<BrethrenVoice> <GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> <7 August 2002> Contents: --------- (1) <Slice-of-Infinity> "A sincere reasoning" - Ravi Zacharias (2) <Article> "The Christian's wardrobe" - Connie Giordano (3) <Article> "The story of Anthony Part-5)" - Charles E. Wigg (4) <Article> "Scriptural principles of gathering" (Part-4) - A.P. Gibbs (5) <From-the-Gleaner> "Christians & Internet usage"/"How to be content?" (1) <Slice-of-Infinity> A SINCERE REASONING Ravi Zacharias Psychologists have long noted what they call the "Consistency Principle" as a central motivator of human behaviour. Research shows that our desire to be consistent with what we have previously done or decided quietly but powerfully directs our actions. And while consistency is a good and valued trait, our longing for it can just as easily be detrimental. In his work Influence, Psychologist Robert Cialdini makes this powerful statement: "Sealed within the fortress walls of rigid consistency, we can be impervious to the sieges of reason." What might this mean to us? It's natural to want our philosophies and mindsets to be right. The fearsome thing is when we want to be consistent more than we want a sincere reasoning of truth. As we have looked at the agonized questions of a suffering Job, I am reminded of the difficult choice we face when contradicting information comes our way. Every principle and mindset that governed Job's life was suddenly pulled out from under him by contradicting information. Can you imagine that? Job's anguish shows his longing for what he thought he knew. Yet, even as the foundations of Job's worldview cracked and crumbled, he refused to soothe the gapping wounds of his soul with theological fillers or compromising explanations. He remained utterly resistant to the easy answers and held fast to a sincere reasoning of truth. But his friends were not so willing. Their only goal was to remain consistent with the knowledge they possessed. Vigorously driven by their desire for self-exoneration, they overestimated and misused their understanding of truth, turned a deaf ear to contradicting information, and blinded their eyes from the truth itself! Today's skeptical worldview can also blind us from the truth. Remember the Socratic observation: "All I know is that I know nothing"? Ah, but this approach by definition is unreasonable. A truly skeptical mindset would require skepticism about one's own skepticism. A prominent skeptic publication hints at an even deeper irrationality. The article explains matter-of-factly, "One person's skepticism is another's credulity." (Footnote 1: The Skeptics Society, Atladena, CA. www.skeptic.com) In other words, you choose what to filter and what you want to hold on to. We must each ask ourselves: Am I sincere in the reasoning of truth? Job chose to sift truth through the discerning sieve of sincere reasoning. What he found was not disappointing, for ultimately he met God Himself. --- Copyright (p)(c) 2001 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. A Slice of Infinity is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries _______________________________________________________________________ (2) <ARTICLE> THE CHRISTIAN'S WARDROBE Connie Giordano As Christians, we would never think to leave our homes every morning with no clothes on. We regularly put off our night clothes and then dress for the occasion. We spend much time on our physical appearance, but how much time do we spend on dressing up our spirit man in order to face this ungodly world? There is definitely a wardrobe that we are to wear as Christians. We must never leave the house without it. Romans 13:12 tells us - "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness..." "The night is far spent, the day is at hand" - Just as we take off our night clothes at the start of a new day, even so are we to lay aside or put away any "works of darkness" that may be in our lives. We should start each day in reflection and quietness before the Lord, asking Him to reveal anything that is needful to "cast off" - any habits, thought or speech patterns, mannerisms, character traits, or gestures that may be displeasing in His sight. Any hidden areas of sin or deceitful, crafty, hypocritical, beguiling, sneaky, or dishonest ways must be put away. Romans 13:14 - "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." After we strip away the night clothes or any "works of darkness," we must immediately dress ourselves, putting on the "works of light" for we are children of Light and not of the Darkness - the day and not of the night. The Scriptures clearly instruct us that we are to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ..." What does this mean? Among the Greek writers, the terminology of "putting on a person" was very commonly used. It meant that one was to imitate this person's example, copy his spirit, take him as one's instructor, follow him as one of his disciples, take him as a pattern and guide, assume his interests, characteristics, and qualities, enter his views, obey his precepts, or simply become just like him. Hence, to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" means that we as Christians are to imitate and model after Christ in all of His