August 28 - Coveteousness and Contentment 탐심과 자족

August 28 - Coveteousness and Contentment

 

“Jezebel, his wife, said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” – 1 King 21:7

 

 

How can we guard against corruption in our families, churches, workplaces, governments, and nations? This is important because Scripture says, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Corinthians 5:6). Sin starts small and grows until it saturates all parts of a community. We each have  a role in stopping the spread of corruption and injustice in the spheres God has placed us. Christ calls believers the salt of the earth and the world's light (Matthew 5:13-14) because we stave off spiritual and moral decay and promote righteousness.

 

In 1 Kings 21, we see a corrupt government and how far the people of God have fallen into corruption. Ahab, the king of Israel, desired Naboth’s plot of land to build himself a vegetable garden next to his castle. When rejected, his wife, Jezebel, hatches an evil plan to kill Naboth and his sons (cf. 2 Kings 9:26, “the blood of Naboth and his sons”). 

The land elders follow this plot and trump up false witnesses to accuse Naboth of cursing the king and God. Therefore, he was stoned to death, and Ahab took his plot of land. From this narrative, we can learn principles about guarding against corruption in the various spheres God has placed us as salt and light.

 

It was greed and covetousness that led the world into sin. God gave Adam and Eve everything in the entire world except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Coveting the fruit of that tree led them to disobey God and suffer the consequences of the fall, which affected all of humanity. Likewise, we must keep ourselves from covetousness and greed if we are going to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities from corruption.

 

In Luke 12:15, Christ warned of the dangers of greed; he said, “Watch out and guard yourself against all types of greed because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Likewise, in 1 Timothy 6:9-10, Paul said:” Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evil. Some people reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.”

 

The longing for wealth leads many into temptations and traps destroying people’s integrity, health, family, and faith. Proverbs 27:20 says, “As Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so the eyes of a person are never satisfied.” Because our eyes are never satisfied, we must learn the discipline of contentment and teach our children the same to protect ourselves and them from the common consequences of covetousness and greed. In Philippians 4:11-13, Paul said:” I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance. I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any circumstance, I have learned the secret of contentment: whether satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing. I can do all things through the one who strengthens me.”

 

“The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift, not a right. Next to faith, this is the highest art - to be content with the calling God has placed you.” - Martin Luther.

 

Today’s Prayer: Pray especially for family members or friends from another country. Ask God to use them to show his glory all over the earth (Psalm 108:5). 

Prayer Pointer: Before we can pray, “LORD, Thy Kingdom come,” we must be willing to pray, “My Kingdom go, – Alan Redpath

Bible Reading: Psalm 136-138; 1 Corinthians 9

 

 

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8월 28일 - 탐심과 자족

 

“그 아내 이세벨이 저에게 이르되 왕이 이제 이스라엘 나라를 다스리시나이까 일어나 식사를 하시고 마음을 즐겁게 하소서 내가 이스르엘 사람 나봇의 포도원을 왕께 드리리이다 하고” - 왕상 21:7

 

우리가 가정과 교회, 직장과 국가의 부패를 막을 수 있을까요? 성경에서 "적은 누룩이 온 덩어리를 퍼지는 것을 알지 못하느냐" (고전 5:6)라고 말씀하기 때문에 이점을 생각하는 것이  중요합니다. 죄는 작게 시작하여 공동체의 모두에게 포화시켜 커집니다. 우리 각자는 하나님께서 맡기신 영역에서 부패와 불의가 퍼지지 못하도록 막는 역할을 해야 합니다. 예수님께서 믿는 자들을 세상의 소금과 빛이라고 하신 이유는 그리스도인들에게는 영적으로 그리고 도덕적으로 부패를 막고 의를 증진하는 사명이 있기 때문입니다(마 5:13-14).

