We live in a world full of discontented people, even though we are all surrounded by innumerable blessings. Why is that? Perhaps the answer lies in the definition the world gives for contentment--"a feeling of satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). That might feel like a solid definition, but the unfortunate reality is that feelings are fleeting, especially when they are based on temporary things like possessions that break and decay. Status that depends on the ever-changing whims of the majority, and situations that ebb and flow like the ocean's tides.

So, defining contentment in this way sets us up for failure if we are hoping for long-term contentment. We find our possessions decaying, our status dwindling, and our situation deteriorating, and so our feeling of satisfaction is bound to dissipate if our focus is on those things. We will thus strive after new possessions to replace the old ones. New experiences to regain relevance and status, and new opportunities that will help us maintain our current situation... all so we can regain that feeling of satisfaction.

All this pursuit of "contentment", which is really just feeling-chasing, ironically leaves us feeling discontent -- the very thing we wanted to avoid. 

I recently stumbled upon a much more promising definition of biblical contentment while reading and meditating on Hebrews 13.5, which says, "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (ESV)

I found this in reference to the Greek word translated as "be content":

**ἀρκέω:** *verb* -- be content, be enough, suffice. Apparently a primary verb (but probably akin to [αἴρω](https://biblehub.com/greek/142.htm) through the idea of **raising a barrier**); properly, **to ward off**, i.e. (by implication) to avail (figuratively, be satisfactory) -- be content, be enough, suffice, be sufficient. (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance)

Perhaps what the writer of Hebrews is saying is that true contentment, then, can be seen as more than just enjoying a feeling of satisfaction about our current circumstances. Perhaps he is saying there is a “proactive”, “intentional” component involved in long-term contentment.

This idea of raising a barrier to ward off temptation reminds me of visiting my grandmother for lunch as a kid. In true grandmotherly fashion, my sweet Nanny would continue to push mounds of food in front of me, even though I was clearly already stuffed to the gills. Those conversations would usually go like this:

"More chicken, sweetie?"

"No, thank you."

"How about another roll?"

"I'm good, but thanks."

"Now you know you want some more green beans..."

"Seriously, I can't eat another bite."

This would go on for some time before she would eventually switch tactics to a less subtle approach. She would walk in with a massive slice of her signature chocolate pie and wave it in front of my nose to tempt me, until finally I would have to raise up the barrier of my hand and sternly declare, "Nanny, I am completely full. Please, I've had enough," warding off her mercilessly delicious wares (along with the bellyache that was sure to follow if I succumbed) and pushing the plate far away.

True biblical contentment, then, can be defined as **raising up a barrier against the temptation to take something "better" than what you already have, thus warding off unhelpful and potentially dangerous desires.  

Certainly, we see examples all throughout the Bible of people who failed to ward off that which was offered to them as better than what they already had, and we see the disastrous consequences that come from those failures. Of all those examples, though, Adam and Eve--the very first humans--offer up a perfect example of what can go wrong when we don't take a proactive, intentional approach in how we view our possessions, status, and circumstances. 

In Genesis 3, the serpent proposed to Eve the idea that God was holding out on her, and even lying to her, by saying she would die if she ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And Eve fell for the deception. The serpent's offer appealed to Eve as being "good for food", "a delight to the eyes", and "was desired to make one wise" (v. 6).  But the most deceptive part of the serpent's proposal was that Eve already had all these things **all around** her: plenty of beautiful trees that were filled with good food to eat and were a delight to the eyes that were provided by God (Gen 2:9), as well as being in the presence of God, the One who gives wisdom generously to all who ask (James 1:5). Eve already had access to the things she desired, and yet she was fixated on something she saw as being "better". So, she and her husband saw, they took, and they did what was right in their own estimation. The results were tragic.

Of course, not everything that is offered to us as "better" is a direct violation of God's commands. There are plenty of things in this world that are harmless, or maybe even good for us, in isolation. But the insidiousness of discontent is that the things of this world don't exist in isolation, and as we obtain more and more, the small weights of each desire add up to an overwhelming burden that can eventually crush us spiritually, as today's wants become tomorrow's needs. That result is just as tragic as the fates of Adam and Eve.

How can we maintain contentment, then? Certainly, in the middle of being tempted to obtain more, we can stop to evaluate and recognize that the cost of obtaining "just one more" often outweighs any gains experienced by obtaining it. But if we're being honest with ourselves, most of us are rarely that objective and level-headed in the heat of the moment. However, if we are willing to prepare ahead, it's much easier to avoid the temptation in the first place by putting up barriers in our lives to avoid seeing it altogether.

If that means we need to schedule times to turn off the TV, close our laptops, or sign off from social media, putting up those barriers is a small price to pay to ward off the temptations by advertisers, influencers, and even our friends and family to obtain something "better" than what we already have.

Actions like those will dramatically increase our chances at true, long-term contentment.

The recent tragic events involving airplanes and air travel, combined with the snowstorm Wednesday, brought to memory a compelling story from a few years ago involving a family who dropped everything, going not knowing, walking by faith, trusting God and his people all for the sake of helping a fatherless child.

Their story has taught many and served as another example continuing the inspired stories and examples from the Bible itself.

Late on a Friday afternoon in mid-December, Laura answered a call. “There’s a baby that has just been born in Los Angeles.” The caller paused…” Okay…” was the only reply. “Are you and Nick still willing to go?”