ways, copy His Spirit, take Him as our guide and instructor, assume His interests and qualities, and enter His views on different matters and issues. In other words, we are to become just like Him. When people see us, they should see Jesus. The following story from the Encyclopaedia of Sermon Illustrations seems to say it all - "An Indian catechist Bible Teacher at the end of the last century was dismissed from the church for some misdemeanour. Burdened with shame, knowing he would never again dare to preach, the man left the area and went to some far-off, non-Christian area, where he settled down as a stranger and made his living as a potter. The church never heard of him again, and he died there. Later it was decided to send a team of evangelists to the distant area. They rented a house and started to tell the stories of Christ. They were amazed when the crowd of villagers responded eagerly, exclaiming, 'We know the man you are talking about; he lived here for years.' 'Oh, no,' said the preacher, 'you don't understand. We are talking about Jesus Christ.' 'Well,' answered the people, 'he never told us his name. But the man you've described was our potter without a doubt.' " - (John Taylor, In Perilous Ways (Seabury), p.77) Isn't this absolutely amazing? Is this what people are saying of us? Do the people that we live with and work around see Jesus in us? Do we reflect the character of Christ to them? If not, why not? Perhaps the reason is because we have forgotten to get dressed in the morning. Perhaps we are too much in a hurry to take the time every morning to go before the mirror of God's Word and check and see if we are properly and spiritually dressed. There is a definite attire for the Christian to wear each day. If we start our day without this attire which reflects Christ unto this world, then it is as if we are walking about naked before all. We would never think to do such a thing in the natural, yet many are guilty of doing so every day in the spiritual realm. Resultantly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ suffers. A people who profess to know God are not properly dressed in Christ Jesus and resultantly make provision for the flesh by fulfilling its lusts. Testimonies are tainted and the Gospel message is smeared and blasphemed among the heathen. We cannot afford to start our days without getting dressed properly. The Scriptures are very specific on what garbs we must put on each day as we reflect Christ to this ungodly and wicked generation. "Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ" entails being clothed with certain characteristics. Let us examine some of these from the Holy Scriptures - 1. Compassion Colossians 3:12 - "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies..." As Christians, each day we are to be clothed with compassion. This means that we are very sensitive to the hurts and needs of others. We are to be moved immediately with their misery in this life. Do you start each day this way? Do you leave the house asking the Lord Jesus to lead you to those who are hurting and in need of a special touch? Are you Jesus' hand extended to the oppressed? Or are you too caught up with your agenda for the day to even notice someone else's misery and pain? If so, then you are a naked Christian - not fully dressed. 2. Kindness Colossians 3:12 - "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved...kindness..." Each day we are to "put on...kindness" towards our friends or all those who love us. We should have the sweetest dispositions - being courteous, considerate, thoughtful, and friendly. If all you could think about is you - you- you, or you always want people to cater to you, chase after you, or do your bidding, then you are a naked Christian. You are not properly dressed. You don't have all your clothes on. 3. Humility Colossians 3:12 - "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved...humbleness of mind..." 1 Peter 5:5 - "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility..." To be "clothed with humility" denotes a garment that is attached to another with a strip, string, or loop. It refers to the long, white apron or garment that was oftentimes worn by slaves, servants, or shepherds. It was an indication to others that this person is a servant unto others. Before you start your day or get ready to leave the house, do you put on your long, white spiritual apron of humility, indicating that you are a servant unto all. Are you willing to take any place or perform any job in order to help another and in so doing honour God? Or are you one who thinks that you are better than most and desire that others wait on you all of the time? Or perhaps you one who lords it over others and would not think to be a servant to any? Then you are definitely a naked Christian. You are improperly dressed and a shame to the Gospel and to Christ Jesus whom you are supposedly exemplifying to this wicked world. 