Contentment In A World Filled With Discontent....
I guess you could say that my message today is for all the folks that don’t want anyone to tell them what to do. The widow woman didn’t want to bake a little cake for the prophet, but she’s glad she did... Peter didn’t want to cast the nets after catching nothing all night, but he was so glad he did....Gideon didn’t want to face 150,000 Assyrians with 300 troops, but he won because he did.... Moses didn’t want to go to Egypt, but every Israelite is glad he went.... Esther didn’t want to go before the king, but the nation was spared because she did.... and on we could go....rightup to the places that we don’t want to hear what God may be telling us to do....
Last week as my son Chris closed his message, he mentioned that intimacy with the lord, will result in CONTENTMENT.... Solet’s take a further look at this truth! Let’s hear from Paul as he addresses the Philippian church...
Philippians 4:11 “I am not speaking out of some personal need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength”.
Contentment is sometimes like playing “Where’s Waldo”.... It’s there somewhere, you just have to look close until you find it.... (sorry but I am not stopping this sermon until you find Waldo)!! The truth is that if you have a redeemed perspective, Waldo is everywhere you look!! Paul says it is a learned or perspective thing!!! It is not a where but a “How”... to see.
The Bible dictionary defines the word contentment as.....”To be free from worry and care because of being satisfied in and with what you already have”.
It actually means “self contained.” And it is a description of the person who has discovered that their true source is within themso that they do not have to depend on other sources for their happiness”
When Paul says, “I have learned to be content in all things”.... He was saying that he was self contained through Christ who always strengthened him, in every situation...
Chasing the rainbow has become many people’s full timeoccupation... (I’m not talking about pursuing your vision, and improving yourself, I’m talking about living with pipe-dreams......
I came across an item that says... “I have always wanted what I didn’t have... I was a child, but I wanted to be an adult, with all the freedom and the respect. I was a teenager, but it was 30 I wanted, to be mature and sophisticated. I was a senior citizen, but it was 20 I wanted, the youth and the free spirit. I was retired, but it was middle age I wanted, the presence of mind without all the limitations. Now My life is over. But I never got what I wanted. It was always somewhere else”.
An airline pilot was flying over the Tennessee mountains and pointed out a lake to his copilot. “See that little lake down there?When I was a kid I used to sit in a rowboat down there, fishing. Every time a plane would fly overhead, I’d look up and wish I was flying it. Now I look out from the cockpit and wish I was in a rowboat down there, fishing.”
1 Timothy 6:6 “Godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing (materially) out of it.”
Karl Barth, was a famous theologian that influenced a lot of Christian thinking. He was asked, what was his deepest theological thought. He responded, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
Money can buy you a bed, but not sleep.... It can buy you books, but not wisdom.....it can buy you a wedding, but not a marriage...it can buy a house, but not a home.... it can buy you medicine but not health.... it can buy amusements, but not friends..... It can buy you about anything but peace with Godand contentment.
At the heart of Christian contentment is founded on a strong belief that God is in control and has the answer before there was a problem. He had the cure before Satan came up with the disease. He had a way prepared, when there was no way.
Romans 8:28 still says “All things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose.” God is working everything to accomplish His purpose.
God providentially arranged for Joseph to go through all he went through so he could rise to a high position in Egypt in order to preserve His people. We may not understand God’s purpose for where we’re at, but His plan is much bigger than we can see now...
In Genesis 50:20, Joseph said to his brothers, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good that many people may be kept alive.”
“If you’re chasing happiness, you’ll never be content.” But...If you learn to be content, then you’ll find happiness will come with it.”
In our opening scripture, Paul is quoted as saying that Contentment is a learned behavior and attitude...
Philippians 4:12 “I have learned in ALL THINGS to be content”... You can choose to be the most contented person you ever met!
There will always be people that make more money than you. There will always be people who are smarter than you. There will always be people who are better looking than you. You will never find contentment by looking around at what others have or don’t have.
I don’t have to have what others have to be happy.
I don’t have to be liked by everyone else in order to be happy.
You don’t need everybody’s approval to be happy.
Even Jesus couldn’t please everybody. Only a fool would try to do what even Jesus could not do, and that’s please everyone!!!
