When I was younger, and without Jesus, I really struggled with longing after the wrong things in life.  My appetites just could not be satisfied and led me down the wrong paths taking me further and further away from anything that was good.

It seemed the more a longed for something the harder I tried to take hold of it only to find that once I had what I thought I wanted it wasn’t enough.

My lack of contentment caused me great delay, hardship and disappointment for many years.  It wasn’t until I met Jesus that I began to learn about contentment.  Becoming a New Creation in Christ delivered me from the useless journeys down the wrong paths and set me on a right path with Him.

Without contentment in Jesus a person is relegated to always searching for something that is of this world to satisfy their soul only to learn that even if they had everything this world could offer they still would not feel content.

This can be experienced even for the saved.  A believer in Jesus can get deceived and sidetracked by the enemy.  The devil has no power or authority over a believer that he can just use at will to damage, or destroy their lives.  Satans only tool is deception, so his uses cunning trickery to get a believer to think they’ve been short changed, or are being cheated from having something.  He used this tactic in the garden of Eden with Eve.  He used a lie with the aim of convincing her of lack, of having been short changed without knowing it.  Because she believed the lie she ate and then gave the fruit to her husband who ate.

It was through this means of accepting a lie, that said what they already had was not enough, that led to sin and decay.  Satan cannot destroy a believer, but if he can convince a believer in Jesus of a lie that something about Jesus is not enough, he can send that believer down a wrong path that will rob them of taking advantage of what they already possess in Christ.

The devil wants to blind every believer to the truth that Jesus is enough, and that He has freely given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.  Perhaps that is why Paul warned his son in the faith Timothy the way he did in,

1Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Jesus will always be enough.  This world has nothing that even comes close to comparing with Jesus.  There’s no excitement that compares with the excitement of being filled with the Holy Spirit and seeing Him at work in and through our lives to touch others in Jesus name.  Nothing can compare with the love Jesus has for us.

Part of the freedom Christ gives is the freedom of contentment.  He releases us from the rat race of this world which involves a never ending quest for more only to find the more never truly satisfies. I want to always prefer the more of Him and all He has in mind for me.  I want to always prefer the more of what He wants to do in and through my life.  Being in fellowship with God and surrendered to His purposes is the greatest gain of all.  I want to encourage you today to enjoy the freedom of contentment as you look to Jesus.  You will find all you could ever need in Him.