4. Meekness Colossians 3:12 - "Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved...meekness..." "Meekness" is displayed towards those who have hurt, injured, or provoked us. We must remember that each of these qualities exemplify Christ Jesus. When we "put on the Lord Jesus" each day, then we will have no problem facing our opposers in a Christ-like spirit. We will be able to handle other's ill treatment of us with patience and forbearance. Before starting your day, do you "put on...meekness" as one of your spiritual garbs? Knowing that you might have to face that individual who has offended you, are you prepared to treat them with love and respect in spite of their behaviour? Are you clothed with "meekness" in case someone surprisingly says something hurtful to you? Or are you a naked Christian who is oftentimes caught off guard and blows up at every one who says the slightest, hurtful thing to you? Do you react or overreact because you are naked and not properly dressed? 5. Longsuffering Colossians 3:12 - "Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved... longsuffering." "Longsuffering" is needed for those who are very difficult to live with or work around. It is needed for those who are very trying and never seem to change or "get the message." Over and over again, they test your patience with their rebellious or stubborn ways. How about it, O Christian? Do you make sure that you start each day wearing "longsuffering" in order to properly handle those very trying individuals in your midst? Do you treat them as Jesus would? Or do you simply allow them to pull you into the flesh where you react to their ungodly or disgusting mannerisms with carnal means such as anger, sarcasm, cutting comments, or total rejection? If so, then you forgot to put on all of your clothes and, as a result, your spiritual nakedness is showing. 6. Love Colossians 3:12,14 - "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved...And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." Lastly, the upper garment which is the principal and chief garment for every Christian is "love." It is to be worn over all and above all the others. It is likened unto a girdle that binds all the other garments together. In this case, "love" is the spiritual girdle that holds together all the other graces that exemplify Christ in a Christian's life. At the start of each new day, are you sure that you are wearing "love" as your outer garment? Is the "love of Jesus" the first quality that people notice about you? When others get around you, do they feel that "love" flowing from your heart? Or are you so in love with yourself that you don't have time for anyone else? Do people consider you to be a snob or a self-centered individual? Does your world revolve around you and yours? Is the topic of your conversation "me, myself, and I"? Are you always bragging and boasting about what you possess or have accomplished? Do you carry yourself above others, looking down on those less fortunate? Do you consider yourself above others because of your education, economic status,. race, or position? If so, then you are naked and ought to be ashamed of yourself as anyone would be who is walking around naked before all. We as Christians have a specific wardrobe that must be donned each and every day. We cannot afford to start a day without it. Just as we would not think to leave our homes improperly dressed, then we must be certain to never start our day without being dressed in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, and above all else - love. What about the story of the Indian catechist? Have we "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" like that brother in Christ did insomuch that - when people meet us, fellowship with us, work around us, or live with us - they feel as though they have been with Jesus? Perhaps we need to check our wardrobe again. Do we have all of the necessary pieces? Are we properly dressing each day? Or are we found naked? The only solution - Get your clothes on, Christian, and keep them on. Don't start your day without them. May God Bless His Word. Connie --- Copyright 2002 by Connie Giordano _______________________________________________________________________ (3) <Article> THE STORY OF ANTHONY (PART-5) Charles E. Wigg .... These were wonderful years, but storm clouds were brewing. The team felt they needed a 'headquarters' in India, so it was decided that they would buy a property for that purpose. However some of the Indian members on the team wanted to enrich themselves, and schemed and planned to get their hands on that property. Some of the senior supporters of the organization came from foreign countries to look into what was happening, and when they discovered the corruption that was at work, they decided to break up the whole team. They sent those from foreign lands home again, and the Indian workers they just sacked or turned loose. To Anthony all this was very sad. He had never owned anything but the clothes he wore, and he never wished to own anything. He had lived a sad but simple life, and had never had any materialistic ambitions. It was no trouble to him to reject the world and its things that glitter. But now because of the selfishness and greed of others, he was cast loose on the world once again. So after praying about the matter, he decided to take up his trade once again. He went to Faridabad, and purchased some tools and supplies, then returned to Madras, where he built himself a roadside shack, and began to make chandeliers once again. Once he had finished one, he would hawk it