WEBVTT 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:05.339 Is it possible to have peace? I mean to be content 00:00:05.339 --> 00:00:09.619 in the midst of adverse, challenging, and uncertain 00:00:09.619 --> 00:00:13.599 circumstances. The Bible would say yes. The question 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:18.920 is how? And that's today. Welcome to this edition 00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:22.260 of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. The mission 00:00:22.260 --> 00:00:24.800 of this daily program is to intentionally disciple 00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:27.359 Christians through the insightful Bible teaching 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:30.079 of Chip Ingram. You know, over the past few years, 00:00:30.179 --> 00:00:32.799 I'm sure we've all experienced times when peace 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:36.159 felt unrealistic or unreachable, whether that 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:38.420 was because of our chaotic world or personal 00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:40.759 anxiety. But today, Chip's going to challenge 00:00:40.759 --> 00:00:43.439 us to shift our perspective as he continues his 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:46.759 series, I Choose Peace. In this program, he'll 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:49.159 share a few valuable principles that'll help 00:00:49.159 --> 00:00:51.759 you hang on to God's gift of peace, even when 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:54.500 our world seems like it's falling apart. So if 00:00:54.500 --> 00:00:56.600 you're ready, go to Philippians chapter 4 in 00:00:56.600 --> 00:00:59.119 your Bible as we join Chip for his message in 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:03.159 difficult circumstances. Webster, if you're wondering 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:05.980 exactly what contentment is, says that contentment 00:01:05.980 --> 00:01:10.219 is happy enough with what one has or is, not 00:01:10.219 --> 00:01:13.060 desiring something more or different. In other 00:01:13.060 --> 00:01:15.140 words, you're satisfied. When you're content, 00:01:15.340 --> 00:01:17.359 it's not just you're happy with what you have, 00:01:17.500 --> 00:01:20.799 you're happy with who you are. You wouldn't want 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:23.079 to be three inches taller or seven inches shorter 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:26.700 or, you know, you're content. You would say, 00:01:26.819 --> 00:01:31.340 it's enough, it's good. And I want you to think 00:01:31.340 --> 00:01:34.599 back to what is it you believe would really help 00:01:34.599 --> 00:01:37.120 you be content. And the clearer that you can 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:40.099 get on that, I believe the more powerfully God 00:01:40.099 --> 00:01:42.859 is going to speak to you. Because in human terms, 00:01:42.920 --> 00:01:45.159 the problem with contentment is that the horizon 00:01:45.159 --> 00:01:47.859 is always moving. I mean, there's a time in your 00:01:47.859 --> 00:01:49.719 life where you say, you know, if I ever get a 00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:52.019 car, any kind of car, a beat -up junk or just 00:01:52.019 --> 00:01:53.980 a car, then I'd be happy. You know, then you 00:01:53.980 --> 00:01:55.959 get that car and you want one that really runs. 00:01:56.140 --> 00:01:58.000 And then you get that car. And then pretty soon 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:00.760 you want one that runs and looks nice and you 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:02.659 get that car. And pretty soon now you want two 00:02:02.659 --> 00:02:05.579 cars. And, you know, it goes on and on and on 00:02:05.579 --> 00:02:09.560 and on. The horizon always keeps moving. If I 00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:11.199 ever get married, God, I'd never ask for another 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:14.039 thing. Three years later, oh, God, if you could 00:02:14.039 --> 00:02:15.759 ever work out this marriage, I'd never ask for 00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:18.560 another thing. God, if you'd give me, give us 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:21.360 a child. Oh, Lord, how did you bring that last 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:26.840 one, you know? The horizon keeps moving. And 00:02:26.840 --> 00:02:30.099 so being human nature what it is, philosophically, 00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:33.719 people over the ages have tried to solve this 00:02:33.719 --> 00:02:37.469 contentment issue in two drastic ways. One group 00:02:37.469 --> 00:02:42.509 has taken that contentment will be found by conquering, 00:02:42.509 --> 00:02:45.669 achieving, acquiring until satisfied. That was 00:02:45.669 --> 00:02:47.490 sort of the Roman Empire. You know what? We got 00:02:47.490 --> 00:02:49.169 part of the world. We're going to get the whole 00:02:49.169 --> 00:02:51.449 world. You know, we're going to own, acquire, 00:02:51.789 --> 00:02:55.889 have, get, bigger, better, more. And then as 00:02:55.889 --> 00:02:57.409 soon as we get that, there's got to be just a 00:02:57.409 --> 00:02:59.349 little bit more. And when we do, then we'll be 00:02:59.349 --> 00:03:02.550 content. But we kind of know from our personal 00:03:02.550 --> 00:03:05.819 experience that that doesn't work. Sure, it's 00:03:05.819 --> 00:03:07.939 nice to have nice stuff. It's nice to have a 00:03:07.939 --> 00:03:09.639 better job than the one you used to have, et 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:11.900 cetera, et cetera. But, you know, that horizon 00:03:11.900 --> 00:03:15.199 keeps moving. And, you know, it's kind of a funny 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:17.000 thing. You think to yourself, you know, I really, 00:03:17.060 --> 00:03:19.780 I like this watch until we went to the mall yesterday. 