Being Content

Being Content

Philippians 4:12-13

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

While most people’s goal in life is to be happy then why is our natural state one of discontentment? Approximately 9.14 billion U.S. dollars are spent in Canada alone to convince us to buy goods and services with the promise that it will make us happy. For the poor of this world does this mean that happiness is unattainable and the best they can hope for is to “window shop” and dream? If this were the case, then how does one explain so many people in this world remaining poor and yet happy? Also, if happiness comes from buying “stuff” then how does one explain why so many rich people are unhappy? Isn’t it true that despite buying the best vacations, fanciest cars, luxurious homes and mountains of food to eat, our insatiable desires to always want more keeps us sad because we are always looking a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow that simply does not exist? Charles Spurgeon said that both in abundance and need “covetousness, discontent and murmuring, are as natural to a man as thorns are to the soil,” In today’s sermon we are going to find out that the key to happiness is being content and thankful with whatever God has provided!

The Wealth Trap

Wealth, fame and power are often a trap that catches and drowns many a person in a sea of sorrow! To prove this statement true, I invite you to think about the following illustration that I am going to do in church on Sunday. The first thing that I am going to do is to ask for some children to volunteer as my bankers. I want children to play this part because of their ability to persuade an adult to do “silly” things! The children will be asked to “huddle” together and decide which adult they want to ask to be the “worldly” person of this illustration. Once an adult is chosen I am going to instruct the children to get this person to sit on a chair. I will then explain how good life can be when one has only the simplest of things in their possession.

Most people however have a difficult time living this way because Satan dangles before them all sorts of “stuff” that is promised to bring them pleasure. Does not a person need more and better hair to be happy? I will get the children to pick out a “silly” wig and place it on the adult’s head. I will then ask the adult to smile when the wig is being put on but later to frown to show their happiness was short lived because he/she desired something else! Sitting outdoors in the sun is hot so now this person wants sunglasses to be happy. I will get the children to pick out “silly” sun glasses and put it over the adult’s eyes. While they are doing this, I will again ask the adult to smile but later to frown to show his/her happiness is short lived because he/she now desires a hat to keep his/her new expensive hair from being damaged. I will get the children to pick out a “silly” hat and place that on the adult’s head. While they are doing this again I will ask the adult to smile for a bit but later to frown to show his/her happiness is once again short lived. I will then tell the adult that their new “stuff” is expensive and invite them to get on a bike to work off their debt. While they are doing this, I will ask them to give a huge frown! I will then thank the adult participant and the children for their wonderful help and ask them to be seated.

Once you get caught in the spider’s web of “stuff” there is little chance of escaping for no matter how much one has one will always covet the “more” of someone else! In today’s techno-savvy world one is always but a click away from buying more and more stuff! And the sad part is that the more debt one acquires to buy all the “stuff” one covets, the less money available to give to God and the greater likelihood of neglecting one’s spiritual walk with Him because one is working all the time to pay one’s bills! This is what Charles Spurgeon calls the “money spinner.” Once you get your fingers into coveting the things of this world soon goes in a hand, the feet, body and all! Way too many people’s happiness have been destroyed by Satan’s promise that acquiring stuff is the key to becoming happy! And even when the blessings come from God are we not like Israel, the moment we experience providential mercies our gratitude lasts only as long as we don’t see something we covet as being “better”?