around the city until he sold it, then he would make another. While thus engaged he was once met by a reporter from the Doodarshan, (the Indian State Television Organization). This reporter was fascinated by Anthony's story, and by the fact that Anthony was able to speak many languages, so he decided to do a television program on him. On this program he sang some songs that he had written, and gave his testimony. He was doing quite well, however greater trouble was coming. He had built his shack in a low-lying place, and in the path of a watercourse, and in November of that year the floods came to Madras. The floods swept away all his meagre possessions, tools, supplies etc. and left him with only the clothes that he was wearing, and Rs.800/- in his pocket. This was a great blow to him, but he decided to start again. So he bought a ticket on the Tamil Nadu Express, and returned to Delhi, from where he would go to Faridabad. He enjoyed the train trip, with a 'bed' to sleep on, however the train stopped at Hazerat Nizamuddin, just outside of Delhi at 3AM in the morning, and from there proceeded very slowly to Delhi. A gang of thieves, (dacoits), entered the carriage where Anthony was sleeping. These men were armed, and they proceeded to loot everybody, to steal everything. They stole Anthony's clothes, money, everything, leaving him only in his underwear. They even stole his New Testament, but when they saw what it was they threw it back to him. At a certain place a lorry was waiting, there they pulled the chain that operated the emergency brake on the train, bundled the stolen goods on to the waiting lorry, and escaped in the darkness. Anthony's mind cracked once again, this was just too much! What could he do now? The only thing left for him was to beg. He begged on Delhi station, where he collected three rupees, With this money he bought two lungis from a Muslim used clothing stall. (He was wearing these when I met him). He had decided that as Jaipur was a tourist center, he would go there and beg. He must have travelled without a ticket on the train to Jaipur, and probably begged as the train was in motion. At Jaipur he had a miserable time. Because he was mental, nobody would allow him to go near a tap to drink, and if he did succeed in getting a drink, then nobody else would go near that tap, lest they be defiled. Because it was a tourist place, the railway authorities did not want the platforms to be over-run with beggars and thus spoil the public image, so when a train was expected the beggars were driven outside. Anthony had reached Jaipur four days before I met him, and he had just been driven from the station when I met him outside. What a remarkable example of the accurateness of God's timing! What a wonderful God we serve, who did not protect His child from trouble, but brought him through it all, in such a wonderful way! Though He has billions to provide for, and a huge world to sustain, yet He kept his eye on that poor orphan from Goa. [To be continued...] _______________________________________________________________________ (4) <Article> SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES OF GATHERING or WHY I MEET AMONG THOSE KNOWN AS "BRETHREN" (PART-4) A.P. Gibbs .... THIRD: THEY OWN NO AUTHORITY BUT THE WORD OF GOD FOR THEIR MANNER OF MEETING, AND THE MAINTENANCE OF GODLY ORDER IN THOSE MEETINGS. Like the Bereans of old they have "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so" (Acts 17: 11). They believe that they have no more right to make a new mode of meeting for the Lord's people than they have to make a new way of salvation. Since the way of salvation, given by Divine inspiration nearly two thousand years ago, is good and sufficient for today; then God's principles of gathering, revealed in the same book, are just as necessary for our guidance in assembly fellowship as they were in the days of old. We cannot improve on the pattern God has given His people in the New Testament. Do you believe this? The "brethren" do and act on it. We shall search the New Testament in vain to discover anything described therein that approximates a denomination of today, which selects one man as its minister to do all its preaching, teaching, praying and the leading of its worship; which calls itself by some man-given title; which is regulated by its own by-laws and books of discipline; which has its own creed, to which all must subscribe ere they can join; which, in many cases, has added rites and ordinances and ceremonies the word of God knows nothing about, and which often allows unsaved people to join and remain in its fellowship. This is not a distortion of facts, as a visit to and examination of many denominational organizations will soon convince the sincere inquirer. A reading of the New Testament, especially the Acts, will reveal the fact that believers, and believers only, gathered together in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 18: 20); for remembrance of the Lord in the breaking of bread (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 11:23-24); for edification (Acts 2: 41-47; I Cor. 12th to 14th chapters); and for prayer, etc. (Matt. 18:20; Acts 4:23-30). These companies, whether large or small, are called "churches" or "assemblies." We find the expression, "Churches of the saints" (I Cor. 14:33); "Churches of God" (I Thess. 