00:03:21.379 --> 00:03:24.060 I mean, this was a great watch, you know, hypothetically. 00:03:24.219 --> 00:03:28.479 Then you walk by and you see Bulova, Rolex. I 00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:33.159 guess it's an okay watch. And so no matter, but 00:03:33.159 --> 00:03:35.139 if I turned this one in and got another one, 00:03:35.219 --> 00:03:36.719 I could go to the mall next week, couldn't I? 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:41.120 And have the exact same problem. And so in philosophic 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:42.520 thought, one group of people thought, that's 00:03:42.520 --> 00:03:44.560 not the way to go. It's not about getting, getting, 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:47.120 acquiring, and having, because there's no end 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:49.860 to it. A group called the Stoics turned it around 00:03:49.860 --> 00:03:51.919 and said, we're going to desire less and less 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:55.080 until it doesn't matter. In fact, Eastern and 00:03:55.080 --> 00:03:57.599 Buddhist thought goes along these lines. I want 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:01.639 less, less, less, less. And so the Stoic philosophers 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:04.180 got where they could emotionally detach. They 00:04:04.180 --> 00:04:06.919 would take a vase or a cup that they liked, and 00:04:06.919 --> 00:04:09.080 as a part of the process of their thinking, they 00:04:09.080 --> 00:04:10.719 would throw it to the ground, watch it break, 00:04:10.819 --> 00:04:13.060 and say, it doesn't matter. And then they would 00:04:13.060 --> 00:04:15.199 literally allow, this is historical, they would 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:17.199 get a pet that they were fond of and kill the 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:21.319 pet. And then say, it doesn't matter. The only 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:23.160 way to have peace is get less and less and less. 00:04:23.259 --> 00:04:25.079 And then when one of their children died or something 00:04:25.079 --> 00:04:28.660 happened, it would be, it can't impact me. I 00:04:28.660 --> 00:04:31.519 like the quote of T .R. Glover said, the Stoics 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:35.300 made the heart a desert and called it peace. 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:40.319 And I don't know about you, but we got a little 00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:43.800 problem here. If getting more, more, more, more 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:47.319 can never bring contentment, and if desiring 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:51.000 less, less, less, then the question is how can 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:56.699 we be satisfied today? And the answer to that 00:04:58.279 --> 00:05:00.480 It's from the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:03.680 Spirit, and he's going to tell you and he's going 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:06.939 to tell me how you actually can be content. Not 00:05:06.939 --> 00:05:09.420 when this, this, this. You can be content today. 00:05:09.500 --> 00:05:13.319 You can actually live your life in a way empowered 00:05:13.319 --> 00:05:15.759 by the Spirit of God so that when things are 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:18.620 great or when things are terrible, you can say 00:05:18.620 --> 00:05:22.579 and mean it, it is well with my soul. And you're 00:05:22.579 --> 00:05:24.759 going to learn it today. In fact, when I got 00:05:24.759 --> 00:05:26.600 thinking about this, we should have charged people 00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:30.319 to come in. I mean, it can have such a profound 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:33.220 impact in terms of the whole world's looking 00:05:33.220 --> 00:05:36.620 for happiness. And today, God is going to teach 00:05:36.620 --> 00:05:40.120 us, his children, how you can experience a, it 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:45.740 is well with your soul, 24 -7, 365, 24 hours 00:05:45.740 --> 00:05:48.079 a day. Now, it's a journey. It doesn't happen 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:50.899 all at once. Well, let's find out where that 00:05:50.899 --> 00:05:53.160 answer's found. Philippians chapter 4, 10 to 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:56.029 13. If you have your Bible, you can. Track along 00:05:56.029 --> 00:05:58.329 with me, but I put the text in so we could be 00:05:58.329 --> 00:06:00.790 in the same translation. Here's the occasion. 00:06:01.610 --> 00:06:04.410 The occasion is the Apostle Paul is in prison. 00:06:05.029 --> 00:06:07.490 So you've got to remember he's writing a letter, 00:06:07.569 --> 00:06:09.649 and this church, the Philippian church, they've 00:06:09.649 --> 00:06:12.470 got this great relationship, and it's the theme 00:06:12.470 --> 00:06:14.189 of this whole letter that he writes to them is 00:06:14.189 --> 00:06:16.889 about joy, and it started in such a way where 00:06:16.889 --> 00:06:18.810 there's not a lot of problems in this church. 00:06:18.850 --> 00:06:20.829 One made a little relational problem toward the 00:06:20.829 --> 00:06:24.980 end, but he's built this bond with them. And 00:06:24.980 --> 00:06:26.839 things have gone a little bit south for him. 00:06:26.899 --> 00:06:29.300 He's ended up in jail. He's in a Roman prison. 00:06:29.540 --> 00:06:31.459 And I'm not exactly sure what all that, but I 00:06:31.459 --> 00:06:33.420 know that every four to six hours, a new guard 00:06:33.420 --> 00:06:36.139 is chained to him. The food is not real good. 00:06:36.379 --> 00:06:39.480 He's got scars on his body. He's had a very difficult 00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:42.319 life. This is toward the latter parts of his 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:45.259 life. So you got bad food. It's cold. It's damp. 00:06:45.379 --> 00:06:47.660 There's rats. There's probably the smell of excrements. 