THE WILL OF CONTENTMENT? ENOUGH?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
*MATERIALISM: The tendency to consider possessions and physical comfort more important than spiritual values, putting less importance in faith, more importance in things.
Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
*CONTENTMENT: a pleasant, positive emotion, peaceful ease of mind, the state of being happy and satisfied, inner peace. The state of being in which one is satisfied with their current life situation.
*CONTENTMENT: peaceful ease of mind, the state of being happy and satisfied, inner peace. The state of being in which one is satisfied with their current life situation,
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Hebrews 13:5 (NLT2) Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF GREAT DISCONTENTMENT… PEOPLE ARE SO DISCONTENT… WE LONG FOR SOMETHING BETTER? SEEMS WE DESIRE MORE AND MORE.
We demand a new job? A new spouse? A new house? MORE MONEY? A new car? We can never be content when we are not thankful and appreciative counting our blessings of the past.
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
WHAT IS THE MARK OF THE HIGH CALLING? COULD IT BE FORGET THE PAST AND REACH HIGHER? Have you ever asked: Are my needs being met? God promised to meet our needs according to his riches.
CHRISTIANITY IS NOT ABOUT THINGS AND RELIGION, IT IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIP. DISCONTENTMENT IS GIVEN BIRTH FROM FOCUSING ON THE WRONG THINGS.
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
A personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only son. In this personal relationship I accept I belong to God. I am not my own. I am not what I have. It has been said: HE WHO HAS THE MOST TOYS IS THE WINNER? WHEN DO WE ACCEPT ENOUGH?
Once Rockefeller was asked how much is enough. His answer was simple: ONE MORE DOLLAR…
DO YOU HAVE AN ENDLESS DESIRE FOR MORE AND BETTER?
I loved to walk, until I saw a man on a bicycle… The bike sure beat my walking! I got a bike and I saw a person on a moped… it was sure better than pedaling the bike! I so enjoyed the moped! Then I saw a 2+2 Mustang go by… it sounded so cool. That is better than the moped. I was at the lake and saw a speed boat on the lake that beats the Mustang. I then saw a helicopter fly over, that beats the Mustang. I was riding by the airport and I saw a twin engine air plane, it was so shiny and sleek, that airplane sure beat my walking, my bike, my moped, my Mustang, there is no comparison to the twin engine airplane.
1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
THERE IS A LESSON TO LEARN
INSTINCT: a way of doing things, behavior or feeling that is not learned, natural impulse.
LEARN: acquired by study, knowledge by study.
Philippians 4:10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to
abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
CONTENTMENT IS MORE THAN EMOTIONS OR FEELINGS.
Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
CONTENTMENT IS MORE THAN A THERMOMETER! CONTENTMENT IS A THERMOSTAT!
Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
A thermometer measures the temperature but it cannot change anything. A thermostat not only measures the degrees, it controls the temperature, regulates temperature.
ARE YOU THANKFUL? DO WE FIND GOD IS IN CONTROL AND THAT GOD IS GOOD? GOD KNOWS HOW TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS TO HIS CHILDREN.
Ecclesiastes 6:9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 6:9 (NLT2) Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND… GOD IS ABLE TO GIVE WHAT WE NEED. CONTENTMENT IS NOT ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE --- CONTENTMENT IS ABOUT AN INTERNAL POSITION.
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
CONTENTMENT IS A SIGN OF PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL MATURITY… EVERYTHING IS A GIFT FROM THE HANDS OF GOD.
Immaturity is always wanting more, something else. COMPLAINING and FAULTFINDING reveal an attitude of ungratefulness. We must grow and develop a positive vocabulary and attitude. Come let us rejoice. Are you going to be a spiritual infant crying and wanting warm milk?
1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
CONCLUSION: If you are constantly complaining and murmuring you will tend to draw like a magnet the attitudes that will bring more complaining. If you are often encouraging and praising you will draw more praise and encouragement to your daily life. By our very nature no one is ever content. We must discipline our emotions and feelings to be content. We must learn to not worry but to be happy even if we have little. Come let us reduce stress and envy in our daily life. God, we ask you to show us how to grow in godly contentment.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