2: 14): "Churches" (Acts 9:31; 15:41; 16:5); "Churches of Christ" (Rom. 16: 16). In these churches, or assemblies of believers, there is no mention of "the minister," or "the book of discipline," or "the creed," or any special name such as "Baptist," "Presbyterian," etc., by which these assemblies were distinguished from each other. It was merely their location that distinguished them. We find "The church of God which is at Corinth" (I Cor. 1: 2), "The churches of Galatia" (Gal. 1: 2), etc. The church which was at Corinth included all the believers in Christ in that city. A letter addressed "To the church of God in Chicago," or any other city you wish to name, could apply to and include every regenerated person in that city; for that term includes all who, by the Spirit of God, have been joined to the body of Christ. In the Church, which is His body, Christ the Head has given certain gifts for the edification, or building up, of the whole body of believers. These gifts are evangelists, pastors and teachers (Eph. 4':8-16). These are recognized in and discharge their ministry in and with the fellowship of the local assemblies. Then also there are bishops, or elders, and deacons in these churches, as for example in Philippi (Phil. 1:1). There is no mention whatsoever of one man in charge, to whom the assembly delegated the task of teaching, preaching and shepherding. There is no such term as "the pastor of a church" or "the teacher, or preacher of a church." The word is always in the plural, except where the requirements and responsibility of their work is described. In the same assembly there were pastors, evangelists, teachers, bishops and deacons. How does this fit in with what is seen in modern denominationalism? If a person were to examine the New Testament to discover how to get rid of "the pastor of a church," he would discover that there was no such person described, or even contemplated therein. There are two kinds of troubles from which a company of believers may suffer: scriptural and un-scriptural. The former can be dealt with according to the directions of the Bible; but the latter must be decided by the by-laws and discipline books of men. Scripturally gathered companies of God's people have their troubles (for the flesh is within them as it is amongst all the other "brethren in Christ"), but these troubles are anticipated in, and the remedy provided by the word of God. For example: here is a company of believers who have failed in acting toward one another in love. Jealousy and strife have been allowed to remain unjudged in the assembly; the Holy Spirit is grieved and quenched, and confusion and barrenness follows. What is the remedy? There are two methods. One is for every believer in that assembly to so humble himself before God in confession of his sin and restitution to his brethren, that God will be pleased to come in and revive the assembly of believers with the conscious sense of His presence, and the liberty and power of the Holy Spirit. The other method is to appoint one man as the head of that assembly, and allow him to have the management of the meeting, the responsibility for the ministry of the word, the dispensing of the Lord's supper, the conducting of the prayer meeting and the preaching of the gospel, so that all confusion will be brought to an end. Which is the right method of restoration, the first or the last? Such a question has only one reply. Every child of God will agree that the first method is honouring to God and is the scriptural remedy. The other method is seen in denominationalism with its attendant evils of clerisy, hierarchies, synods, councils, books of discipline, etc. It cannot be emphasized sufficiently that scriptural principles of gathering require scriptural power -- the Holy Spirit--for their operation. When that power is absent, confusion follows; but it is not the principles that have failed, but the people. Once the people of God are restored in heart, the power will once more be apparent. The principles, being scriptural, are always true and right. Let us not adjust the principles of God's word to our form of gathering but our form of gathering to the principles found in the good Book. Is this clear? So long as the flesh remains in the people of God, there will be manifestations of it which will make painful history; but the principles of Scripture remain unchanged and unchangeable. The apostle Paul, in I Cor. 14, rebuked the Corinthian believers for their shameful behaviour in the assembly, which had resulted in disorder and disgrace; but never, for one moment, did he suggest that those scriptural principles, which he had delivered to them, should be revised to suit their carnal ideas and backslidden condition of soul. [To be continued...] _______________________________________________________________________ (5) <From-the-Gleaner> CHRISTIANS AND INTERNET USAGE & HOW TO BE CONTENT? [Internet has become an indispensable part of modern man. The number of Internet users have steadily been increasing. Believers, too, are not lagging behind in the Internet usage - eFellowshipping. Web evangelism is fast catching up and if the present trend is