00:06:47.740 --> 00:06:51.759 I mean, his situation is really bad. But Epaphroditus, 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:54.120 one of the... church guys found out finally, 00:06:54.220 --> 00:06:55.699 because they lost track of one another, where 00:06:55.699 --> 00:06:57.779 he was, and they came and brought him a gift. 00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:00.740 And what you're going to read is his literal 00:07:00.740 --> 00:07:03.220 thank you note. He's just writing a thank you 00:07:03.220 --> 00:07:05.120 note. So listen to what he says in verse 10. 00:07:05.180 --> 00:07:08.279 He says, I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at 00:07:08.279 --> 00:07:11.360 last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, 00:07:11.500 --> 00:07:14.339 you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity 00:07:14.339 --> 00:07:17.060 to show it. And circle, if you were, that word 00:07:17.060 --> 00:07:21.660 renewed. This word renewed is used for when a 00:07:21.660 --> 00:07:24.699 flower or a plant that has been dormant is now 00:07:24.699 --> 00:07:27.779 beginning to bloom. And the Apostle Paul is saying, 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:29.660 you know, we had those great times together and 00:07:29.660 --> 00:07:32.779 God birthed the church and we were that band 00:07:32.779 --> 00:07:35.459 of brothers and sisters. And then I ended up 00:07:35.459 --> 00:07:37.540 in prison. We lost track of one another. I knew 00:07:37.540 --> 00:07:39.879 you cared about me, but now you have opportunity. 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:42.680 And it's like the relationship has bloomed again. 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:46.240 And notice the phrase, I greatly rejoice. I'm 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:49.100 happy. I'm sitting in this prison, but I greatly 00:07:49.100 --> 00:07:52.360 rejoice in the Lord. And then notice he's going 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:54.339 to clarify his motives, because I don't know 00:07:54.339 --> 00:07:56.439 about you. You know, sometimes if you've helped 00:07:56.439 --> 00:07:58.399 someone, this is the only church we know of early 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:00.779 on that financially supported Paul. It was the 00:08:00.779 --> 00:08:02.839 first one. And so he wants them to know, now 00:08:02.839 --> 00:08:04.500 this is not like one of those thank you letters. 00:08:04.620 --> 00:08:06.800 Thank you for this great contribution to the 00:08:06.800 --> 00:08:08.240 ministry. Now let me tell you how much money 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:11.319 I need next. He says, my motives are just from 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:13.980 the heart. Picking it up in verse 11, he says, 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:16.939 I'm not saying this because I'm in need. For 00:08:16.939 --> 00:08:20.899 I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 00:08:21.459 --> 00:08:23.939 He goes on to say, I know what it is to be in 00:08:23.939 --> 00:08:26.660 need. I know what it is to have plenty. I have 00:08:26.660 --> 00:08:29.720 learned the secret of being content in any and 00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:32.940 every situation, whether well -fed or hungry, 00:08:33.179 --> 00:08:36.480 whether living in plenty or in want. Now, would 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:38.659 you go through and take the word learned and 00:08:38.659 --> 00:08:41.059 put a box around it and then skip down where 00:08:41.059 --> 00:08:45.690 he says, I've learned again? It's very interesting. 00:08:45.830 --> 00:08:49.029 This isn't a tense of the verb. It's not present 00:08:49.029 --> 00:08:52.009 tense. I am learning to be content. This is a 00:08:52.009 --> 00:08:54.289 tense of the verb that's punctiliar, seeing something. 00:08:54.490 --> 00:08:57.289 He basically is saying, in this journey with 00:08:57.289 --> 00:08:59.889 God, I've had mountain peaks and low times. I 00:08:59.889 --> 00:09:02.070 remember when I had a lot. I was a young man. 00:09:02.809 --> 00:09:04.730 Some say he may have been the most brilliant 00:09:04.730 --> 00:09:08.620 mind of his time. He got his MBA and his doctorate 00:09:08.620 --> 00:09:11.600 at Harvard Business School of his day and graduated 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:14.480 number one. He was a Pharisee. He came from an 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:17.200 upper crust family. He was a Roman citizen. He 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:19.580 was from this place called Tarsus. Barnabas, 00:09:19.580 --> 00:09:22.299 early friend, was very, very wealthy. He knows 00:09:22.299 --> 00:09:24.200 what it's like to drive the nicest cars, have 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:26.700 the nicest clothes, be esteemed by people, live 00:09:26.700 --> 00:09:29.360 in a nice house, go to any restaurant whenever, 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:32.820 and have a fat 401k. He knows what that life's 00:09:32.820 --> 00:09:37.750 like. But he says, I've had plenty. But he also 00:09:37.750 --> 00:09:41.830 says, the ups, I've also had downs, night and 00:09:41.830 --> 00:09:44.470 day in the deep. I've been beat within an inch 00:09:44.470 --> 00:09:47.710 of my life, the 39 lashes, three times. I've 00:09:47.710 --> 00:09:51.509 been left for dead once. In this current situation, 00:09:51.769 --> 00:09:53.690 one of his closest friends named Demas betrayed 00:09:53.690 --> 00:09:58.669 him and left. He's by himself. His body is marked 00:09:58.669 --> 00:10:01.580 with the scars. He's been times where he has 00:10:01.580 --> 00:10:04.580 had no food for days at a time. He's lived as 00:10:04.580 --> 00:10:07.080 high as you can live in his day, and he's lived 00:10:07.080 --> 00:10:10.200 as low as you can live. And in the ups and downs, 00:10:10.299 --> 00:10:13.000 there's a thread that connects all of them, and 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:15.480 it's the supernatural relationship with Jesus. 