The Secret of Contentment

Transcript

Rob McFarlane: 0:58

Today we're looking at the secret of contentment. Contentment is being grateful and finding joy in what we have and not looking for fulfillment in what we do not have or the next best thing. As an example, in 2006 I was really excited to have my first Blackberry phone. Then in 2007, the first iPhone was launched, and then I was no longer content with what I had. I started to think to myself, if only I had an iPhone, I would be happy. Often we get what we want, and when we get it, we think we want something else. And contentment is being happy with what we already have, enjoying it, being grateful for it, and uh and just being happy with our lot in life. Like it says in Psalm 16, the boundary lines for us have fallen in pleasant places. Well, today we're going to look at three passages of Scripture to see what the Bible teaches about the secret of contentment. Number one, we learn to be content when we find our strength and supply in Christ. Let's look at Philippians chapter 4, verse 11 to verse 13. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learnt in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance I have learnt the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. And then verse 19 says, And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. We see a number of things from these verses. First of all, contentment is something that we learn, and we need to come to a place where we learn the secret of contentment, whether we are brought low or whether we abound, whether we have plenty or whether we have need. And then verse 19, and my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. There are certain things that only Jesus can fulfill in our lives. And if we're looking for fulfillment in other things, activities, relationships, possessions, they might satisfy us for a season. They may have a temporary fulfillment and bring us happiness and joy for a short time. But if we find our strength and supply in Christ and what He provides for us, we will live a much fuller and joyful life. I encourage us today to find our strength and supply in Christ. Let's learn to be content with what we have. It's so easy for us to want the next best thing. It's so easy for us to say, if only I had this or that, I would be happy. But we need to find our happiness in Jesus Christ. Number two, we find contentment when we live with eternal values. Let's look at first Timothy chapter six, verse six to verse eight. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. I was present for the birth of all four of my children, and they didn't come with a little backpack, they didn't come with a wallet, they didn't come with anything, they just came into the world naked. I've also presided at funerals, and I've never seen a hearse with a trailer full of the person's possessions. We came into this world with nothing, and we leave with nothing. I even heard a story about Howard Hughes, who in his generation was one of the richest men, and when he died, a reporter asked one of his accountants, How much did he leave behind? And the accountant answered, he left everything behind. We need to understand that in this life, if we have food and clothing, we should enjoy it and be content with those things. Now I've only got two feet, but I've got at least four pairs of shoes. As far as I'm concerned, that is abundance. That is God's blessing in my life. And I enjoy my shoes, I enjoy wearing my shoes. I I think I've got cool shoes, and uh and I think that we need to enjoy what God has entrusted us with. Remembering that we need to be content with what we have in this world. Let's look at 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 17 to verse 19. It says, As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor set their hope on uncertain riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, that they may take hold of that which is truly life. You might say, Am I the rich in this present age? Well, if you live in the first world, you are the rich in this present age. Don't compare yourself to the very rich, to the 1% of the world's population that that just have everything. But we need to understand if you live in the first world, if you're employed, if you if you have access to the NHS, free medical care, if you have access to to a state pension, if you have access to uh to running water in your home and heating in your home, you are the rich in this present age. I don't know what percentage of the world lives on less than a dollar a day, but it's an incredibly high percentage. I don't know how you get on with a dollar a day. But we need to live with gratitude for what we have. He says we need to enjoy what God has given us. We mustn't be haughty and think that we're better than somebody else because of what we possess, and we shouldn't put our hope in uncertain riches, but our hope should be on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. We need to enjoy what God has entrusted to us. We need to use it with joy and not with guilt. If God has blessed you with a nice home or a nice car, don't feel guilty about that. Enjoy it. Enjoy God's blessing in your life. But, like it says in verse 18, we are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share. It's important for us to have generous hearts. We must remember generosity is not based on the amount that you give, but an attitude of your heart. I've lived in Zimbabwe and ministered around Zimbabwe and different areas where people have very little. And I've seen generosity of heart as people have shared the little they have with someone else, perhaps a meal or a chicken that they will slaughter and cook a meal so that you can enjoy after you've ministered to them. And we need to, with humility, accept that generosity, but also recognize that it's not how much you give, it's how much you keep for yourself that determines how generous you really are. And then it says if we do this, we store up for ourselves a foundation for the future. Be generous in this life, enjoy what God's given you in this life, but remember we need to live with eternal values. So often people think that what they possess gives them hope or courage for the future, or what they possess makes them more important or valuable than someone else. But Jesus clearly said in Luke chapter 12, verse 15, take care, be on your guard against all covetousness, the opposite of contentment. Be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. So, secondly, we've seen today that we will find contentment when we live with eternal values. Enjoy what God has entrusted to you in this life, use it for the good of others and for his glory. Live with eternal values. Number three, we find contentment in enjoying God's presence. Let's read Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 5. It says, Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have. For he has said, Jesus has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. We can enjoy God's presence, and that, my friends, is the greatest treasure on earth to know that God is with us, that he promised he would never leave us or forsake us. That he said, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age. Contentment will come when we enjoy God's presence. Now there's certain things that only Jesus can fulfill in our lives. Someone has described it as an empty void in their lives that they have tried to fill with so many different things, and anything that they've tried to fill that void with has only brought temporary relief or peace. But Jesus comes and he brings joy, peace, and purpose in our lives that will last forever. That is the greatest treasure to have a relationship with God, to have peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ. In Psalm 16, verse 11, the psalmist says, You make known to me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. So, in summary, we've learned today that we can learn to be content when we find our strength and supply in Christ. Secondly, we've seen that we find contentment when we live with eternal values. Don't just live for the here and now, don't just live for possessions. Recognize possessions are simply tools for us to be able to reach people for Jesus and to be able to make a difference with our lives for eternity. And number three, we've seen that we find contentment in enjoying God's presence. Let's pray. And as we do, let's ask the Holy Spirit to show us what He wants us to do, what adjustments He wants us to make as a result of what we've heard in today's sermon. Let's pray. Father God, thank you that you are our strength and our supply. Thank you that we find contentment in our relationship with you. Help us to learn the secret of contentment. Thank you that you want us to live with eternal values, to enjoy what we have, to walk in your blessings and be grateful for that, to keep our hope in you, to do good, to be generous and willing to share. But Lord, most importantly, we thank you for your presence. We thank you that you said you would never leave us or forsake us, that you would be with us always. And we thank you for the joy that we find walking with you. Help us to enjoy our lives and everything that you've entrusted to us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.