, The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ created in each of us as Christians. A new episode is available each Monday through Friday on The Light Network. Click here to see all of the episodes.

Webster defines contentment as “the state of being happy and satisfied.” But is that even possible in today’s world? It’s not only possible, it’s a spiritual necessity.

In Philippians 4, Paul says that he is content. As you and I well know, Paul didn’t live a life of ease and luxury. In 2 Corinthians 11, he describes times when he was beaten, in perils, sleepless, hungry and thirsty, and even naked! How could this man actually say that he was content?!

Paul teaches us that contentment is learned behavior. He says, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Phil. 4:11). So contentment is a choice that we make. And we can choose contentment regardless of life’s circumstances.

How can we learn contentment?

Contentment comes from at least five vital mindsets.

1. Contentment comes from a REALIZATION of each day’s blessings.

Remember how Jesus taught us to thank God for our “daily bread” (Mat. 6:11)? We have something for which to be thankful every day.

2. Contentment comes from a RECOGNITION of the Giver of all good gifts.

James 1:17 states that everything comes from God. Paul asked, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor. 4:7).

3. Contentment comes from a RELATIONSHIP with Christ.

In Philippians 4, Paul points to the One Who made his contentment possible. He says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). His ability to endure hardships came from his trust in Jesus.

4. Contentment comes from a REMINDER of our focus.

If your treasures are here, then your reward is here and, thus, your heart is set here. But if you treasures are in heaven, then your heart’s focus is there and, consequently, that’s where your reward is (Mat. 6:19-21). We need that regular reminder of where our focus should be. Paul said, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).

5. Contentment comes from a REPRESSION of self-centeredness.

You’ll never be content if your self absorbed. That’s why Paul wrote to Timothy that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6), and “having food and clothing, with these we shall be content” (1 Tim. 6:8). He’s talking about a frame of mind that views one’s lot as enough. God has supplied everything that I need, therefore I can be content.

Let’s wrap it up: Contentment does not mean that we can’t strive for better. There’s contentment and then there’s complacency. We shouldn’t confuse the two. It is contentment that can look at life – even though things aren’t going the way that you wish they would – and still see the good that God gives in it. A contented person is the one who can truly say, “It is well, it is well with my soul.”

[divider]

 This is a partial transcript from my weekday podcast, The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ created in each of us as Christians. A new episode is available each Monday through Friday on The Light Network. Click here to see all of the episodes.

O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water (Psa. 63:1).

Our world affords many, many comforts. If you’re a citizen of the United States of America, then you are among the richest people in the world – regardless of how much money is in your bank account. And yet, even with all of the blessings that this life can give, we are nothing without God.

The Psalmist said that he lived in a dry and thirsty land. When we look at our world through the lens of Scripture, then we will recognize that we live in a dry and thirsty land, too. Sure, sin offers some pleasures, but they’re brief and passing (Heb. 11:25). They don’t really satisfy. That’s why Jesus said that we should hunger and thirst for righteousness (Mat. 5:6).

“Hunger and thirst” describes an intense desire that we have. So, we are to desire righteousness – and that’s something that only God can give.

Speaking of desires, in 1 John 2:15-17 John describes three desires that the tempter uses to draw us away from righteousness: the lust (or desire) of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These three desires are “not of the Father but … of the world.” They teach me a valuable lesson, though, as I strive to be like the person Jesus described in Matthew 5:6, one who hungers and thirsts after righteousness. Here’s the lesson: I may have to stop loving some things and start loving other things.

See, I live in a dry and thirsty land. There is no nourishment without God’s provided necessities. There is no hope without God’s hand of grace. Jesus knew that. That’s why He said in John 4:34: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”

When our appetites, or desires, recognize that there is no true life without God, then we are ready to receive the complete satisfaction that He promises. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” That word “filled” refers to complete satisfaction of spiritual hunger and thirst. The world can never satisfy. Only God can satisfy the human soul.

Let’s wrap it up: Ultimately, we do what we want to do, don’t we? If we want to know God’s will, we will. If we want to do God’s will, we will. It’s going to take effort and deliberate choices, but you can do it. You can hunger and thirst for righteousness, and, when you do, you will be filled.

I don’t think it’s true, but there’s a story about the great artist Michelangelo. He, of course, sculpted the statue of David that is on display in Florence, Italy. As the story goes, someone once asked Michelangelo, “How did you create such an amazing statue from a piece of ugly stone?” The artist replied, “I just chipped away the parts that weren’t David.”

If you want to change your desires, you’ll do the same. Get rid of, chip away, the parts that aren’t Christ-like, and hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness.

[divider]

 This is a partial transcript from my weekday podcast, The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ created in each of us as Christians. A new episode is available each Monday through Friday on The Light Network. Click here to see all of the episodes.

Have you ever eaten or drank something that didn’t really satisfy your need? I have been really thirsty before and have reached for my old go-to beverage of choice, a Mello Yello. The only problem was, that soda didn’t really satisfy my thirst. In some cases, it made me even more thirsty!

Sin is like that, isn’t it? Its possibilities are enticing – pleasure, power, fortune, or fame – so you give in, only to find that it didn’t satisfy. It left you feeling worse than you did before.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Mat. 5:6). Psalm 119:172 reminds us that God’s commandments are righteousness. So Jesus is saying that we should crave God’s commands. Our appetite should center on doing right.