00:10:15.659 --> 00:10:18.100 And he says, he looks at that whole thing, and 00:10:18.100 --> 00:10:19.879 he says, like he's taking a photograph, snap, 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:23.580 I have learned. Now, this is what he's saying, 00:10:23.659 --> 00:10:26.940 like I learned to ride a bike, okay? I'm not 00:10:26.940 --> 00:10:28.779 learning to ride a bike. If you put a bike up 00:10:28.779 --> 00:10:31.659 here, Trust me, I can get on it and I can ride 00:10:31.659 --> 00:10:37.620 it. I can get better, but I have learned to ride 00:10:37.620 --> 00:10:40.480 a bike. You know what he's saying here? I've 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:44.019 learned to be content. It means it's possible. 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:48.220 I've learned to have a ton of money in the bank, 00:10:48.299 --> 00:10:50.539 go to the finest restaurants, have everything 00:10:50.539 --> 00:10:54.799 going my way, and I've learned when my physical 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:57.200 body didn't work, when my closest friends betrayed 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:00.460 me, when people walked out on my life, and when 00:11:00.460 --> 00:11:02.460 it seemed like things could not be any worse, 00:11:02.659 --> 00:11:06.500 I have learned already out of my relationship 00:11:06.500 --> 00:11:09.919 with Christ to say and to actually experience 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:15.200 it's well with my soul. No fake, no artificial. 00:11:16.139 --> 00:11:18.840 And then in verse 13, he tells us how it occurs. 00:11:18.980 --> 00:11:21.679 He says, I actually can do everything through 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:25.399 Christ who gives me strength. So this is by way 00:11:25.399 --> 00:11:27.759 of an overview of what's happening, and by way 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:30.179 of conclusion, contentment is not a thing to 00:11:30.179 --> 00:11:33.779 be achieved, but a secret to be discovered. As 00:11:33.779 --> 00:11:36.980 we're here today, you can actually discover a 00:11:36.980 --> 00:11:39.360 secret. There is a way. He said, I've learned 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:42.960 the secret, and he says, I've got it. I am content. 00:11:44.580 --> 00:11:47.220 It's not something to be achieved. There is a... 00:11:48.019 --> 00:11:50.860 pattern of things that you can learn that you 00:11:50.860 --> 00:11:53.120 could walk out that door or one of those doors 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:56.000 out of this and you could start a journey and 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:58.419 you could come to the point in this life that 00:11:58.419 --> 00:12:00.639 regardless of your circumstances, you could be 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:04.139 fully satisfied, content, not want for anything 00:12:04.139 --> 00:12:07.080 else and be satisfied and content with who you 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:10.720 are, where you are, what you're doing. You're 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:13.220 listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:12:13.299 --> 00:12:15.860 We'll get back to today's message in just a minute. 00:12:15.980 --> 00:12:18.379 But first, if you're wanting to do a deeper study 00:12:18.379 --> 00:12:21.059 of Philippians chapter 4 with Chip, check out 00:12:21.059 --> 00:12:24.100 his popular book, I Choose Peace. You'll discover 00:12:24.100 --> 00:12:27.019 how to willfully and purposely choose the peace 00:12:27.019 --> 00:12:29.840 that only God can offer. Stick around after the 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:32.639 broadcast to learn more. Well, with that, here 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:35.379 again is Chip. And this word means, the word 00:12:35.379 --> 00:12:38.879 content means self -sufficiency. This is not 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:42.059 the removal of, I love what one commentator says, 00:12:42.279 --> 00:12:44.820 he learned the secret of deep peace based on 00:12:44.820 --> 00:12:48.259 detachment from his outward circumstances. And 00:12:48.259 --> 00:12:50.659 then he goes on to say, this is not a fatalism 00:12:50.659 --> 00:12:53.779 which cuts the nerve of ambition or smooth endeavors, 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:58.159 no. It is a detachment from anxious concern about 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:00.399 the outward features of this life. This kind 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:02.299 of contentment doesn't mean you, well, I'm gonna 00:13:02.299 --> 00:13:05.259 lay back on the couch and this is pressing on, 00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:08.259 being all you want to be. And in the midst of 00:13:08.259 --> 00:13:11.519 the ups and downs of life, a veritable peace 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:14.580 in your heart, a satisfaction that's supernatural. 00:13:15.700 --> 00:13:17.879 And the question I want to ask is, how do you 00:13:17.879 --> 00:13:20.899 get that? I mean, Paul knew it was a moving target. 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:24.179 Paul knew from his experience that getting more 00:13:24.179 --> 00:13:26.360 and more and more wouldn't do it. Paul knew, 00:13:26.419 --> 00:13:28.379 I mean, the philosophers of his day, there were 00:13:28.379 --> 00:13:30.659 multiple Stoics. He knew pretending that relationships 00:13:30.659 --> 00:13:32.659 don't matter and saying less and less isn't it. 00:13:33.480 --> 00:13:35.779 And the Apostle Paul on this morning, on this 00:13:35.779 --> 00:13:37.960 day in your life and mine is going to say, I'm 00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:41.320 going to share the secret. I will show you in 00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:44.620 this text, he's saying to us, how you can be 00:13:44.620 --> 00:13:50.220 content. So let's dig in. Four principles and 00:13:50.220 --> 00:13:53.100 four practices. Okay, this isn't idealistic. 