Last time we discussed that contentment is a
spiritual state. Contentment is pleasing to God
and keeps us in right relationship with God.
We are aiming toward making wise decision from
a foundation of contentment. How do we build
and maintain contentment in our lives? Now I'm
not claiming to have this down. But contentment
is being satisfied within what God has provided.
For the record, contentment is not laziness,
apathy, indifference, or despondence. We have
lots of direct scriptures asking us to cry out
when we are in trouble and many examples of God
coming to the rescue of those in need. It is
clear we are to make our requests known to God
and He is happy to respond to us. Contentment
is being satisfied that all my needs are met
and now I can go and do the things that God has
put into me to do. Discontent is a misallocation
of effort and desire. Even as I'm saying it,
it's so striking. Discontent is a misallocation
of effort and desire. Contentment and discontent
are a heart issue. that affect our efforts and
desires. When we are discontent, we are focused
on something other than what God is trying to
do in us and through us. Probably one of the
most glaring examples in the Bible are the children
of Israel after they leave Egypt. They are so
discontent that Moses and God take turns wanting
to kill them in the desert. At one point, Moses
says, I didn't give birth to these people, this
is all your fault. At another point, God doesn't
want to claim them and says your people who you
brought up from Egypt. The Israelites in their
discontent made bad choices. These choices alienated
them from God. Their words alienated them from
God. The actions and words of the Israelites
stopped God from being able to execute the plan
he had for them. Now wisdom is built systematically
and if you are struggling with something in your
character you cannot move forward in your growth
journey. You're going to keep hitting it every
which way you turn. You can change jobs, houses,
churches, spouses, but you are going to keep
hitting it at the same thing that is stymieing
your growth. Wherever we go, we are going to
bring ourselves. We know it's our response to
the circumstances that shows a heart of contentment.
I'm reading Cory Ten Boom's The Hiding Place
with one of my daughters right now. It is such
a lesson in contentment. The story is ostensibly
about her and her family giving refuge to Jews
in World War II. They build a secret room in
which to hide the Jews when the enemy comes.
But the title, The Hiding Place, is really referring
to where her family gets the ability to do what
is right in times when it costs them everything.
They have a relationship with God which gives
them a place of refuge. It doesn't matter if
they are sitting at the dinner table, working
in their business, in the Gestapo's office, in
a cattle car, or in the concentration camp. They
have a place where they can take refuge and be
content where God was leading them. It's such
a beautiful story of courage and hope and yes,
contentment. Cory is very transparent about her
struggle with fear and contentment in the Lord's
will. I read this book as a young person and
one of the antidotes has been with me my whole
life. Cory and her sister Betsy are in a barrack
in the concentration camp and there are lice
everywhere. So much so that the women shave their
heads as they arrive. As it is their custom,
they pray together and give thanks to the Lord
every day. Betsy begins to thank God for the
lice and Cory stops her and they have a small
tip over it. In the barracks, they are able to
have a Christmas service and a Bible study because
the guards never come into the building. They
have some reprieve from the abuse and find a
bit of freedom. Cory finds out The reason the
guards don't come into the building is because
of the lice. She is amazed at her sister's contentment
and how right her sister was to give thanks and
everything. I cannot say that I've always lived
up to this ideal. I have often been discontented.
But I find that it leads me to a place of stubbornness
and rebellion. Like the children of Israel, when
my focus is on my preference, my comfort, my,
my, my, I am unable to quietly and humbly pursue
the path God has chosen for me. I miss the thing
He is leading me to do. When we are pursuing
our comfort, our ideal, we can't help but lose
focus on God's plan and purpose for a day. In
the case of the children of Israel, he was purposely
depriving them of all comfort and physical provision
so that they had no resources. To teach them
they needed nothing but him. He wanted to show
his power and ability, but they were unwilling
to get uncomfortable enough to see his power.
It is a beautiful testimony to quietly wait for
God and then see his miracle. I'm ashamed to
admit how many times I have not quietly waited.
Paul, an amazing example of one who has contentment,
writes to the church in Philippi from prison.
In Philippians 2 .1, it starts, if there be therefore
any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of
love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any
bowels and mercies, that bowels and mercies means
affection and compassion. So he's saying, if
there's any consolation in Christ, if there's
any reward in Christ, if there's any comfort
of love, If we have fellowship with the Spirit,
if we have affection and compassion, fulfill
ye my joy that you be like -minded, having the
same love being of one accord of one mind. Bring
me joy, be unified in love and spirit and purpose.
Verse 3. Let nothing be done through strife or
vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem other better than themselves. Let every
action and plan be done in humility, with the
thought and comfort of others in mind, ignoring
the frustration, the strife, the problems, empty
glory, pride, ignoring that. Look not every man
on his own things, but every man also on the
things of others. Don't focus on what you need,
what's best for you, but what others need. This
is the core of contentment. This is the place
that we can make good decisions from if we are
looking at the best need and the best thing for
others. Verse 5 says, Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus. Think and act
like Jesus did, who being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God,
but made himself of no reputation and took upon
him the form of a servant and was made in the
likeness of men. Jesus was God, and yet came
to earth as a servant, looking like any ordinary
man. He was poor. He was unknown and yet he never
tried to take credit for anything. He did these
miracles and he would tell people, you know,
just don't say anything. He would touch people's
lives and change people's lives and he would
say, you know what? You don't have to tell anybody.
What an example. Here was the most powerful man
on earth and he never brought attention to it
by his words. vain glory of looking for credit
he only got attention by his actions and being
found in fashion as a man he was built like a
man he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death even the death of the cross in every action
he obeyed God even to the point of death He was
content in the role of service and sacrifice.
It didn't mean it was easy. It didn't mean it
came without pain and suffering, but he was content
in the role of service and sacrifice. wherefore
God has highly exalted him and given him a name
which is above every name that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven
and things in earth and things under the earth
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father
he was content in the role given him and now
he has the glory now he has the honor now he's
been exalted Wherefore, my beloved, as you have
always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but
now much more in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling. Because of
his example, my beloved, you have done well and
always obeyed, continue to do so even after my
death, working out your own salvation with fear
and trembling. I'm not going to be here forever.
You have to be content. in what God has called
you to do and you need to do it with the respect
and awe of the Lord knowing the end. For it is
God which worketh in you both to will and to
do of his good pleasure. God is the one who gives
you the ability to do his will and good pleasure
just like God was the force that allowed the
man Christ Jesus to be crucified. Why? Verse
14. Do all things without murmuring and disputings.
Do all things without complaining and arguing.
Those things are complaining and arguing stems
from discontentment. That you may be blameless
and harmless. the sons of God without rebuke
in the midst of a crooked and a perverse nation
among whom you shine as lights in the world.
Contentment really comes down to glorifying God.
Contentment really comes from a place of submitting
to the will of God. This will cause you to be
without fault and innocent identified with Christ
not needing correction in the middle of a twisted
and perverted world which will make you shine
a light, the light of Jesus. Verse 16, holding
forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in
the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,
neither labored in vain, holding fast to the
word of life, that I may rejoice in the last
days as I present you to Christ, as my preaching
and teaching and pastoring was not in vain. This
is the cycle of contentment. us submitting to
the will and the purpose of God in every situation,
seeking the well -being and eternal life of others
as we serve them, looking at every day as a job
from the Lord, and doing our work without complaining
and arguing, words and actions, so that God is
glorified.