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NASB | Hebrews 13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 13:5 Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed--be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, "I WILL NEVER [under any circumstances] DESERT YOU [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], NOR WILL I FORSAKE or LET YOU DOWN or RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU [assuredly not]!" [Josh 1:5] |
Subject: The Contented Man |
Bible Note: Dear Brother WOS, That's a good point. We ought to compare and contrast contentment and complacency. A lack of contentment is rooted in the sin of covetousness, a violation of the tenth commandment. It is a continual desire for possessions beyond what we now have. We tend to think of covetousness as avarice or cupidity. However, I think that we tend to think of violations of the commands of God as only being such if they are "extreme." We know, of course, that the holiness of God brooks no such rationalizations. On the other hand, we tend to get confused because we don't properly distinguish between the temporal and eternal. Is it right for me to be content with the things I own in this world? Yes. Is it right for me to be content with the degree to which I am walking in obedience to the Lord, loving Him, and striving to be like Him? No. We should have a continuous hunger for the things of God (Psalm 42:1). We should be willing to give up everything, to obtain the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:44). Indeed, we should be "violent" in the pursuit of it (Matthew 11:12). Complacency, in my opinion, is often a cover for laziness. I even sense this in myself! To the degree that we understand what God has given us, to that degree we will desire Him (Luke 7:40-50). Consequently, we do well to meditate on our own desperate depravity and the incredible holiness of God. There's my two cents. :-) In Him, Doc |