Tag: discontent

Rumblings of Discontent

Joshua 15-16

Psalm 36

Acts 6

-Devotion by Stephanie Fletcher (MN)

Looking at the start of Acts 6, we see how as the church was growing, and growing quickly, there were “rumblings of discontent.” It goes into a specific issue that we might not directly deal with in our church, but I think everyone can understand discontentedness.


As numbers grow – in anything you are doing, not just church – it is harder to get everyone on the same page and not have some people who are upset with how things are going. Sometimes discontent can grow when there are a lot of people with differing opinions. There may not necessarily be something wrong, but one person wants to do things one way and another person a different way. Sometimes it grows when there is an issue, and it seems like that is what is happening here.


As the early church grew larger, the apostles weren’t able to keep up with all the things that go into the different aspects of church. I think this is something we see today. Pastors have a lot put on them to be in charge, overseeing their congregation. But realistically, they can’t oversee all aspects of ministry.


In chapter 6 of Acts, we see how the apostles, having been gifted in this way, wanted to be able to continue focusing on praying and teaching, but recognized that there are other needs that are out there that need to be met. So they put together a group of people who were well respected, full of the Spirit and wisdom to oversee this area of need (daily distribution of food).


Though we may not have this specific programming in our churches today, and our churches may not even have the same format, we can see how one pastor in many cases, can’t do all the work of the church on their own. Delegation can be a wonderful thing, but it means that there need to be qualified and willing people to let the church continue to do the work of the church.


Do we seek that in our churches today – to make sure that good work is being done without overburdening one person, or one group of people? How can you personally look to serve to ease someone else’s burden?


We will get into Stephen tomorrow as his story continues into chapter 7.


Reflection Questions

  1. “Do we seek that in our churches today – to make sure that good work is being done without overburdening one person, or one group of people? How can you personally look to serve to ease someone else’s burden?” What needs do you see that you can help meet?
  2. If you were seeking someone “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” what would you be looking for? What does it take to have a good reputation? In what ways can you work on improving your own reputation? Do you think others regard you as “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom”? Why or why not? What could be done to increase your measures of Holy Spirit and wisdom?
  3. Where else have you seen the benefit of delegating and sharing the load – in Scripture and in your life?

PRAYER

Dear God, I thank You for creating the church! It is not without its challenges, but it is a beautiful way You have given for Your children to come together as a body to love and worship You, follow Your Son and prepare for his return, while loving and strengthening believers, and being a light to the world. Show me how you want me to serve, and perhaps where you want me to let others serve. I ask for more of Your Spirit and wisdom to do well the jobs you want me to do. Working together, help us be a church that brings glory and honor to You in what we do and how we do it. In Your precious Son’s name I pray, Amen.

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Zillow OR “Life that is truly life”

1 Timothy 4-6

Devotion by Jenn Haynes (OH)

I’m not sure when contentment became a dirty word to so many people. We now equate it with a lack of drive or sometimes even laziness. We liken it to “settling.” The definition of contentment is actually a state of happiness or satisfaction. But we live in a world where bigger is better, and newer is better, and we can always achieve more if we just work a little harder for it. 

For a little while I went through a faze where I looked on Zillow a lot. I got it into my head that we could potentially get a bigger or nicer house and therefore we should at least look. I just wanted to see what was out there that might be in our potential price range. And then I was looking at things slightly above that, because honestly we could probably make that work too. 

You can see where this is going. It’s a slippery slope, and soon you’re borrowing more money than you should and all because you weren’t content with what you have. I deleted the app and fell in love with my home all over again. Contentment is something intentional, and it’s most definitely not settling. It’s looking at your blessings and recognizing them as such. It’s being thankful to your heavenly father for where you are, when you are, who you are, and who you are with. 

These last chapters of 1 Timothy are a mix of advice from Paul on how to live, both for Timothy and for the people he’s ministering to. There’s a good deal in there about working hard so that we can take care of ourselves and take care of others. We are also called to not be so focused on money that we are neglecting our true purpose in ministry. Do good, be rich in good deeds, and be generous. Rather than focusing on our wealth and what we have or don’t have, we should be focused on how to serve others with our blessings.  

1 Timothy 6:6-7 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”

This is the true idea behind contentment. We can be ambitious in our careers and are encouraged to do well financially if that is where we are called. But we have to be wary of what’s actually driving us. If having wealth and status is our motivation, then we will never be in a “state of happiness or satisfaction.” We will never be content. 

1 Timothy 6:9 “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.”

But if we are guided by an ambition to serve the Lord, then we can truly practice contentment. Paul describes these people as those who “will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” I love how that is phrased. “Life that is truly life.” And living a life that is truly life? Definitely not settling. 

Reflection questions: 

Where do you find yourselves in a state of discontent? Is it distracting you from God’s purpose for you? We have a lot of areas where discontentment can sprout up like a weed and make our lives more difficult and less full of the peace and joy that God longs for us to experience. Some common ones to watch out for: our physical appearance, financial status, possessions, our home, our relationships, our jobs. Is there a distracting discontentment in your life that is robbing you of peace? 

How can you look at that area of your life and find the blessings? What sort of habits can you set for yourself so that you can better practice contentment? How can you take your blessings and offer them as a pleasing sacrifice to God? 

Prayer: 

My prayer for you is that you recognize God working in your life as it is now, and see the blessings he has given to you. I pray for discernment to see areas where you can grow and where he can further bless you and that your efforts be put there. I pray that you long to reach the goals HE has for you, rather than the goals you have for yourself, and that you live a life that is truly life.

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