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It is so easy for us all to fall in the trap of doing what our text tells us not to do, without realising it, we begin to fall when in our conversation we begin to compare our lot or blessings with those around us. It is so easy to look over the fence and think things are greener there, and without realising it, we are soon complaining about our lot. I am reminded of the old saying, “I used to complain that I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.” The stark realisation of course is that the person who first wrote this, was jolted back to being content with the things that he had.

Contentment in all facets of our life, whether naturally or spiritually is a great blessing and this shows outwardly. Those who are contented with their lot, always seem to be happier and enjoy their life often getting enjoyment and talking about simple things that have happened to them. Usually one will find a love and thankfulness to the Lord for His blessings to them and this then makes that person closer to their Provider, and it is then that out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. Others begin to be trapped by loosing that contentment by comparing with others and then to the next dangerous step of speaking about the comparison with covetousness. We have then breached one of the ten commandments, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, house possessions, etc.”

Once we do not keep the commandments, we lose touch with the Lord, and so often we then allow jealousy to take over and it soon becomes very clear by our conversations that we are not content with such thing as we have been given. This non-contentment and jealousy can then lead to other evils, such as trying to belittle our neighbour, who is blessed more, or even telling falsehoods on how they may have achieved the extra blessings. Some even become obsessed to try to equalise themselves by taking tickets of chance, lottery, gambling machines etc, to the extent that the cost of these, robs the family of food and clothing that could be used to purchase these needs.

Now our text does not imply that we should not try to improve ourselves or our life, but rather teaches us how we should approach these things. If we try to improve ourselves just to show off, or make ourselves better than our neighbour, we will find no contentment in this, as soon we will be seeing someone else with more and so the chase will continue until we are serving mammon and believing we are creating these things and neglecting to thank the Lord. If we try to improve our lot by following our text, that is letting our conversation be without jealousy or complaint, being content with our blessings and our tests, and remembering to at all times, give thanks to the Lord, acknowledging that it is only because He never leaves us, nor forsakes those who keep His ways, that these improvements in our blessings take place, then we will experience this contentment and be able to enjoy them in the way the Lord intends.

This lesson applies also to our spiritual blessings, if we wish to improve the gifts given by the Holy Ghost, the same advice applies as in our text word and that is given by Christ in Mathew 7:7-8, “Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” If we do this in contentment and acknowledgment of His words, we will all experience the fulfilment of those promises.