Enough!

Jesus must have shocked a lot of people when He told those assembled to hear His Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5):

• “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . .

• “Blessed are those who mourn . . .

• “Blessed are the meek . . .

Poor? Sorrowful? Meek? Isn't that what most of us try to avoid?

I like the way Eugene Peterson paraphrased “blessed are the meek” in The Message: “You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought” (v. 5).

Contentment is sorely missing in today's society. FOMO (fear of missing out) often prevents us from being content. After all, there's so much to do, read, watch, buy, experience, that we feel as if we're missing out if we don't have everything everyone else has.

Interestingly, the apostle Paul's statement, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13), comes in the context of being content. “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (v. 12).

Jesus' words and example are a constant reminder that the things we ought to value don't come with a price tag. They're free for the taking. That's a message we can embrace and share with others. We can be content with what we have just as we are.

— Stephen Chavez, Director of Church Relations

churchrelations@sdakinship.org