The “still willing” reflected this “possibility” in a call from a month ago. When the possibility was shared, Laura and her husband Nick said, “Yes…if needed we would love to help this child and her mother.” At the time it was just a hypothetical. This day, this call was for real.

Laura’s answer was the same, “Yes…let me call Nick. He’s driving home from work right now.” That call took maybe three minutes. Sometimes life-changing decisions happen and are made this fast. They reflect, however, a mindset and resolution that took place long before the moment of decision appears.

Laura returned the call within half an hour. “Nick says yes! We’re making calls and working on everything right now. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.”

Two hours later, Laura called again. “We’re in the car heading to the Denver airport. There’s a winter storm coming in. I think we got the last flight out before they close everything down.” It was an amazing accomplishment to have made all the arrangements necessary to drop everything, including finding a member of the church that lived nearby to take care of their three-year-old daughter for an unknow period of time. Nick made arrangements with his employer, they called brothers and sisters for prayers and of course all the packing for a journey that only had a point of entry and no other details about who, where, what or for how long they were going or staying.

In fact we have “special forces”, first responder couples in our midst who have done very similar things in a moments notice.

As Nick and Laura drove in the snow, there were a few answers she still needed to hear. It started with the one thing they did know, “We’re flying into LAX.” Where are we going from there? What hospital is the mother and baby at? Where will we stay? Any idea of how the mother is doing or how long we might be at the hospital?” Laura hoped to hear details on all these questions, but all she heard was, “I’ll figure that out while you’re in the air.”

Flying into the storm, going not knowing, walking in faith, practicing pure religion by caring for the fatherless. Depending on God’s providence through his people, relying on answered prayers and answering the call. We call people that GO on a moment’s notice, “Seal Team Six” couples.

The Bible has recorded many “Special Forces” people. Abram, who left his homeland in faith, going not knowing. Joshua and Caleb who trusted God in spite of everyone else’s fear, Rahab, who took the risk to hide the spies because of her belief that Jehovah would destroy her city while protecting her life by cooperating with his people. Abraham, when he received the shocking call to sacrifice his son, did not delay but rose the next morning and left for Moriah. There was also Noah who grabbed his tools and began building a boat.

There are so many more as you may be thinking of now but for me these stories touch home with Isaiah’s response to God’s need and God’s call, “Here am I, send me!”

We, individually and collectively, as God’s “called out” people have a calling. To go, to serve, to make disciples, to care, to have an answer for our hope, to teach and edify, to be a light to the world. Not all calls are as dramatic as Nick and Laura’s but their answering their call began by being prepared in many different ways.

We will, Lord willing, have many ways to serve and answer calls this year at Veteran’s Parkway. Let’s get ready to say, “Here am I send me.”

Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell the story.

He was rich, he was young, and he wanted to inherit eternal life. All good things, right? All things we’d like to be and do.

From each of the three synoptic accounts the conversation couldn’t have taken more than 15 minutes. Yet the implications and significance of these interlocutors is vast and the subject of this consideration.

When Jesus asked, “Why do you call me good?” It is a good example of a phrase that can take on several different emphases depending on which of four key words are emphasized.

Here’s what I mean: each emphasis added.

“WHY…do you call me good”

“Why do…YOU call me good?”

“Why do you call…ME good?”

“Why do you call me…GOOD?”

Each emphasis probes a reason and focus of the young man’s question.

Let’s focus the last emphasis GOOD. God and God only is GOOD.

Objectively good

Consistently good

Uniquely good

A GOOD teacher can only teach what is GOOD and show what is GOOD

That is, if we reflect on how Jesus answers, exactly what he did. Jesus told the wealthy young man what “pure religion” the kind of “GOOD” God accepts and the kind of good the young man was trying to practice looks like.

We are all familiar with the phrase, “God is Good.” One of the many “God is…” declarations: Holy, Light, Love, Just…etc.

God told His people under the old law, “⁴⁴ For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy” Be HOLY…because I am HOLY.” Israel reflects God’s holy nature into their world among the nations.

Peter repeats the admonition, “¹⁵ but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

Being “image” bearing people means we reflect, we manifest, we demonstrate God’s character, attributes, holiness into the world, as fallen as it is.

Only God is good, Keeping the commandments is good, being good and complete includes more than personal purity, piety and what we DON’T DO. Holiness, like God is holy, perfection and completeness like God also involves helping others in need. It involves what we SHOULD do as much as what we SHOULDN’T do.

This is a perfect example of what James [the Lord’s brother] describes as “pure religion that God accepts” in James 1:27.

1. Keep yourself unspotted from the world. What we DON’T do.
2. Visit the fatherless and the widow” What we SHOULD do.

These are the two “wings of faith” that is alive not dead. Faith that thrives instead of faith that is useless.

God calls us to be holy and good. If we want to think of this call as being religious, then we must practice the religion that God accepts…not any other form or practice of man-made religion.

Coming back to Peter in closing, he gives his first century audience and us as well two important reminders,

¹² having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” 1 Peter 2:12 and

¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” 1 Peter 2:15

When Christ returns it is the “goodness” of God’s people reflected and manifested into the world that will judge men, not some particular religious tradition, practice, denomination, or secret knowledge. The world will be convicted, judged and sentenced because they rejected, they walked away from goodness, holiness, justice and compassion.

We need to examine ourselves CAREFULLY that we don’t “justify” ourselves simply by what we DON’T do.

This is why and when there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” They did not do “GOOD” to the least of these. But they thought they were unspotted.