But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6:8
“Do not so much regard the fancies of other men, as what indeed you feel yourselves. For the reason of our discontentment many times is rather from the fancies of other men than from what we find we lack ourselves.
We think poverty to be such a great evil—Why? because it is so esteemed by others, rather than that people feel it so themselves, unless they are in an extremity of poverty. I will give you a clear demonstration that almost all the discontent in the world is rather from the fancies of others than from the evil that is on themselves.
You may think your wealth to be small and you are thereupon discontented, and it is a grievous affliction to you; but if all men in the world were poorer than you, then you would not be discontented, then you would rejoice in your estates though you had not a penny more than you have.
Take a man who can get but his twelve pence a day, and you will say, ‘This is but a poor thing to maintain a family.’ But suppose there were no man in the world that had more than this, yea, that all other men but yourselves had somewhat less wages than you, then you would think your condition pretty good.
You would have no more then than you have now; therefore it appears by this that it is rather from the fancies of other men than what you feel that makes you think your condition to be so grievous, for if all the men in the world looked upon you as happy, more happy than themselves, then you would be contented.”
Jeremiah Burroughs in The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment 138.
The hardest part about international travel—especially places that face extreme poverty—is returning to the USA to see how materially blessed I am as compared to people who live in other places. I cannot help but compare situations or be tempted to want the best the world has to offer.
So this experience leads me to a healthy place, I must pause and give thanks for what I have and not what I don’t have, and I must resolve to focus on my stewardship of what I have with my contentment in Christ alone. That’s is my responsibility (and yours too).
Sorry the meditation is posting so late. I’ve been traveling for more than 24 hours with little or no WiFi. I am in Houston. I make it to Denver tonight. I am admittedly weary but I am also more than happy. I am contented because I have experienced the faithfulness of Christ in a profound way.
Generosity depends on that. We can only let go of resources when we know in the depths of our being that God has everything sorted for us, and that he’s positioned us to serve and help sort things for others. Every people group has to realize this and champion the message.
Let me know by way of reply if you’d like a copy of the trip reports from the GTP work in El Salvador, Panama, and/or Bolivia. And say a prayer for a meeting I have this next week seeking grant funding to help Latin Americans develop generosity materials for their own people.