00:13:53.100 --> 00:13:54.740 This isn't like one of those messages somewhere 00:13:54.740 --> 00:13:58.159 someday. He's going to walk you through and walk 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:02.080 me through four specific practices that there's 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:04.960 a principle behind them that if you understand 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:07.700 the principle and start to progressively begin 00:14:07.700 --> 00:14:11.580 to practice it, you can come to a day in your 00:14:11.580 --> 00:14:13.700 life where you could say, I've learned to be 00:14:13.700 --> 00:14:16.519 content. Just like you can say, I can ride a 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:20.799 bike. Just like you can say, I've mastered. This 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:24.259 or that, you can learn to be content. It's pretty 00:14:24.259 --> 00:14:27.820 exciting. The question's how. Contrary to the 00:14:27.820 --> 00:14:30.120 lie that I'll be content when my circumstances 00:14:30.120 --> 00:14:33.539 align with my desires, the first secret of contentment 00:14:33.539 --> 00:14:35.980 is learning our contentment principle number 00:14:35.980 --> 00:14:40.080 one is not dependent on our circumstances. See, 00:14:40.120 --> 00:14:41.879 unconsciously, what you've been taught, what 00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:43.580 I've been taught, what the world teaches us, 00:14:43.620 --> 00:14:46.759 what each commercial says is Here's your circumstances 00:14:46.759 --> 00:14:49.759 over here, and here's your desires. Someday, 00:14:49.899 --> 00:14:53.019 someway, through lots of things, when your circumstances 00:14:53.019 --> 00:14:57.000 and desires align, then you can be happy. Then 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:00.340 you can be satisfied. I call it the when -then 00:15:00.340 --> 00:15:04.559 syndrome. Here's the when. When I get married, 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:09.340 then I'll be happy. When I have a great job, 00:15:09.500 --> 00:15:13.759 then I'll be happy. When my marriage is on all 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:16.879 cylinders, Then I'll be happy. When we have a 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:19.299 child, when we have more money, when we have 00:15:19.299 --> 00:15:21.259 a second house, when we remodel the bathroom, 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:23.460 when I make the cheerleading squad, when I finally 00:15:23.460 --> 00:15:25.700 score this on the SAT, when I get into this college, 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:28.759 when, when, when, then, then, then, then. It's 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:33.820 a lie. The people that have the then are not 00:15:33.820 --> 00:15:39.039 happy. And yet we, like cats chasing their tail, 00:15:39.139 --> 00:15:44.299 just increase the speed. of the when -then mentality. 00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:49.360 Paul says the answer is to break the power of 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:53.659 this lie, and he gives us the practice. Be grateful. 00:15:55.000 --> 00:16:01.240 Be grateful. Be thankful. Put another way, develop 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:05.460 the discipline of thanking God for what you do 00:16:05.460 --> 00:16:08.919 have instead of focusing on what you don't have. 00:16:10.990 --> 00:16:13.350 You understand that billions of dollars each 00:16:13.350 --> 00:16:16.809 year coming across the screen in every magazine 00:16:16.809 --> 00:16:20.909 ad are designed specifically to make you what? 00:16:22.269 --> 00:16:25.629 Discontent. In other words, that set of clothes 00:16:25.629 --> 00:16:28.029 will make you. So I got to go get that. This 00:16:28.029 --> 00:16:30.990 food will make you. This drink will make you. 00:16:31.090 --> 00:16:33.789 This job will make you. This surgery will make 00:16:33.789 --> 00:16:37.149 you. This diet will make you. When? Then. When? 00:16:37.309 --> 00:16:40.820 Then. Paul says. Human nature is we focus on 00:16:40.820 --> 00:16:43.259 what we don't have, don't have, don't have. He 00:16:43.259 --> 00:16:45.799 says, here's what I've learned. I habitually, 00:16:45.980 --> 00:16:51.279 relentlessly, obediently thank God moment for 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:54.519 moment for what I do have. And this is not like 00:16:54.519 --> 00:16:57.440 a sort of a nice suggestion, you know, power 00:16:57.440 --> 00:16:59.519 of positive thinking. Jot down, if you will, 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:04.569 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 16 through 18. 16 says 00:17:04.569 --> 00:17:08.029 rejoice always. 17 says pray without ceasing. 00:17:08.289 --> 00:17:14.109 18 says for giving thanks in all things for this 00:17:14.109 --> 00:17:17.390 is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. The 00:17:17.390 --> 00:17:21.569 giving of thanks in all things and for all things, 00:17:21.670 --> 00:17:26.309 it's God's will. Let me give you a picture. By 00:17:26.309 --> 00:17:29.460 the way, Christian or not. You can be a Christian 00:17:29.460 --> 00:17:32.420 and be a very ungrateful, grumbling person. And 00:17:32.420 --> 00:17:34.660 it can be very, very subtle and destroy your 00:17:34.660 --> 00:17:37.200 contentment. I married a wonderful, wonderful 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:40.019 woman named Teresa sitting over there. And we 00:17:40.019 --> 00:17:43.180 had no premarital counseling. And she loved God 00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:44.920 and I loved God. And within six months, we were 00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:49.559 in seminary. And everything about her was, she's 00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:52.859 east, I'm west, north, I'm south. I mean, we 00:17:52.859 --> 00:17:55.299 only have to take one test on all those inventories. 