HoHum:
Several years ago there was a study done about the American Dream. The story said that for Americans with household incomes of under $25,000, polls showed these people believed it would take $54,000 to fulfill the American dream in their lives. The same survey also showed that for those who make $100,000, they’d like to make about $192,000 for their version of the American Dream. In other words, the American Dream usually lies nearly twice the distance away, at least financially. Charles Spurgeon said, "You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled."
WBTU:
Standing knee deep in a river but dying of thirst is a country song by Kathy Mattea. It is a song of person thinking back over all the friends with whom she had lost touch, sweethearts who went separate ways, and other lonely people she passed each day, who could be friends if she just reached out to them. Chorus: They roll by just like water And I guess we never learn Go through life parched and empty Standing knee deep in a river and dying of thirst
Most Americans are “standing parched, knee deep in a river” of blessings, and they seem to be dying of discontent. English word content means “desiring no more than what one has.” The Greek word for content means “to be satisfied.” Thus one who is content is satisfied with what he has and has no desire for more. How many people do we know like that?
Thesis: What are the springs from which the river of contentment flows?
For instances:
Spring 1: Contentment comes through the fear of God
“The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.” Proverbs 19:23, NIV.
Multi millionaire William Randolph Hearts invested a fortune in collecting art treasures from around the world. One day Hearts read a description of a valuable art item and then sent his agent abroad to find it. After months of searching, the agent reported that he had finally found the treasure. To the surprise of Hearst, the priceless masterpiece was stored in none other than his own warehouse! This wealthy man had been searching all over the world for a treasure he already possessed. Had he read the catalog of his own treasures, he would have saved himself a lot of time and money.
We can be like that. We look for contentment in the world, though we’ll never find it there. Yet Christ has already give it to us. The fear of God leads us to seek out God’s way, which in turn helps us find contentment.
Respecting God’s power and his anger, which we call “fear of the Lord,” actually helps us to have a better life. It help us be less afraid of normally frightening things because we know that He is more powerful than the scariest thing we can think of.
Spring 2: Contentment comes through strong desire for righteousness
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6, NIV.
Athletes are said to be hungry when they have a strong competitive spirit. A businessman is said to be hungry when he is willing to work extra hard and do whatever it takes to be successful. Some are hungry for prestige, riches, honor, fame, or political office.
These are not the things for which we should hunger. “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2, NIV.
God wants us to be hungry for righteousness. “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:12-14, NIV.
God makes a promise to “fill us” if we hunger after righteousness. The word means to be “satisfied with food” and originally described the feeding of animals with hay. What is a better picture of contentment that a cow having eaten to the full and then standing in the shade chewing the cud?
Spring 3: Contentment comes through trust in God’s presence
God promises to give that which truly satisfies. ““Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.” Isaiah 55:1-3, NIV. Here God is promising satisfaction through the blessings promised through the coming Messiah.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. (vs. 8) People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10, NIV.
If all we had was the bare necessities of life, just enough to get by, and Jesus Christ would we be satisfied? If we have Jesus Christ, what more do we need?
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.” Psalms 73:25, 26, NIV.
What is God like? A London newspaper recorded the views of children who had been asked what God is like. “He has a long white beard and wears glasses,” one of the children wrote. According to another, God “eats loaves and fishes for breakfast and when he takes a shower, it rains all over the place.” Nora probably had the best one. She wrote, “Dear God, I don’t ever feel alone since I found out about you.”
To know that God loves us and is in our midst and not just that, He lives within us as Christians. Kirk Talley- I searched for peace among the shadows, dark and lonely Gave up on finding that strong and lasting love I tasted all the things that sin could think to offer me But today I feast on manna from above He is here, Hallelujah, He is here, Amen He is here, Holy Holy, I will bless His name again He is here, listen closely Hear Him calling out your name He is here, you can touch Him You will never be the same
Spring 4: Contentment comes through trust in God’s promises
“So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” Acts 27:25, NIV.
Knowledge that God always keeps His promises will give us peace in midst of any difficulty
When persecuted: “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:12, NIV.
When tired and burdened: ““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28, NIV.
When our life’s in chaos, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
When tempted: “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18, NIV.
When we are facing sickness, disease, injury, and aging: “who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Philippians 3:21, NIV.
When we have blown it and fear that we are not even saved: “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:25, NIV.
Spring 5: Contentment comes through a relationship with Christ
“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”” John 4:13, 14, NIV.
To start this relationship with Christ, one must pick up a Bible and begin to study His life and teachings. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17, NIV. This will produce faith.
Faith leads one to repentance, confession, and baptism
Then one can drink deeply from the springs of contentment as we faithful follow Jesus Christ. Jesus wants to give us an abundant life. He promises to “him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.” Revelation 21:6, NIV.
