"Sweet Little Lies"

Sweet little lies,

And all of those tries,

By folks who are selling,

Persuading your buys.

And it’s not your need,

But only their greed,

As they make their pitch,

A-planting their seed.

It pays to be wary,

‘Cause it can be scary,

The pressure promotion,

Your joy will miscarry.

But if you’re content,

With what God has sent,

You will be different,

‘Cause you have not spent,

All of your energy,

And all your activity,

To capture the treasure,

That has no eternity.

Let your investment be,

What sets the captive free,

And let God’s Kingdom,

Be your priority.

“…I have learned how to be content with whatever I have…” (Philippians 4:11, NLT)

Contentment is truly a gift from God. But it’s also something that we must learn. Why? For several reasons. One of the most obvious is that we live in a world that is constantly selling us something. 24-7 advertising is relentless from every conceivable media outlet. The idea is to convince us that this latest something is exactly what we need to be content, and that without it, we’ll never be. Not true. Another reason is that God often leads us through a season of being uncomfortable in order to take us to a higher level of productivity and usefulness for Him. Contentment may not be what we feel the most when this is happening. There are also times of tragedy, grief, bereavement and pain that threaten our peace. However the bottom line is that God wants us to derive our sense of wellbeing from our relationship to Him, and nothing else. Then, for better or for worse, we know we are all right. Contentment is within reach.

Lord, help us learn contentment, in Jesus’ name.

Photo by Stephanie Roundy, stephanieroundy.smugmug.com. Used by permission. Thanks, and God bless you.