00:17:55.480 --> 00:17:57.779 Whoever takes the test, then whatever that person 00:17:57.779 --> 00:17:59.240 is, you just put the exact opposite, and that's 00:17:59.240 --> 00:18:03.059 what you are. Saves a lot of time. And so differences 00:18:03.059 --> 00:18:05.539 attract. I mean, like two magnets, it was like, 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:08.359 boom, oh, man, this is awesome. But about nine 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:10.740 months into our marriage or a year, year and 00:18:10.740 --> 00:18:13.339 a half as we kept going, those opposites, she 00:18:13.339 --> 00:18:16.539 was very, very faithful. Now she's rigid. She 00:18:16.539 --> 00:18:19.019 has great integrity. Now she's just picky over 00:18:19.019 --> 00:18:22.079 little things. And so, you know, I had a list 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:24.119 after about six or eight months in our marriage. 00:18:24.259 --> 00:18:26.200 I'm thinking, you know, this is, you know, it's 00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:30.839 a good marriage, but I focused on the 5%. I just 00:18:30.839 --> 00:18:32.680 kind of unconsciously said, you know, there's 00:18:32.680 --> 00:18:35.000 five or six things that she can improve, and 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:36.180 when she improves, we'll have a great marriage. 00:18:36.220 --> 00:18:38.619 So I started the self -help program of how to 00:18:38.619 --> 00:18:41.319 make Teresa who she needs to be. You know, if 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:42.559 she was a little more that way, a little more 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:44.799 that way, a lot less that way, if she would do 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:46.480 this, stop doing this, this is going to be great. 00:18:46.539 --> 00:18:48.599 So? You know, it's a project. Got to do what 00:18:48.599 --> 00:18:50.740 you're supposed to do. So I decided to focus 00:18:50.740 --> 00:18:54.420 on those areas you need to develop. Now, a lot 00:18:54.420 --> 00:18:56.319 of times I never said anything, but this is what's 00:18:56.319 --> 00:18:59.400 going through my mind. And it comes out in my 00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:03.359 habits. And pretty soon, we're, you know what, 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:05.019 we really love each other. We really love God. 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:06.740 And I'm in seminary preparing for ministry, and 00:19:06.740 --> 00:19:12.349 we're making each other nuts. And I got to tell 00:19:12.349 --> 00:19:14.150 you something, not only did God provide some 00:19:14.150 --> 00:19:16.609 wise pastoral counseling and we went to some 00:19:16.609 --> 00:19:18.490 counseling and worked through some of our baggage 00:19:18.490 --> 00:19:19.750 and we learned all that, but I'll tell you at 00:19:19.750 --> 00:19:22.609 the heart of it, and I still do it, you know, 00:19:22.630 --> 00:19:25.910 almost, I don't know, 27, 30 years later, I still 00:19:25.910 --> 00:19:29.569 do it. I begin the process of being grateful 00:19:29.569 --> 00:19:32.609 and thanking God for what I did have in my life 00:19:32.609 --> 00:19:36.390 and stop focusing on the 5 % that I didn't have. 00:19:37.049 --> 00:19:39.640 It'll change your world. I mean, to this day, 00:19:39.660 --> 00:19:41.839 I'll still go out to a coffee shop, and sometimes 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:43.500 just when I'm struggling emotionally, and everyone 00:19:43.500 --> 00:19:45.559 does, and you have these little kind of distances 00:19:45.559 --> 00:19:47.660 in your marriage, I will often get out a napkin 00:19:47.660 --> 00:19:49.660 and start writing down, she is faithful. She's 00:19:49.660 --> 00:19:52.880 an awesome mom. Man, she prays for me. She is 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:55.119 beautiful. And I'll just write down all the things, 00:19:55.259 --> 00:19:57.259 and I'll thank God, thank God, thank God, thank 00:19:57.259 --> 00:19:59.000 God. You know what happens? My emotions change. 00:19:59.779 --> 00:20:02.180 And when my emotions change, I treat her differently. 00:20:02.380 --> 00:20:04.720 And when I treat her differently, that 5 % keeps 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:11.539 shrinking. What's your situation? What relationship, 00:20:11.779 --> 00:20:15.099 what issue in your life are you constantly focusing 00:20:15.099 --> 00:20:18.160 on what you don't have instead of thanking God 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:20.579 for what you do have? The Apostle Paul says, 00:20:20.779 --> 00:20:23.440 if you want to experience contentment, it is 00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:25.960 well with your soul, practice number one, be 00:20:25.960 --> 00:20:30.299 grateful. Second, secret to contentment dispels 00:20:30.299 --> 00:20:33.220 the myth that contentment is a future event. 00:20:34.110 --> 00:20:36.410 Somehow in America and multiple places around 00:20:36.410 --> 00:20:39.109 the world, we think there's some future event, 00:20:39.210 --> 00:20:41.670 not just a win then, but it's sort of like there's 00:20:41.670 --> 00:20:43.970 a lotto out there. The lotto might be a person. 00:20:44.049 --> 00:20:46.009 The lotto might be the actual lotto, and I'm 00:20:46.009 --> 00:20:49.230 going to get $35 billion zillion. But there's 00:20:49.230 --> 00:20:54.890 this event, and when it occurs, ah. Notice what 00:20:54.890 --> 00:20:56.930 the Apostle Paul says. Principle number two, 00:20:57.390 --> 00:21:01.190 contentment is an attitude we learn, not a thing 00:21:01.190 --> 00:21:03.509 that we achieve. You say, well, where do you 00:21:03.509 --> 00:21:05.309 get that? Well, look at verse 11, I have learned. 