Contentment in God's Kingdom
Lenten Devotional Series Day 35. Today’s meditation is on the Tenth Commandment, “You shall not covet,” Exodus 20:17.
In the 10th Commandment, God prohibits “inordinate” desires. Why? Because, as we saw yesterday, God loves us so much that he wants for us to be at peace, not only with one another, but also in our hearts. Consequently, God’s prohibition against covetousness is simultaneously a commandment to contentment. We are to be so satisfied in the Lord that, instead of resenting God or neighbor for what we do not have, we remember what we do have and give thanks.
A covetous heart makes it impossible for us to experience God’s peace. That’s why this commandment comes at the end of God’s list of ten. Covetousness makes us much more likely to break the other nine commandments, as theft, adultery, idolatry and the rest are often rooted in it. A content heart, however, enables us to love and serve our neighbors, for their own good. Instead of resenting a neighbor’s good fortune, we come alongside him or her and rejoice, with the result being that joy is multiplied.
This is what Jesus was talking about when he directed us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” For citizens of God’s Kingdom, what’s good for the kingdom is good for us.
What about those things or circumstances we still long for? Everyone has them, whether a new job, spouse, children, a physical necessity, a community of friends, and so on. Contentment means trusting God with all of these. Paul admonishes us not to be “anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” There it is again: God wants us to have his peace, and we find it through contentment and thanksgiving.
If there is discontent in our lives, a good Lenten exercise might be to list what we have to be thankful for. From shelter to income, talents to treasures, friends to family – when I do this, I’m surprised how long the list becomes if I am thoughtful and honest.
The opposite of covetousness is contentment. It’s hard to be angry for what we don’t have when we open our eyes to all that God has given us.
Today in prayer, begin with the Collect of the Day (below). Then review all that God has given you, and give thanks to him. Ask him to fill your heart with contentment in him. Then finish with the Lord’s Prayer.
Collect of the Day. Almighty God, we ask you mercifully to look upon your people; that by your great goodness they may be governed and preserved for ever, both in body and soul, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.