Law & Order: SPU – Scratch Where It itches”
Ex. 20:17; Mt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:10-13
A man was talking to his psychiatrist. He said, “I’ve been misbehaving and my conscience is bothering me.” The doctor responded, “And you want something that will strengthen your will power?” The man replied, “Actually I was thinking of something that would weaken my conscience.” What we feed our minds and hearts determines whether we live with covetousness or contentment.
Consider THE SITUATION OF COVETOUSNESS. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." This commandment is different from all the other commandments that concern our relationship with our neighbor. This is the only one that cannot be seen by neighbors; only God knows when it’s broken. That’s because THE SOURCE OF COVETOUSNESS IS DESIRE, which is a state of the heart and mind. At its core, desire is neutral. The Bible reminds us that desire comes from the heart. Jesus said (Mt. 15:15-20), “Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.” “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”” Desire is fed from the heart.
Paul wrote about this powerfully in his letter to the Romans (7:22-23 CEV). “With my whole heart I agree with the Law of God. But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do.” The struggle for desire resides in the heart. As Paul pointed out, there is both destructive and constructive desire. Let’s look at both for a moment. First, THERE IS DESTRUCTIVE DESIRE. Henry Morris has helped develop the meaning of destructive desire by pointing out three keys words used for desire in the Old Testament. The initial commandment (Exodus 20:17) uses the Hebrew word chamad, which means "to delight in." The repeated commandment (Deuteronomy 5:21) uses the word 'avah, which translates "to wish for." And the applied commandment (Jeremiah 6:13) uses the word batsa', which is "to be greedy." When we put them all together we get the picture – once we being to delight in something, we start to wish for it, and
when we wish for it long enough we become greedy and must have it – often at any cost. We move FROM GREED TO SEEKING DISHONORABLE OR SELF-ABSORBING GAIN. James also wrote of this in his epistle (1:13-15 MSG). “Don't let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, "God is trying to trip me up." God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one's way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.” The eye looks a little too long at something, the mind admires it, the will moves over to pursuing it, and the body and acts move to possess it.
This desire is destructive because of what it does to us and to our neighbors. The Psalmist teaches that those who covet are never satisfied (78:23-27) and that God sends leanness to their souls (106:13-15). And how does it harm our neighbors? Again, James addresses it clearly (4:1-2 NLT). “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.”
But there is also CONSTRUCTIVE DESIRE. The Bible does not condemn all desire; it, in fact, encourages right, constructive desire. This, by the way, is in total contrast to Buddhism which tries to do away with all desire. All other commandments deal with actions; this one deals with a state of mind. Instead of scratching where it itches, how do we fill our minds with right desire and in doing so change our itches? In Proverbs 11:23 the preacher, wrote “The desire of the righteous ends only in good…” We are to DESIRE RIGHTEOUSNESS. The Psalmist (37:4 CEV) put it “Do what the LORD wants, and he will give you your heart's desire.” The apostle John understood it as well (1 Jn., 5:14-15 CEV). “We are certain that God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him. And if we know that God listens when we pray, we are sure that our prayers have already been answered.” Notice – “When we ask for what pleases him.” Righteousness. Jesus, of course, said it best (Mt. 6:33 CEV). “But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” To be righteous is to PUT GOD’S WORK FIRST AND DO WHAT HE WANTS. When we do that, our itches change.
It sounds simple – but it’s not. It takes effort and spiritual maturity to discipline our minds and hearts. That’s part of THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT. Airplanes often climb to higher altitudes in order to get above the turbulence. In order to get above and beyond destructive desire and enable right, constructive desire we must learn to think in a higher realm. To do that, we must CHANGE THE ALTITUDE OF OUR THOUGHTS.
That’s precisely what Paul wrote (Phil. 4:11-12). “I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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.” CONTENTMENT IS A LEARNED ATTITUDE. Paul learned that contentment does not arise from our circumstances. It’s what we do with our circumstances. As G. K. Chesterton wrote, “True contentment is a real, even an active, virtue – not only affirmative but creative. It is the power of getting out of any situation all there is in it.” The comedy film 'Cool Runnings' is about the first ever Jamaican bobsled team to go to the Olympics. John Candy starred as their coach, a former gold medalist who had become a hero to the Jamaican team. Later in the story the coach’s dark past surfaced. In an Olympics following his gold medal performance, he broke the rules by weighting the U. S. sled, thus bringing disgrace on himself and this team. One of the Jamaican bobsledders could not understand why anyone who had already won a gold medal would cheat. Finally he asks the coach why. The coach replies, “I had to win. I learned something. If you are not happy without a gold medal, you won’t be happy with it.” Contentment is not what we have or do not have – it’s what we think about and do with what have or do not have.
