Below are articles and papers that present biblical arguments for being content with what one has, rather than striving after more. Questions about contentment?
How Much Is Enough?
Ron Blue. Excerpt from a speech delivered at the annual Generous Giving Conference, Phoenix, Ariz., March 1-3, 2001.
“How much is enough?” asks Christian financial planner Ronald Blue in his signature talk at Generous Giving events. As wealth in the United States has gone up, giving has gone down. The problem of giving is not a matter of money but of belief. Do Christians believe what God says about stewardship? The Lord has entrusted us with certain gifts as His stewards. Our finances belong to God and are to be used for His purposes. This means holding our money with an open hand. And this is the key to financial freedom. Our financial decisions ought to take into account the normal path that wealth takes: Men create it, women manage it, and the grandkids dissipate it. So, how much is enough? The answer to that question is found by answering the question: “How much can I hold with an open hand?”
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How Much Is Enough?
Ron Blue. Speech delivered at the annual Generous Giving Conference, Atlanta, Ga., March 2-4, 2000.
The United States makes up 5 percent of the world’s population yet holds between 33 and 50 percent of the world’s wealth. How much is enough? Ron Blue, a Christian financial advisor, calls attention to the fact that with all this wealth, we have a prime opportunity to reach the world for Christ through our giving. But there are many questions to be asked, and the key question is, how much is enough to experience financial freedom? Blue states that the key to financial freedom is the understanding that God owns it all. When we understand this, our fear of loss melts away, our faith increases, and we feel free to give. In order to maximize our giving, we must set goals, or “finish lines.” In spite of our very best intentions, the fact is that we probably will not give unless we plan to give. Blue gives a great amount of pertinent financial advice throughout this speech, and he closes with four challenges: “Don’t miss the opportunity, don’t miss the rewards, don’t miss the joy, and don’t miss the contentment that comes from setting the finish lines.” The only way to be truly content is to give maximally and set goals. Note: No downloadable text or audio is available at this time. However, materials are available for a similar talk.
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The Vow of Simplicity
Richard J. Foster. Chapter in The Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Christian Reflections on Money, Sex & Power. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1989; reprint of “Money, Sex & Power: The Challenge of the Disciplined Life,” 1985.
“We who follow Jesus Christ are called to a vow of simplicity,” says Richard J. Foster, Quaker author and founder of the Renovare church renewal movement. The simple life that Foster advocates should in no way be confused with an unrealistic denial of the complexities of the contemporary world in which we live. Rather, the simple life offers a sophisticated framework for ordering priorities under the lordship of Christ. In this framework, the fatty excesses of earthly extravagance are replaced with a singularity of purpose. Once we are freed from uncertain desires which pull us in so many different directions, we can lock in on what is most satisfying: God himself. After explaining these and other aspects of simplicity, Foster outlines some guidelines for giving that have been successful for others in the past. He concludes the chapter by pointing out the importance teaching children to have a proper perspective of money.
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Psalm 23: A Woman’s Financial Security
Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Speech delivered at the annual Generous Giving Conference, Colorado Springs, Co., April 21-23, 2005.
We often think of the 23rd psalm as providing comfort for the dying. Yet its promises of security and guidance are directed primarily toward the living, says Bible teacher Nancy Leigh DeMoss. We face valleys of deep darkness throughout our lives, and we need to know that Jehovah is our Shepherd. We often turn to jobs, spouses and trust funds to give us security, but none of these can protect us from harm. None of these can provide lasting peace, rest or fulfillment. Only the Lord restores our soul and makes our cup overflow. The Christian life, therefore, is to be marked by “abounding gratitude”—not by complaining, insecurity or stinginess. For, no matter what the situation, “I always have more blessings than prayer requests.” We hold the greatest treasure of all—God’s comforting care. Note: No downloadable text or audio is available at this time.
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The Discipline of Simplicity
Richard J. Foster. Chapter in Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. 20th anniversary ed. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, HarperCollins Publishers, 1998.
