February 6, 2022
Adrian Rogers
Scripture Passage: Psalm 128
It is good to desire contentment for our families; but money can’t buy it, because a content person doesn’t look to circumstances to find peace.
Contentment is an inner sufficiency that keeps us at peace despite outward circumstances.
Psalm 128 describes a family that cultivates contentment in the home: “Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord” (Psalm 128:4).
We must first remember what destroys family contentment, which is covetousness. In Romans 7:7, the Apostle Paul confesses, “I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet.’”
Covetousness is a matter of the heart; it is a deceptive, debasing, and destructive sin. One may not realize he has a wicked heart until it reveals itself through covetous desires. Discontent almost always leads to the sin of idolatry because a dissatisfied spirit desires riches and happiness more than it desires God.
Adrian Rogers says, “A discontented man is never rich, and a contented man is always rich. Somebody who is not content with what he has will not be content with what he would have, and to whom little is not enough, nothing is enough.”
We must remember what defines family contentment, first being our faith: “Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways” (Psalm 128:1).
Contentment is also defined by our fellowship with one another: “Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table” (Psalm 128:3). A family that is content is a family that is simply fed, both physically and spiritually. “When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you” (Psalm 128:2).
Finally, we must remember what develops family contentment. When we learn to trust God and thank Him for what He has provided, we will learn to love people rather than covet things and we will learn to give generously.
May we come to know Psalm 128:5 for ourselves: “The Lord bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.”
Are you cultivating contentment in your home? Pray and ask God to give you a spirit of gratitude and to root out any covetousness from your heart.
