Contenment

1 Corinthians 7:17–20 (NIV) — 17 Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. 20 Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

Contentment can be difficult to come by. Our society values ambition. Businesses try to foster discontentment so that we will buy things in the hope of becoming content. But contentment is not the same as passivity.

 Each person should live as a believer in whatever situation … We are not to be content to merely live. How does Paul say that we are to live in our situations? In the context, the “situation” is your general lifestyle. What situation(s) do you find yourself in? What does it mean – for you – to live as a believer in that situation?

… in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. Paul says God put us into our situations, but he us two different words to emphasize that. How is “assigned” different to “called”? Can you recognize God’s assigning and calling to your situation?

Circumcision was more than just a physical procedure, it was (and to some extent is) an identity. It was the difference between being Jewish and being gentile, being part of the Old Testament covenant or outside the covenant. The big debate during Paul’s day was should gentiles become circumcised (Jewish) in order to become Christians. He anticipates a future debate, should Jews renounce their Jewish customs and traditions (become uncircumcised) to become Christians.

Keeping God’s commands is what counts. What does that mean? The Pharisees were very particular about obeying the law. How is “keeping” different from merely “obeying”? Are you a “keeper” or an “obeyer”?

Talk to Jesus about the situation he has called you to and how you can live as a believer in it.