Good Day, Dear People of God,
When the crawling, inquisitive baby comes to the house it is wise to “baby-proof” it. And so, she did. The woman pushed furniture in front of electrical sockets, rolled and tucked lamp wires out of sight and gathered up anything fragile and placed it high up on the table, out of the reach of little hands and away from little eyes.
Everything that is, but one porcelain figure.
The parents and baby arrived and after a brief conversation the little one was placed on the floor to begin exploring his domain. Toys were spread about and the couples began chatting in earnest, everyone keeping one eye on the precocious child.
The hosts had toys for the baby, and they were strategically placed, but before long, as every parent can imagine, the baby started to make his way for the one figurine that had not been removed.
But this was a vigilant group and before the little one could reach the figure, the father grabbed it and moved it to the table with the other knickknacks. At the same time, the mother swooped up the baby and placed him back in the circle of fun things that were safe for him and from him. A quick survey was made to be sure nothing else had been missed and the adults got back to talking.
But no one had noticed that the boy’s little eyes had carefully watched his father.
Before long there was a crash and when the adults turned in the direction of the noise, there was the baby, the tablecloth draped over his head like an Arab sheik, surrounded by the figurines and other breakables.
The baby was wide-eyed, the damage was limited, and the adults were shocked, but laughed at the persistent little guy.
A scene like this can be entertaining when it involves a child, but it is also revealing, because it illustrates something that is not so entertaining in adults—a spirit of covetousness that leads to discontent.
Sometimes all that is needed to stir up this spirit of covetousness and discontent is to take from us, or place out of our reach, something we think we need and want.
When that spirit gets stirred up in us, we tend to lose sight of the blessings around us, and let the discontent over what we do not or cannot have possess us. We grumble, we fuss, we forget to be thankful, and we are likely to spend our time complaining.
The Scripture has a great antidote for this, as it does for all such things. You read in…
Hebrews 13:5 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.”
No Christian can miss what the Holy Spirit really says to him or her in this passage—“Be content with what you have.”
What do you have?! The LORD God who will never leave you nor forsake you!”
What else do we need? No need to clutch at the tablecloth since there is nothing up there that is better than what we have right here—the faithful communion of the God who has promised to fulfill all our needs through Christ Jesus. Does this mean that we do not make our desires and needs known to Him? Of course not. He wants us to call on Him, but there is a great difference between discontentedly complaining and covetously grasping at things, and submissively praying to the God who loves us to restore what has been lost or to supply what is needed according to His wisdom and grace.
This is something I need to be reminded of every day, and especially under the present circumstances, because I am that little boy on the floor surrounded by blessings, but being tempted to want something else, or something more, than what I have before me.
May the Lord bless you today with the favor of His uncommon and gracious love. May He keep you safe, well and secure in your persons and property for His glory, and may He strengthen your faith and thereby bless you with a rich and peaceful spirit of contentment.
