November brings opportunities for fun and enjoyment. No doubt this month sits high on my list of favorite months. Two reasons I enjoy this month so much I’ll briefly discuss today: #NoShaveNovember and #30DaysofPraise.
#NoShaveNovember
This part of November is just for fun. As a family we recently enjoyed discussing #NoShaveNovember and which ones of us were going to participate or why we could not. We laughed as we discussed it because it represents a fun month and making memories. Initially the #NoShaveNovember came from deer hunters. Although there are various reasons I can’t participate in the #NoShave part, we all love the hunting part. So no beard this year but hopefully some time away with my children hunting along the way.
Although not everyone hunts, the month of November provides for the hope of family time – even if we all can’t participate in the #NoShaveNovember part.
#30DaysofPraise
The even greater reason for enjoying November stems from the fact that this is Thanksgiving month. Of all the holidays, I often say that this is in my trio of favorites: Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. The history and meaning of Thanksgiving goes as far back as the Pilgrims in terms of a holiday. Yet, as a Christian, the opportunity to focus specifically on gratitude goes as far back as the Bible. Christmas and Easter celebrate the foundation for our ultimate gratitude; however, what a fantastic joy to use Thanksgiving as a reason to focus on a month of gratitude.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us of the importance of gratitude:
5 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.” (Hebrews 13:5)
Live as a content person!
We receive the challenge to live as those who do not love money but instead be content. In a world where we undergo targeted marketing in every aspect of living, contentment, at times, is a battle. The message of people and businesses all around us help our easily-distracted hearts to want even more stuff. Of course the stuff may not be an issue of money at all! The stuff of discontentment ranges from feelings to relationships to disappointments to all the things that is for sale at Target, WalMart, and Bass Pro (you can add your favorite here as well). There may not be one single item on our wish list that can be purchased at the store, yet we still suffer with a discontent heart.
The author of Hebrews challenges us to simply be content with what we have. Accept what God graciously gives us in life as our portion and be grateful for it.
Is this easy? Of course not. The proof that contentment is hard comes from the Garden of Eden. In a perfect world in every way, with perfect relationships between husband and wife and with God, Adam and Eve still fell for the marketing scheme of the serpent. They allowed themselves to be convinced there was a good reason to be discontent. As they looked at the fruit, they determined that “Life would be better if…” as we do so many times.
Just like discontentment was not God’s plan in the Garden of Eden, today is no different. God challenges you to be content.
God is with you!
Notice how the writer of Hebrews anchors your contentment in the very presence of God. What a great perspective!
God is with you! He never leaves you or forsakes you. God walks with you always. You never leave His presence.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us of the ultimate reason for contentment. God is near and is with us. He cares and loves us. God is our portion.
Since God never lies and we can trust Him, we can live as content people regardless of what we have or do not have. Although it may be nice to get what we want, we recognize that we absolutely need nothing in order to be content. God is enough.
Use November as a Month to Emphasize Gratitude in Your Life
Let’s have fun this November!
Make this month a time of gratitude. At least make a list of 30 reasons for which you can be grateful.
Are there things you still want? Are there things for which you desire? Do you have a list of things for which you are concerned?
I think that is true for every one of us. Of course it is not sinful to want something or be concerned over something as long as those things for which we ask stay confined to a lesser status than our greater contentment in Christ. In Christ we find our greatest contentment (Phil 4:11-13).
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