Howard Hughes was asked, "How much money does it take to make a man happy?" He answered in typical Hughes fashion..."Just a little more than you already have." Hughes died alone and miserable...
How well do you handle change, and how well do you adapt to the changes around you? That question could indicate your level of contentment.
Some people get moody. Some people get mad. Some people get frightened. Some people get uptight.
A psychiatrist asked a patient at a mental institution...
"How did you get here? What was the nature of your illness?" He got the following reply.
"Well, it all started when I got married and I guess I should never have done it. I married a widow with a grown daughter who then became my stepdaughter. My dad came to visit us, fell in love with my lovely stepdaughter, then married her. And so my stepdaughter was now my stepmother. Soon, my wife had a son who was, of course, my daddy's brother-in-law since he is the half-brother of my stepdaughter, who is now, of course, my daddy's wife.
So, as I told you, when my stepdaughter married my daddy, she was at once my stepmother! Now, since my new son is brother to my stepmother, he also became my uncle. As you know, my wife is my step-grandmother since she is my stepmother's mother. Don't forget that my stepmother is my stepdaughter. Remember, too, that I am my wife's grandson. But You see, since I'm married to my step-grandmother, I am not only the wife's grandson and her husband, but I am also my own grandfather. Now can you understand how I got put in this place?" So, how do you handle change?
Paul says that one of the secrets of learning to be content in life is the ability to adjust to all kinds of circumstances and change. He says “In all things, I have learned to be content”....If we are going to be successful in life we need to learn to adjust to change in a positive manner. Your happiness in life is largely dependent upon your ability to adapt and to adjust to change. Change is going to happen whether you like it or not. Let’s look at what Paul tells us again in our opening scriptures....
Philippians 4:11 “I have learned in whatever circumstances I find myself, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”
I can live above the problems of this world. I can live above the hurts I have suffered. I can live above the bad memories. I can live in victory rather than live as a victim.
If I don’t like what I’m watching, I switch the channel. If I don’t like the way I am thinking about something – I change the way I think about it. If I am hungry – I get up and eat. If I am thirsty – I go get a drink. Contentment means that I always have options... I’m not stuck in some pit of life. – I understand there are some things I can do to improve my situation – and I can always choose do them....
If contentment is a learned thing.... then we need to learn it, and get it deep down in our soul and spirit.
Learning to be content in life comes from the confidence that God will see you through. That He will give you the power to meet each and every situation and circumstance head on. He will supply the connection you need, the life partner you are looking for, the resources that you are believing for, the healing, the strength, the ability, the faith, the finances, and on we could go......
We may not like the person that says, “That’s not good for you” Or “Why are you doing that”... We want to push them away or tell them to mind their own business... but they are addressing the source of our discontent, and if we will listen, we can change and we can learn to discover contentment in every area of our lives.
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:19 Paul says “My God shall supply all my needsaccording to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” That’s contentment with a capital C!!!!!
Those are great scriptures, but how about what Paul says when he addresses our greatest source of discontent.... 2 Timothy 2:24 “And the Lord's servants must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting those who oppose themselves with understanding. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.” “Those who oppose themselves” is a perfect description of folks who live with discontentment.
The United States has one of the richest economies in the world.A few years ago, a survey showed that this country had more than 5 million millionaires and 269 billionaires. However, the research indicated that only 20 percent of North Americans were happy, and content. Maybe that is why psychologist Ed Diener of the University of Illinois says, “The focus on Materialism can be toxic to happiness”.
People are discontent, because they have a God shaped hole in them that only He can fill. They try to fill it with...
people, popularity, possessions, politics, position, projects,performance, & earthly power (can anyone think of any other words that start with P....)
Anyway.... An old Chinese Proverb says this…. If you wantcontentment for an hour, take a nap; if you want contentmentfor a day—go fishing, if you want contentment for a year, inherit more money than you could possibly spend... but if you want contentment for a lifetime- help others find contentment.Happy people inspire happiness... But so many look at other people and think …they sure look happy…why do they seem to get all the breaks in life? What are they doing that I am not doing? And sometimes if we really get to a low place we start thinking everybody’s happy and everyone else is content except poor little old me. I’m gonna eat some worms....
Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you”
Let’s look at Philippians 4:8. “Let your mind dwell on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, andthings that are praiseworthy”. Solomon said it this way…. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he”.
Let’s look at 8 CONTRIBUTORS TO CONTMENT AND PEACE OF MIND
Duke University did a study on “peace of mind.” They came up with of list of things that contribute to emotional and mental stability..... 1. The absence of bitterness and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in discontent. 2. Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression and discontent. 3. Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Stop trying to run away from it, and do what you can do. 4. Force yourself to stay involved with the world around you. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress. 5. Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept that you’re not an exception.. that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune. 6. Hold on to and keep the virtues of love, humor, compassion and loyalty.
7. Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goalsyou have set, feelings of inadequacy and discontent are inevitable. 8. Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest on any test for measuring contentment.
Doctors practice medicine, lawyers practice law, Musicians practice an instrument and we must practice contentment.... I can get through grief, pain, hurt, personal loss, sickness, deep disappointment, and so much more as I keep practicing contentment.... As I realize that all these things are opportunities to keep learning this and find that God truly does supply all I need, as I put Him first!
Rick Warren, in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, ask an important question... Why am I here on this earth?.... Every person must identify their purpose in life and decide to live according to that purpose. Too many folks live with the Christopher Columbus syndrome. Christopher Columbus left on a journey without knowing where he was going, when he arrived he did not know where he was, and when he returned home he did not know where he had been.
Too many people only live to work, eat, sleep, and squeeze in a little fun and entertainment in the evenings and week-ends, without any greater purpose. Pay the bills, buy groceries, and just try to break even. When it’s all said and done. None of that can bring contentment.
We as redeemed people, need to Step out of the ordinary...and live the Extraordinary Life Jesus promised.... We can choose to Smile when we don’t feel like smiling, give when you don’t feel like giving, be kind when you don’t feel like it, forgive when you don’t feel like it, help someone when you would rather feel sorry for yourself. Get up, dress up, and show up with a purpose!Believe what you cannot see....
Get beyond your feelings and find your mission....
We need to be more thankful...It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy!!
Oprah Winfrey was celebrating that her program was being televised to 109 countries, and in appreciation of her success, she decided to give a brand new car to 276 surprised people that showed up to watch the program that day in the studio audience.You would think that all of these people–without exception–would be thankful for receiving a brand new car valued at over $28,000. Instead, many complained because at the end of the year, they would have to pay extra income taxes based on the value car....
God gives us this mandate: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.
I believe God is saying that as we learn contentment, others will see and believe and step into their own freedom, and the chains of their captivity will fall off... The Psalms tell us “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers them out of them all.”
Gratitude makes sense of the past, brings peace for today, and creates a path for the future! If we learn contentment, we need to hit the reset button and start learning from our past instead of letting it beat us up.
Come on! Let’s stand together and take this time just to give thanks, and to give praise unto God. Let’s give Him the glory that all things are working together for our good as we love him and serve him.
Your problem can’t handle your praise. Your prison can’t stand up to your purpose. Your circumstances can’t handle your contentment in Christ!
David said “May the righteous constantly be glad and rejoice before God”
Paul said “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice”
Prayer.......Father, It is my desire to give all praise and glory to You. Help me today as I seek contentment in everything I do. No matter what journey I have to travel, I desire to be contented, and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Where I fall short Father, lead me and guide me into Your victory. I choose to walk with you, in all my ways.
As you did with Joseph, and with Paul, let my praise release a breakthrough and bring me to a higher place. Shield my thoughts with your peace and comfort, and my soul with your love as I give thanks in everything. When things do not work out the way I want or expect, help me to be contented. Let my light shine in the midst of adversity as I put my faith and trust in You.
I choose to rise above my feelings, and any situation that I face.My heart, my life, my soul, my all, I give to You, as I live in faith, trust, and hope. I can now speak with confidence, courage, and joy that will cancel out the fear, worry and doubt. Today, I choose to walk in love, peace, happiness, and favor wherever I may go. I choose to delight myself in the Lord, that He may give me the desires of my heart, In Jesus’ name.