There are, in fact, at least THREE MISCONCEPTIONS about contentment. One – I MUST HAVE WHAT OTHERS HAVE. Two – I MUST BE LIKED BY EVERYONE. And three – HAVING MORE WILL MAKE ME MORE CONTENT. None of these will bring contentment because contentment is not what we have or do not have – it’s what we think about and do with what have or do not have.
Paul mentioned he had been in plenty and in want – and that he learned to be content in all situations. The word ‘learned’ more literally means ‘been initiated into…” So Paul was saying that his situations of plenty and want initiated him into a new way of thinking. Paul came to BELIEVE IN THE OVERRULING PROVIDENCE OF GOD. Our English word for providence comes from two Latin words meaning ‘before’ (pro) and ‘to see’ (video). Providence means God sees to it before hand. God sees to it that everything is ready for us before we ever enter a situation; He goes ahead of us to prepare it for us and makes sure we ourselves are prepared. One of the greatest examples of this providence comes in the life of Joseph. His brothers had sold him into slavery, but later had a chance to save his family, which he set out to do. Why? “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” I have found, in my 36 years of ministry that the people who have the deepest belief in the overruling providence of God are the crippled, the shut-in, those who have been forced by life to put their trust whole-heartedly in God. And in doing so they have found contentment.
Our Heidelberg Catechism speaks clearly of this as well (Q & A 26 & 27). Question 26: “What do you believe when you say “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth?” That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth with all that is in them, who also upholds and governs them by his eternal counsel and providence, is for the sake of Christ his Son my God and my Father. I trust in him so completely that I have no doubt that he will provide me with all things necessary for body and soul. Moreover, whatever adversity he sends upon me in this troubled life he will turn to my good, for he is able to do it, being almighty God, and is determined to do it, being a faithful Father. Question 27: What do you understand by the providence of God? The almighty and ever-present power of God whereby he still upholds, as it were by his own hand, heaven and earth together with all creatures, and rules in such a way that leaves and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and unfruitful years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, and everything else, come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand.”
Kay Yow was one of the greatest women’s basketball coaches of all time. Over a 37 year career – 34 with North Carolina State – she compiled 737 victories, leading the Wolfpack to 20 NCAA tournament bids, 11 Sweet 16 appearances, and a Final Four in 1998. She also coached the 1988 U. S. Olympic team to a gold medal. A year and a half ago, at the age of 66, she died of cancer after battling it for more than two decades. But she was prepared. Four years earlier she had recorded a video to be played at her funeral. She delivered 21 minutes of pure gospel message. Of importance for our theme today, I share two statements from that video. “I don’t want you to fret over the fact that I’m not here or question why I’m not here, because God knows what he is doing. God doesn’t make mistakes. He knows what is best for each of us. He’s in total control…I’d rather have Jesus than a gold medal.”
And therein lays the core of the secret of contentment. IT SPRINGS FROM A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. To fully understand how Paul arrived at this lesson, let’s hear from his testimony in earlier portions of his Philippian letter. “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith…Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” JESUS IS ASKING NOT FOR LESS DESIRE, BUT MORE. He wants us to fill our minds and hearts with Him.
It’s when we do this that we learn to be content. Then we discover, as Paul (4:13) claimed, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” WHEN WE TRUST HIM, JESUS GIVES US NECESSARY STRENGTH. Jesus gives us the strength to overcome the tasks and situations of life. I think that’s what C. S. Lewis meant when he wrote that we are too easily pleased. We settle for the things of earth, the tangible things that are not permanent when we can have so much more – we can have the presence and strength of Jesus Christ. As Lewis’ wife, Joy Davidman wrote, “…(there is) only way to stop covetousness and the destruction of body and soul that spring from covetousness, and that is to want God so much that we can’t be bothered with inordinate wants for anything else.”
The last element of the secret flows from this trust. Paul wrote (18-19) “I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” When we trust Jesus, we become generous givers. And WHEN WE GIVE, JESUS WILL SUPPLY OUR NEEDS. When we are ‘in Christ’, we share all His wealth. Jesus does not give to us ‘out of’ His wealth – just a portion of it – but ‘according to’ His wealth – all there is of it is ours! If a millionaire gives you $100,000.00, that’s great – but it’s just a portion of his wealth. If he gives you his entire estate and all his holdings, that’s giving according to. That’s the way Jesus gives to and shares with us. God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Paul was content because he had learned to live ‘in Jesus Christ.’ His relationship with Jesus filled him with joy, peace, and contentment. And this morning the riches and potential of Jesus Christ are here for you; all you need to do is reach out and take hold of Jesus. It’s Jesus’ desire for you to do so. He knows you’re itching to do so. He died on the cross to make it possible for you to do so. “Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9) As the hymn-writer Isaac Watts wrote long ago:
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Will you meet the demands by scratching where it itches? Will you give Him your all?
