December 2002
During the past 10 years of my married life, my contentment during the holidays has been at a myriad of different levels. For many years, unfortunately, my level of contentment was based on our family’s financial situation. There have been some great financial years and some not-so-great and everything in between.
Obviously we know that Christmas is the celebration of our Lord and Savior Jesus’ birth. But many worldly pressures also accompany the holidays. Financial insecurity during any other time of the year seems somewhat bearable. But come the holidays and that insecurity becomes miserable. I’ve had the privilege of talking to many of you over the past weeks as the holidays approach and some of us have been blessed this year financially and others of us are hanging on by a thread it seems.
I think this article is supposed to encourage those hanging on to that slightest thread. Last week my pastor spoke on how we suffer and through our endurance of the trials we can seek and receive the Lord’s comfort. Then we are able to comfort others based upon the comfort we’ve received and what we’ve learned. I’m hoping that what I share will bring a measure of comfort.
As I mentioned, my contentment for many years rested in our financial situation, until a few years ago when Jeff and I went through a very rough financial time. Really rough. The on-the-verge-of-losing-everything-we-owned type of rough. In fact, I still look back at that time and can’t believe we didn’t lose it all and I can only look to God for the answer as to why we didn’t. It is a long and painful story with a happy ending.
As a believer I should have known that my contentment should rest in our Lord, but I couldn’t see past our financial instability. The Lord knew it and He, in His ultimate wisdom, allowed me to experience the detriment of that thinking. With His ultimate love and mercy He allowed me to go through it right up to my breaking point and then He began to restore me and renew my thinking.
I don’t know about you, but while I was going through this situation I found it very difficult to make sense of it all. It took awhile for me to “get it.” I didn’t need a lot of money, just enough to get by from month to month. I didn’t crave or worship money. Or did I?? If my security was wrapped up in making it financially month to month and I didn’t look first to the Lord for my provision, security and contentment, wasn’t that a type of worship? I was stubborn, but I finally came to the conclusion that it was a type of worship and I had to repent of that very thing.
Philippians 4:11-13 ~ …for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
This was one of my daily Scriptures after I’d decided I needed to change my outlook. Paul understood what I felt and I had an incredible desire to imitate him, because I knew he was imitating our Lord. I like how the Scripture says, “I have learned the secret of being content in every situation.” It does seem like a secret. The more I seemed to grasp for contentment, the more it slipped away. Until I learned the secret. A secret the world doesn’t know. A secret that the Lord reveals only when you put your trust in Him.
That’s all it took. From the moment I did that – giving everything in my life, including relinquishing my husband and daughter and everything I owned, into the hands of the Lord at an early morning hour in May 1998 – the Lord gave me a place to rest in Him. From that moment on, still to this day, I have not cried a tear of worry or fear regarding our finances. And things did not turn around for us overnight. It took a couple of years. My financial stressors had not changed, but the Lord had changed my outlook and my heart. The Lord gave me hope. And I will be forever grateful to Him.
For those of you having a great financial year, with no stress about where you’re going to live tomorrow or if you’re going to be able to feed your children, I pray that you have given everything you own and everyone in your life to the Lord. I’ve learned that “financial stability” is a misnomer. It takes very little to change our financial circumstances, where all of our savings is gone and we are wondering what happened. The only stability comes from the Lord.
I tell you there is hope when you empty yourself at the feet of the Lord. This goes beyond what you did for your salvation. Give Him everything and He will give you the greatest peace and contentment you’ve ever known.
One last scripture that reminded me where I was to be…with Him! Matthew 11:28-30 ~ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Maybe "finances" is not your button. Maybe there is another button that the enemy sees in you that he can push to the limit and cause your discontent. This Scripture works for you as well. Cast your burdens away. Take on His yoke. Cling to nothing, but Jesus.
I pray that this season the Holy Spirit will make us each aware of the worldly things that give us false contentment and that we would run to our Lord for the contentment only He can bring into our lives. Please keep all of the DCHEA families in your prayers. This will be an especially trying month for many of them. If you see a need, ask the Lord where you can help fill it -- whether through prayer, time or money. What a blessing we can be to others.
~ Peace to all of you through Jesus during this beautiful season of the year…In His Love and Service, Traci J