any indication, it would soon overtake conventional evangelism. Personal evangelism through CHAT ROOMS and SMS have added advantages than the conventional methods. Here is the report of a survey conducted in the US on how believers are using the Internet. - Ben] --- "Christians and Internet Usage According to Barna, a research group, "Born again and evangelical Christians are every bit as likely as non-Christians to use the digital superhighway." Forty-eight percent of adult Christians have home Internet access. This compares with fifty-percent for the American adult population as a whole. Pastors also rely heavily on the Internet. Four-fifths of all Protestant Senior Pastors have access to the Internet. About half of them gain entry to the Internet daily. In addition, Pastors are also more likely than others to maintain friendships, buy products, and have religious experiences on the Net. Churches, too, are getting online. One out of every three Protestant churches (110,000) in the United States has a Web site. Among the two-thirds of churches that do not, nineteen percent say they definitely will have one within the next twelve months. As the Internet becomes pervasive in American life, its influence has carried over to the areas of faith and religion in general. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, twenty-five percent of Internet users have received religious or spiritual information online. More than three million people a day get religious or spiritual material from the Internet. The Pew study also showed that more people have received religious or spiritual information online than have gambled online, used Web auction sites, traded stocks online, placed phone calls on the Internet, done online banking, or used Internet-based dating services. The Pew study refers to the twenty-five percent of Americans who receive religious and spiritual information from the Internet as "Religious Surfers." In general, these Religious Surfers "treat the Net as a vast ecclesiastical library and they hunt for general spiritual information online." What specifically do Religious Surfers look for online? According to the Pew study, the top five activities of Religious Surfers on the Internet are: 1. looking for information about their own faith (67%), 2. looking for information about another faith (50%), 3. emailing a prayer request (38%), 4. downloading religious music (38%), 5. giving spiritual guidance via email (37%). What did Religious Surfers do online in their most recent Internet session? They: 1. found educational or devotional materials (40%), 2. found general information about a religious faith or tradition (29%), 3. communicated with people in their church (11%). Most who used the Internet for religious experiences indicated that they were likely to use the Internet even more in the future. According to Barna, when people were asked about their likely use of the Internet for specific types of religious experiences, more than two-thirds indicated that they were likely to engage in such pursuits on a regular basis as the decade progresses. [Sources: (1) Barna Research Group (2) Pew Internet American Life Project] _______________________________________________________________________ HOW TO BE CONTENT? ["Desire" is the cause of all problems in this world. Satan has been using this tool effectively to deceive men right from the Garden of Eden to our present day. "When 'desire' has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." (James 1:15). Nevertheless, look at the words of Paul: (Ben)] --- "I have learned in whatever state I am to be content." Philippians 4:11 Leaning on his fence one day, a devout Quaker was watching a new neighbour move next door. After all kinds of modern appliances, electronic gadgets and plush furnishings had been carried in the onlooker said, "If you find you're lacking anything, let me know and I'll show you how to live without it." The Quaker and the Apostle Paul had one thing in common - they had learned the SECRET of CONTENTMENT. If chronic dissatisfaction plagues our life, ask ourselves these simple questions: 1) Is Jesus Christ at the CENTER of ALL my endeavours? When we LIVE for HIM, material possessions, though good and enjoyable, WILL be seen for what they are - things of temporal value that CANNOT bring TRUE Happiness. 2) Am I confusing my NEEDS with my "wants"? Jesus says that GOD SHALL supply ALL our NEEDS - Not our "wants" (Phil 4:19). 3) Can I be happy with LESS? Economic pressures may be an opportunity for some of us to restructure our lives. Practicing self-discipline in our spending could allow the Lord to use us to give to those less fortunate. We may actually develop a simpler lifestyle that PROVES more satisfying than when we had more and worried more. Paul was deprived of almost everything - according to the world - except CONTENTMENT. Because of his FELLOWSHIP with JESUS CHRIST, his ALL-Sufficient Savoir, he had learned to be Happy....TRULY HAPPY. He was contented. Are you? Fret NOT for "want" of earthly things, they will NEVER satisfy, the SECRET of contentment is to let JESUS supply. Contentment is NOT found in having everything but in being satisfied with what you have. 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