Changi Chapel

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with such things as you have, because God has said—Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

To talk of contentment in the day of health and prosperity is easy enough; but to be content in the midst of poverty, sickness, trouble, disappointments, and losses – is a state of mind to which very few can attain!

Contentment is one of the rarest graces. Like all precious things, it is most uncommon. To say, "I want more," seems the mother tongue of every child of Adam.

"Be content," Paul says, "with such things as you have now," – with such a house, such employment, such health, such income, such work, such circumstances as we have, we are to be content.

To be content is to be rich and well off. He is the rich man who has no wants, and requires no more. I ask not what his income may be – it does not matter.

A man may be rich in a cottage and poor in a palace.

He is a contented man who hangs on no created things for comfort, and has God for his portion.

Such a man is the only one who is always happy. Nothing can come amiss or go wrong with such a man. Afflictions will not shake him, and sickness will not disturb his peace.

Like Paul and Silas, he will sing in prison, with his feet fast in the stocks. Like Job, he will bless the Lord, even when stripped of all his comforts.

From the bottom of my heart I pity that man who never reads his Bible. I fear it will be said of many, one day, "If they had read their Bibles as diligently as they read their newspapers, they would have known what is true comfort when they needed it most."

Contentment is not to be learned at the feet of Gamaliel, but at the feet of Jesus Christ.

He who has God for his friend and heaven for his home – can wait for his good things, and be content with little here below.

His promise to "never leave or forsake you" is conditioned on being contented – are you today?

J.C. Ryle (1816 -1900)
Pastor/Preacher/Author
First Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, UK

© J. C Ryle. Excerpted and adapted from his writings

Your comments, thoughts or suggestions are welcome. The body text is by the author, the header and the words in italics are mine – John B. Samuel