Contentment

 Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. 

These are the word of Jesus himself in Luke 12:15. I think, generally, we know these scriptures and the principle of living within our means, but how often are we swayed by popular culture? We live in a culture that quite literally screams: “You are what you own!“ Our identity and worth is somehow placed within the objects that we possess (e.g. the house, the cars, the clothes, the shoes, the stuff). Now, I don’t think God is against us having nice things, but he is against the things having us. 

“Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).

Another verse I really like is Proverbs 13:7: “One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.”

Many of you know my husband and I live in a tiny house. Our entire house is 420 square feet. We have a full size living room, kitchen and bathroom on the bottom level. And then our bed and closet / storage is in the upstairs loft. It may seem small, but I can honestly say I have never felt that I have lacked anything. We have everything we need, and what we have, we use. It doesn’t even feel like a sacrifice, in fact, I feel more blessed and content and secure in a space than I ever have been. Sure, my closet is only so large and sometimes I hit my head on the loft ceiling or stumble down the 10 foot ladder in the morning…but it is developing a spiritual principle in me that is way more important than any small hindrances.

My husband and I have to be very intentional about what we buy and bring into our home, because quite frankly, we don’t have room for things that we don’t use or find value in. Our house is not a storage container, it’s a home…where we live and breathe and entertain and commune with others. Because, in the end, what really matters is the love we have and the relationships we build. I think we chase after stuff to fulfill because 1) it’s fast and easy pleasure, and 2) we have a deficit in other areas. God promises to supply all our needs through the abundance in Jesus (see Philippians 4:19), and so I choose to live a thankful life, knowing that who I am is not defined by what I have or can acquire by my own means. Rather, who I am is a daughter of the richest and most abundant King in all existence, and He is my source of true contentment.

Amen & amen.