Why is life complicated by the very trappings which are supposed to simplify it? Cell phones, cars, houses and six-in-one kitchen utensils that we accumulate in order to pave the way for a stressless road often compound rather than alleviate the anxiety of our lives. In his updated chapter on the discipline of simplicity, Richard Foster, an award-winning Quaker author and founder of the Renovare church renewal movement, reminds us of Christ’s response to the attitude of accumulation: “Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:33). Foster points out that Christ’s requirement—and the simple life—do not entail a plunge into asceticism or a rejection of material blessings. Rather, Christ calls us to a singular love and burglarproof treasure that transcends the deteriorating trinkets of this life. Quoting the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, Foster argues that the only way to have a simple life is to have a single focus: seeking first the kingdom of God. Moreover, Foster recognizes that the value we attribute to our ultimate treasure and real “dream home” must come into outward expression that is tangible. Seeking first the kingdom always has symptoms that can be recognized, like the chicken pox, from the outside. For example, Christian simplicity expresses itself in ways such as thrift, generosity, able enjoyment of others’ blessings, and the rejection of anything that distracts one from his first love: the Lord Jesus Christ. These virtues characterize the discipline of simplicity.
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Simplicity
Amy Kuriyan. Friends Focus (May 2003).
God wants us to be simple people—not simple as in ignorant or naïve, but simple as in single-minded, not distracted by many things. Simplicity by this definition is “an ordering of our inward self,” “the arrangement of life around a few consistent purposes.” Thus, inner simplicity comes from pursuing only one object—God’s kingdom and His glory—rather than worrying about many things. Kuriyan records three ways that inner simplicity leads to outward simplicity: in our material possessions, in our speech and in our giving. Note: No downloadable text or audio is available at this time.
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Simplicity
M. Patrick Joshua. Friends Focus (May 2003).
François Fenelon, a churchman of the 17th century, called simplicity “the pearl of the gospel.” It is a spiritual discipline taught in Scripture, practiced by the early church, and followed by the most remembered saints of our time. M. Patrick Joshua lays out three biblical reasons to pursue simplicity and seven practical suggestions for implementing it. He weaves quotes and stories of sacrificial Christians such as David Livingston, Jim Elliot and Francis of Assisi into his message to draw a winsome picture of the simple lifestyle. Note: No downloadable text or audio is available at this time.
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Generous Living: Finding Contentment through Giving
Ron Blue. Speech delivered at the annual Generous Giving Conference, Atlanta, Ga., January 14-15, 1999.
We have an opportunity in America today to give like never before. Don’t miss the opportunity to give ... don’t miss the opportunity for contentment. By giving to the Lord’s work, we set our hearts on heaven, and we lose fear and grow in faith. In giving we find contentment. Christian financial advisor Ron Blue offers five reasons for giving: (1) we give out of obedience, (2) we give expecting promised rewards, (3) we give in recognition of God’s ownership and provision, (4) we give in order to gain an eternal perspective, and (5) we give because the love of God compels us.
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When Is Enough Enough?
Dwight Perry. Speech delivered at the Bethlehem Conference for Pastors, Minneapolis, Minn., February 2-4, 2004.
In a culture that idolizes the gathering of material possessions, we can never have “enough.” But in the kingdom of God, the riches of Christ are enough to satisfy every need we will ever have. Dwight Perry professor of pastoral studies at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, enthusiastically unpacks the apostle Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 6. He tells us that God will always supply what we need—and all we need are the riches of Christ. If we come to a place where we are pursuing other things more than God, we are very close to destruction. Perry reminds us that no matter how good money looks, it is uncertain and unstable—God alone is certain, stable and the only One in whom we can put our confidence. “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (v. 6). Note: No downloadable text or audio is available at this time.
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Living in a Material World: Why It Will Never Satisfy the Longings of the Soul
R. Ruth Barton. Today’s Christian Woman, May/June 1997.
No matter how much we buy, there is always plenty more that we can want. We live in the never-enough world, where the myth of materialism is preached as though it were gospel. Nearly every time we open a magazine, turn on the television, or talk to a neighbor, we’re bombarded with the message that material things provide the answers to life’s basic questions. “How do I find peace of mind?” Buy more insurance. “How do I show someone how much I love them?” Send a greeting card. “What do I do when the going gets tough?” Go shopping, of course. But contrary to the myth of materialism, it isn’t the ones who die with the most toys who win. It’s those who’ve loved their families well and know the joy of having that love returned. It’s those who’ve known what it is to spend their lives for a purpose greater than themselves. It’s those who’ve known their God and look forward to eternity with Him.
