“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Heb 13:5).
In our verse, discontentment is seen in a glaring light. The things we “have” obviously include the One who is everything we could ever need and who makes this promise to never leave us! But how discontent niggles at us.
There is a legend that Al Hafed was the owner of a large estate in the Golconda region of India (now Andhra Pradesh). They say he lived a happy life—until a bhikkhu visited him and told him of the wonder and wealth of diamonds! That night, Al Hafed went to bed a poor man. Selling everything he had, he traveled the world looking for diamonds until, penniless, he threw himself into the sea. Meanwhile the man who bought his farm saw a glistening object in his water pail—and the famed Golconda was discovered, yielding many of the world’s greatest diamonds.
Lord, teach me, in whatever state I am, to be content!