 

열왕기상 21장에서 국가와 하나님의 백성이 모두 부패하고 타락한 모습을 볼 수 있습니다.  이스라엘왕 아합은 자신의 성 옆에 나봇의 땅에 채소밭을 갖기 원했습니다. 아합왕이 거절당하자 그의 아내 이세벨은 나봇과 그의 아들들까지 죽이는 악한 계획을 세웁니다(왕하 9:26). 그 땅의 장로들은 이세벨의 음모에 동조하여 거짓 증인들을 세워서 나봇이 왕과 하나님을 저주했다고 비난합니다. 그래서 나봇은 돌에 맞아 죽었고, 그 이후 아합은 그의 땅을 차지합니다. 이 말씀에서 하나님께서 우리를 소금과 빛으로 두신 다양한 영역에서 부패를 막는 원리를 배울 수 있습니다.

 

세상을 악한 죄악의 세상으로 만든 것은 인간의 탐욕과 탐심입니다. 하나님은 아담과 하와에게 선악을 알게 하는 나무를 제외한 모든 것을 주셨습니다. 선악을 알게 하는 나무의 열매의 탐심이 하나님께 불순종하게 만들었고 모든 인류에게 악영향을 미치는 타락을 초래하게 된 것입니다. 그러므로 우리 자신과 가족과 지역 사회의 부패를 막으려면 우리는 먼저 탐욕과 탐심을 버려야 합니다.  

 

예수님은 누가복음 12:15에서 탐욕의 위험성을 언급하며 경계하라고 말씀합니다. "삼가 모든 탐심을 물리치라 사람의 생명이 그 소유의 넉넉한데 있지 아니하니라." 그리고 디모데전서 6:9-10에서 바울은 "부하려 하는 자들은 시험과 올무와 여러가지 어리석고 해로운 욕심에 떨어지나니 곧 사람으로 파멸과 멸앙에 빠지게 하는 것이라 돈을 사랑함이 일만 악의 뿌리가 되나니 이것을 탐내는 자들은 미혹을 받어 믿음에서 떠나 많은 근심으로써 자기를 찔렀도다.” 라고 말합니다.

 

우리가 물질의 부에 대한 탐욕을 가지고 살아가면 삶에서 다양한 시험과 덫을 만나게 되며  사람들의 충절과 건강, 그리고 가족, 심지어 믿음까지도 잃어 버리게 됩니다. 잠언 기자는 27:20에서 "스올과 아바돈은 만족함이 없고 사람의 눈도 만족함이 없느니라"고 말합니다. 우리의 눈이 결코 만족하지 못하기 때문에 자족의 훈련을 배워야 하고 탐심과 탐욕의 결과로부터 자신과 자녀들을 보호하기 위해 가르쳐야 합니다. 빌립보서 4:11-13에서 바울은 말합니다. "내가 궁핍하므로 말하는 것이 아니니라 어떠한 형현에든지 나는 자족하기를 배웠노니 나는 비천에 처할 줄도 알고 풍부에 처할 줄도 알아 모든 일 곧 배부름과 배 고픔과 풍부와 궁핑에도 저할 줄 아는 일체의 비결을 배웠노라. 내게 능력 주시는 자 안에서 내가 모든 것을 능히 할 수 있느니라."

 

"자족의 비결은 삶이 권리가 아니라 선물이라는 것을 깨닫는 것이다. 믿음 다음으로 이것은 하나님이 당신을 두신 장소의 부르심에 자족하는 최고의 기술입니다." - 마틴 루터

 

오늘의 기도: 다른 나라에 살고 있는 가족들과 친구들을 위해 특별히 기도하고 하나님께 그들을 사용하여 온 당에 주님의 영광이 나타나도록 하나님께 간구하십시오 (시 108:5) 

기도 지침: 우리가 “주의 나라가 임하옵시며” 라고 기도하기 전에, 우리는 반드시 “나의 나라(왕국)는 떠난다”라고 기도해야 한다. – 알란 레드패스

성경 읽기: 시편 136-138편; 고린도전서 9장