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Word to the Wealthy
John MacArthur. Grace to You, May 27, 2003.
Promoting everything from beer to soap, advertisers entice you to buy their products by creating discontentment: If you just buy the fancy car, the elaborate entertainment center or the designer outfit, you’ll be satisfied. In any case, they don’t want you to remain content with what you already have. Not surprisingly, most people aren’t. In this article, MacArthur addresses this struggle, pointing out that because of the sinful state of man’s heart, one can easily see why managing one’s money and possessions is a struggle, even for Christians. What do you do with it? How should you invest it? How should you spend it? According to MacArthur, the way you answer these questions tells a lot about your spiritual maturity.
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Being Content
Larry Burkett. New Directions For Living, no. 4.
Contentment: Everyone searches for it, yet few find it. The president of Crown Financial Ministries delves into this much pondered topic: If money can’t buy it and poverty doesn’t provide it, what is contentment? How do we find it?
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The Culture of the Market: A Christian Vision: A Coptic Bishop Explains Biblical Economics to a Muslim Newspaper
Musa el-Baramousy. Al-Shaab newspaper, Cairo, Egypt, December 3, 1999; rpt. Christianity Today, December 20, 1999.
Bishop Musa, considered to be one of the most evangelical among the Coptic Orthodox bishops, provides the biblical view of money and shows how a materialistic culture can dangerously seep the spiritual life out of a society. What is needed is the minimum necessity to support life, not extravagance because, “Whereas she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives” and “There is great gain in godliness with contentment” (1 Timothy 5:6). It is obvious that the love of money leads man to the materialistic culture and makes him to neglect the development of his mind and spirit. The West and especially America—the leader of the world through its scientific, military, economic, media and technological predomination—has deteriorated from the level of spirit and reason to focusing almost exclusively on the level of the body.
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Trapped in the Cult of the Next Thing: If Ever There Was a Cult That Gave Us Stones When We Asked for Bread, This Is It
Mark Buchanan. Christianity Today, September 6, 1999.
“The Cult of the Next Thing” drives the market: It is the principle that we need something bigger, faster and better than we currently have. Its central message proclaims, “Crave and spend, for the Kingdom of Stuff is here.” Christians should indeed find this mentality deeply troublesome and seek to find ways to combat it in their lives. The life of simplicity provides a healthy alternative to the hurried bustle of modern life. Simplicity at its heart is being content with God. Simplicity recognizes that we need to learn to be silent, to listen to the call of God. Moses and Nehemiah remind us that we sometimes must flee from materially prosperous circumstances to commune with God. This essay won first place in Christianity Today’s Faith and Consumerism Writing Contest.
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A Proper Perspective on Money
Mark Long. TheGoodSteward.com, August 6, 2000.
This article is a brief overview of the Bible’s perspective on money. Money is not a necessary evil, but our attitude toward it does reflect our attitude toward God. Whatever money there is in the world all belongs to God; we are His servants who have been given a trust; and we need to look after that which God has entrusted to us. From this relationship comes a simple message relating to financial management. Be content and live within your means.
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Clearing the Confusion: Viewing Money through a Biblical Lens Brings Contentment into Focus
Thomas Addington & Stephen Graves. The Life@Work Journal 3, no. 3 (May/June 2000).
There has never been a time in recorded history when wealth has grown more quickly and for more people than it does today. In a time of such economic prosperity, it is challenging for even the most devoted followers of Jesus to maintain a healthy perspective on wealth and money. The church should be leading the way, guiding believers toward a balanced biblical understanding of wealth. But aside from an occasional sermon on tithing, the pulpits of America haven't provided much assistance to people who sincerely want to handle their money in a biblically based manner. This needs to change, argue the founding editors of The Life@Work Journal. Note: No downloadable text or audio is available at this time.
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