00:21:06.170 --> 00:21:08.630 Look at verse 12, I have learned. You might circle 00:21:08.630 --> 00:21:12.730 those if you haven't. Contentment is not out 00:21:12.730 --> 00:21:16.490 there, external. Contentment is God doing something 00:21:16.490 --> 00:21:20.690 in you, through you, so it's in here. Epicurus 00:21:20.690 --> 00:21:25.329 said, to him who little is not enough, nothing 00:21:25.329 --> 00:21:34.490 is enough. The practice, be teachable. You know, 00:21:34.490 --> 00:21:36.710 if you really want to learn to ride the bicycle 00:21:36.710 --> 00:21:39.609 of contentment as a way of life, you learn to 00:21:39.609 --> 00:21:42.890 practice gratefulness, thankfulness, and then 00:21:42.890 --> 00:21:46.170 be teachable. Ask God what he wants you to learn 00:21:46.170 --> 00:21:49.210 in your present circumstance instead of telling 00:21:49.210 --> 00:21:52.230 God what you want him to change. Wouldn't it 00:21:52.230 --> 00:21:54.190 be interesting if we put a little recorder under 00:21:54.190 --> 00:21:57.069 your pillow or some place where you pray if you 00:21:57.069 --> 00:21:59.569 pray out loud? Or we could record your mind and 00:21:59.569 --> 00:22:01.450 we could listen to your prayers, my prayers. 00:22:02.820 --> 00:22:05.400 I wonder how many of our prayers are totally 00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:07.940 about, God, I want you to change my boss. I want 00:22:07.940 --> 00:22:10.119 you to change my wife. Actually, I'd like to 00:22:10.119 --> 00:22:11.279 change something because I don't have a wife. 00:22:11.640 --> 00:22:13.359 I want you to change this. I want you to change 00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:15.160 that. I want you to change this about me. I want 00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:17.500 you to change this about that. God, here's your 00:22:17.500 --> 00:22:19.740 agenda. I know you're the great self -help genie, 00:22:19.740 --> 00:22:22.880 and your whole goal of being the creator of all 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:24.700 that there is is to make me happy, fulfilled, 00:22:24.980 --> 00:22:27.680 warm, and fuzzy every day in every way. So here's 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:32.019 my list. Take care of it, will you? See, unconsciously, 00:22:32.019 --> 00:22:34.900 that's the lie we've believed. People that are 00:22:34.900 --> 00:22:39.859 content first say, thank you, Lord. Not pie in 00:22:39.859 --> 00:22:42.480 the sky. Thank you, God. It's hard. It's difficult. 00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:44.920 I don't like it, but I choose to say thank you. 00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:49.519 And then they're teachable. God, because of these 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:52.319 circumstances, what do you want to teach me? 00:22:53.500 --> 00:22:56.380 Instead of asking you to do something out there, 00:22:56.500 --> 00:23:03.240 what is it you want me to learn? This is Living 00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:05.900 on the Edge with Chip Ingram. And you've been 00:23:05.900 --> 00:23:08.220 listening to part one of Chip's message, In Difficult 00:23:08.220 --> 00:23:11.140 Circumstances, from our series, I Choose Peace. 00:23:11.619 --> 00:23:13.859 Chip will be back shortly to share some helpful 00:23:13.859 --> 00:23:16.579 application for us to think about. What does 00:23:16.579 --> 00:23:19.599 it mean to be at peace? Is it having a thriving 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:22.099 career, happy household, financial security? 00:23:22.460 --> 00:23:25.160 While many strive for these goals, they often 00:23:25.160 --> 00:23:27.759 bring only short -term satisfaction, leaving 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:31.420 us seeking more. In this 12 -part study in Philippians 00:23:31.420 --> 00:23:34.200 chapter 4, Chip explains where this attitude 00:23:34.200 --> 00:23:36.500 of discontentment comes from and the ways it 00:23:36.500 --> 00:23:39.160 steals our peace. Stay with us to learn how to 00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:42.000 move beyond temporary calmness and develop a 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:44.480 lasting peace -centered life that comes from 00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:47.160 God. If you've missed any part of this series, 00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:51.259 catch up anytime at livingontheedge .org or wherever 00:23:51.259 --> 00:23:53.880 you listen to podcasts. Well, before we go any 00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:56.549 further in this program, here's Chip. I'll be 00:23:56.549 --> 00:23:58.730 right back in just a minute to give some final 00:23:58.730 --> 00:24:02.410 application to today's message. But I just want 00:24:02.410 --> 00:24:05.890 you to know that peace is possible. And I don't 00:24:05.890 --> 00:24:08.470 mean just circumstance get better or some of 00:24:08.470 --> 00:24:12.559 your dreams come true. The peace of God. is a 00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:15.559 part of the Spirit of God living inside of you. 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:18.500 And I think we're settling for far too little 00:24:18.500 --> 00:24:20.779 instead of gaining all God wants us to have. 00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:24.039 We tend to redefine peace as I finally meet the 00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:26.799 right person or I have enough money or I got 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:29.960 a new car or my life's working right now. And 00:24:29.960 --> 00:24:32.359 we go from sort of circumstance to circumstance 00:24:32.359 --> 00:24:35.079 and things are kind of hard and I lose my peace 00:24:35.079 --> 00:24:38.240 and then things are great and I feel peace. Here's 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:41.299 what I want you to know. Life will always have 00:24:41.299 --> 00:24:44.900 its ups and downs. But God is teaching us in 00:24:44.900 --> 00:24:49.779 this series that His peace can be yours. A calm, 00:24:49.880 --> 00:24:53.559 a serenity, regardless of circumstance. And the 00:24:53.559 --> 00:24:55.900 book that I wrote from this series, I Choose 00:24:55.900 --> 00:24:58.980 Peace, is how you