How can I reset my appetite to crave God’s righteousness? This may surprise you, but it begins by taking off your grave clothes.

Are you confused? Let me explain.

In John chapter eleven, Jesus is in Bethany where his friend, Lazarus, has died just a few days before He arrived. But an amazing miracle is about to take place here. You know what happens, don’t you? Jesus says, “Lazarus, come forth!”

And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44).

Lazarus was resurrected from the grave! Amazing! However, there was still some evidence that he had once been dead, wasn’t there? Jesus told the observers to “loose him” from his grave clothes.

Sometimes, we need to be reminded to get rid of our grave clothes. Romans 6:4 puts it this way:

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

When we’re immersed in water, we are united with Christ’s death and burial. His blood cleanses us and we are forgiven of our past sins. When we come up out of the water, we are united in His resurrection. We now have a responsibility to “walk in newness of life.” The difficulty lies in the fact that we were once dead. We’re not dead anymore. We’ve been made spiritually alive by God’s grace and our obedient faith (Eph. 2:1-5). However, the fact remains that we used to be spiritually dead. Sometimes, we forget to take off the grave clothes.

Let’s wrap it up: Do you want to change your desires so that they seek God’s Will? It’s going to begin by taking off the grave clothes. Get rid of everything in your life that brings out the old you, and accentuate everything in your life that promotes the new you. Only then will you find true satisfaction and fulfillment.

[divider]

 This is a partial transcript from my weekday podcast, The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ created in each of us as Christians. A new episode is available each Monday through Friday on The Light Network. Click here to see all of the episodes.

I recently read about a man who was traveling in Brazil and happened upon a Brazilian religious festival. He perused all of the festivities surrounding the festival and came to an area with venders in their different booths. He noticed a booth that was selling religious-themed goods at low prices. The sign over that particular booth read, “Cheap crosses.”

That’s what we’re looking for sometimes, isn’t it? We look for the cheap crosses. We try to find ways to squeak into heaven, turning Christianity into a checklist religion rather than an obedient faith that responds to God’s amazing grace, mercy, and love. We try to find ways to water down the gospel so that we can justify our shortcomings and transgressions. We look for the easy way out, that path of least resistance, that will not call upon us to go outside of our comfort zones and that will not force us to go against the grain of our culture.

All the while, Jesus says this:

If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? (Luke 9:23-25).

Just as Jesus bore a cross for us, so we are called to bear a cross for Him. This is a Christian’s daily activity.

Jesus’ cross wasn’t cheap, was it? Peter says that we were bought with “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:19). That’s the blood of the “only begotten Son” of God (John 3:16). That’s no cheap cross.

Let’s wrap it up: Why would we expect our crosses to be cheap? Jesus gave His life for us, and He calls us to give our lives to Him. Why would we expect anything different? The Christian is called to fully surrender to the Lord. He surrenders his life, his will, his interests, his pleasures, his thoughts, and his speech to Jesus. “It is no longer I who live,” Paul wrote, “but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

This is the season of giving! Or, is it getting? Sometimes I’m not sure.

I’m a huge fan of Christmas. I love the gifts, the decorations, and all of the festivities. However, I do believe that we – especially us Americans – need to exercise caution not to become too materialistic this time of year.

In Acts 20:35, Paul reminded the Ephesian elders about the words of Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Interestingly, this is the only time that we read these words of our Lord. I’m thankful that Paul cited them so we could have them for all the ages. Let’s notice three points about this passage: the example, the expectation, and the experience of giving.

1. The Example of Paul

In Acts 20:34, Paul states that he had worked hard to provide for his own necessities so that he would not be a burden on the Lord’s church. As such, Paul provides a wonderful example for you and me. Let’s work to serve others instead of sitting by and waiting on others to serve us. Which leads us to the second observation.

2. The Expectation of the Church

Paul makes it clear that God expects all Christians to look for ways to serve each other – especially when it comes to spiritual needs. He says, “you must support the weak” (Acts 20:35). Galatians 6:1-2 is a parallel passage, which tells us to bear one another’s burdens, or trespasses. We are to help each other, walking with each other to remain faithful together. Camaraderie is an amazing gift you can give.

3. The Experience of Giving

Let’s focus in on Jesus’ words that Paul quotes. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Paul called on the elders to “remember the words of the Lord Jesus.” That word “remember” means to constantly call to mind.

Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give…” (Acts 20:35). That word “blessed” refers to a higher, deeper, and fuller experience than mere happiness. Gareth L. Reese, in his commentary on Acts, says this on page 757:

There is a deep sense of blessedness that is experienced by the man who gives! There is a more lasting satisfaction resulting from being one who gives, than there is in being one who simply gets.

The word “give” is given in the present tense form in the original language. It could be translated, “constantly giving.” Wayne Jackson says that the sense is this: “Happier is the one who consistently practices giving, than is he who constantly receives” (Acts: From Jerusalem to Rome, page 263).

Let’s wrap it up: Paul’s words from Christ are, of course, absolutely true. The one who gives is absolutely blessed. He or she finds a deep sense of satisfaction and joy in giving that just cannot be found in receiving. Sure, receiving brings gratitude and it ties us together as people, but giving reminds us that what we have is from God; it’s not ours to begin with! This helps us to avoid selfishness and greed. Giving helps us to become more godly as we consider our heavenly Father who gave His only begotten Son for us.