I awoke this morning with a thought that provoked me regarding contentment and service.  The Lord put two great sins before me to which we all are subject, and of which we all need to be aware:

1. The sin of desiring more than is needful.

David's sin was of this type.  He had all he needed and more.  God makes this abundantly clear in His condemnation of David's sin in the words of Nathan in 2 Samuel 12:7-8 which is "summarized" with the KJV's "and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things."  In other words, David's sin was initiated, in part, from his not being content with or truly thankful for the wonderful and abundant blessings of his life.  This is the sin of greed, desiring and pursuing more than is needful, and that for our own pleasure.

2. The sin of fear.

The unfaithful servant's sin was of this type.  The servant was given one talent, but he didn't use that talent for the Lord's glory because he feared that the Lord would not bless his efforts.  In fact, he justified his own fear and unbelief by making the Lord his scapegoat by accusing Him of being "hard."  But, truly, was it the Lord’s “hardness” that he feared, or was he simply lazy, unwilling to sacrifice his own time, energy and effort for the Lord’s work?  Regardless, how often we bring misery on ourselves and sacrifice the Lord’s blessing because we presume against the Lord's grace, expecting the worse for tomorrow rather than simply resting in and enjoying the blessings and opportunities of today.

Can you count the blessings of your life?  It would be an accounting worth the effort today.  What is your talent, your gift of "helps?"  How can you "relieve" those around you (your local ministry, the saints with whom the Lord has placed you, the lost to whom you have witness) from the needs, pressures, burdens of their lives?  Don't let the sin of greed misdirect your life towards things that ultimately will prove to be empty and profitless.

And don't let the sins of fear and unbelief steal from you the blessings that God would pour upon your life through your obedience to His call to show your love for Him through your service to others, especially His Body, the church.  Don't let the Enemy deceive you into thinking you'll "lose" something of value to you (time, comfort, personal indulgences, material resources, reputation, etc) because of the "demands" that are associated with selfless service to the needs of others.  God will not be in debt to anyone.

Always remember this eternal truth: you will reap what you sow.  Sow righteousness, charity and grace today.  Your harvest will be both blessed and abundant.