can have calm in the midst 00:24:58.980 --> 00:25:02.259 of stress and anxiety and the demands of this 00:25:02.259 --> 00:25:05.200 world. I want to encourage you to get a copy 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:07.960 of this book and read through it slowly, or better 00:25:07.960 --> 00:25:09.799 yet, at the end of each chapter, there's some 00:25:09.799 --> 00:25:12.119 questions. You could discuss it with a friend 00:25:12.119 --> 00:25:14.519 or with your mate or get four or five people 00:25:14.519 --> 00:25:16.819 together and say, hey, let's go through this 00:25:16.819 --> 00:25:21.829 together. Your peace matters to God. It's not 00:25:21.829 --> 00:25:25.269 elusive. It's not out there. God has provided 00:25:25.269 --> 00:25:28.390 it, but you need to learn how to access it. And 00:25:28.390 --> 00:25:32.529 I Choose Peace is the doorway for you to experience 00:25:32.529 --> 00:25:36.039 it on a regular basis. Good word, Chip. Well, 00:25:36.039 --> 00:25:38.180 to learn more about this practical and insightful 00:25:38.180 --> 00:25:41.740 resource, visit livingontheedge .org or call 00:25:41.740 --> 00:25:46.819 888 -333 -6003. If you're desperate to quiet 00:25:46.819 --> 00:25:49.640 the worries of your heart and the anxieties of 00:25:49.640 --> 00:25:52.279 this world and experience genuine peace, you 00:25:52.279 --> 00:25:55.319 got to check out this book. So go to livingontheedge 00:25:55.319 --> 00:26:01.240 .org or call 888 -333 -6003 to get your copy 00:26:01.240 --> 00:26:05.990 of I Choose Peace. special offers. With that, 00:26:06.029 --> 00:26:08.230 here's Chip to share a few final words for us 00:26:08.230 --> 00:26:11.450 to think about. As we wrap up today's teaching, 00:26:11.670 --> 00:26:14.630 I want to begin practicing with you the process 00:26:14.630 --> 00:26:18.609 where you'll learn to be content in every circumstance. 00:26:19.430 --> 00:26:21.549 There's two practices that I've learned over 00:26:21.549 --> 00:26:23.630 the years. In fact, I learned them from the Apostle 00:26:23.630 --> 00:26:27.069 Paul. And number one is to be grateful. I mean, 00:26:27.130 --> 00:26:29.349 this isn't something that, you know, I learned 00:26:29.349 --> 00:26:32.440 once and I put in a message. This morning, the 00:26:32.440 --> 00:26:35.279 Lord awakened me very early. I have a lot on 00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:37.380 my plate. You know, all that jumbling in your 00:26:37.380 --> 00:26:41.000 mind, demands, right? And I opened my journal, 00:26:41.059 --> 00:26:43.200 and I just started thinking, okay, God, I want 00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:46.180 to thank you for. And then I listed a moment 00:26:46.180 --> 00:26:48.920 my wife and I had yesterday. Then I listed a 00:26:48.920 --> 00:26:51.460 little time with my son and my granddaughter. 00:26:51.720 --> 00:26:54.099 And then some staff members who were just so 00:26:54.099 --> 00:26:57.240 gracious. But it was just thank you, thank you, 00:26:57.259 --> 00:26:59.180 thank you, thank you. And I put a little star 00:26:59.180 --> 00:27:01.900 by each one of them. And what I want you to know 00:27:01.900 --> 00:27:06.759 is the jumbled emotions began to settle. As I'm 00:27:06.759 --> 00:27:09.500 grateful for what I have, as I'm grateful and 00:27:09.500 --> 00:27:12.519 look at that through the lens of gratitude, it's 00:27:12.519 --> 00:27:15.400 amazing what God does in your heart. The second 00:27:15.400 --> 00:27:19.200 step that we learned is be teachable. In other 00:27:19.200 --> 00:27:21.779 words, when you're going through difficulty and 00:27:21.779 --> 00:27:24.059 when you don't understand things or when you're 00:27:24.059 --> 00:27:26.619 frustrated or even when you're angry at someone, 00:27:26.859 --> 00:27:30.180 here's the question, Lord, What do you want to 00:27:30.180 --> 00:27:34.000 teach me in this? Show me how you want me to 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:37.140 respond instead of, God, I want you to do this. 00:27:37.180 --> 00:27:39.039 God, I want you to do that. God, I want you to 00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:41.680 do this. And if you don't do that, if you can 00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:45.359 surrender that demanding spirit and ask him for 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:49.339 help. As we learn to choose peace, we do some 00:27:49.339 --> 00:27:52.099 positive things, gratefulness, teachability. 00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:55.799 Then we eliminate some negative things. Too much 00:27:55.799 --> 00:27:59.480 TV, Netflix, and social media. See if the Spirit 00:27:59.480 --> 00:28:02.359 of God doesn't use that starting today to bring 00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:05.559 you peace. Really timely advice and challenge, 00:28:05.759 --> 00:28:08.740 Chip. Thanks. Just before we close, I quickly 00:28:08.740 --> 00:28:10.960 want to thank those of you who regularly give 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:13.579 to Living on the Edge. You're making a big difference 00:28:13.579 --> 00:28:16.559 in helping Christians live like Christians. But 00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:18.599 if you're benefiting from our ministry and haven't 00:28:18.599 --> 00:28:21.299 started giving yet, let me encourage you to join 00:28:21.299 --> 00:28:23.720 the Living on the Edge team. You can do that 00:28:23.720 --> 00:28:26.819 by setting up a recurring donation at livingontheedge 00:28:26.819 --> 00:28:32.740 .org or by calling us at 888 -333 -6003. Again, 00:28:32.759 --> 00:28:38.019 that's 888 -333 -6003 or visit livingontheedge 00:28:38.019 --> 00:28:42.359 .org. App listeners, tap donate. And thanks for 00:28:42.359 --> 00:28:45.880 doing whatever the Lord leads you to do. Thank 00:28:45.880 --> 00:28:47.400 you for listening to this edition of Living on 00:28:47.400 --> 00:28:50.140 the Edge with Chip Ingram. Next time we'll continue 00:28:50.140 --> 00:28:53.859 Chip's series, I Choose Peace. I'm Dave Drewy 00:28:53.859 --> 00:28:55.039 and I hope you'll join us then.