The words of this song “Singing in The Rain…” come from a famous song sung by Donald O’ Conner.
The idea of course is that we often plan things in life and then the rain comes along and spoils those plans.
For example:
• We are going to watch a parade, but the rain comes and spoils our plans.
• We are going on a picnic in the park with our family, but once we spread the lunch, the rain begins and ruins our picnic
We know one thing for certain is that our plans are often ruined by the rain.
If we are going to be successful in this life spiritually, THE RAIN WILL CERTAINLY COME, but we have to let the Lord teach us how to “Sing in The Rain”.
All of us have a certain amount of pain in this life, and we have to know how to handle that pain.
When it comes to pain, most of us do not have a high tolerance for pain.
Illus: A six-year-old comes crying to his mother because his little sister pulled his hair.
• "Don't be angry," the mother says, "Your little sister doesn't realize that pulling hair hurts."
• A short while later, there's more crying, and the mother goes to investigate.
• This time the sister is bawling, and her brother says..."Now she knows."
Many reasons we do not like pain in this life is because we know OFTEN PAIN COMES BEFORE DEATH!!!
This is why we do not like going to a doctor because we have a pain, and he might tell us there is not anything he can do with the pain because we have a terminal disease.
Illus: Legend has it (Not the scripture) that a man stood at the pearly gates, all beat up and in a lot of pain, waiting to be admitted.
St. Peter is leafing through the "Big Book" to see if he is worthy of entering. After checking the books he said, "You know, I can't see that you did anything really good in your life, but you never did anything bad, either. If you can convince me of one REALLY good thing you did in your life, you're in."
The man thinks for a moment and says, "Yeah, there was this one time I was driving down the road and saw this group of really scary Hell's Angles torturing a poor girl. I slowed down, stopped, got out of my car, grabbed a baseball bat from the back seat of my car, and walked straight up to the leader of the gang - a huge guy with a studded leather jacket. As I approached him, the gang formed a circle around me. I hit him with the baseball bat and then I turned around and yelled to the rest of them, ‘Leave this poor, innocent girl alone! You're all a bunch of sick, deranged animals! Go home before I teach you all a lesson in pain!'"
• St. Peter was impressed and says, "Really?”
• “And when did this happen?"
• The man said, "Oh, about ten minutes ago."
None of us like PAIN, but in this life, many folks have to go through a lot of pain.
The apostle Paul was such a man. But it is remarkable that a man could go through so much pain in life and do it so well. He suffered many things.
The Scriptures tells us a great deal about his sufferings.
• 1 Cor. 4:9-13, “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; And labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day."
• 2 Cor. 11:24-28 “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”
Paul knew a lot about many things, but one thing he knew a great deal about was PAIN.
Most of us have a low tolerance for pain, but Paul had a high spiritual tolerance for sufferings. He learned how to handle the sufferings of life well. He learned how to SING IN THE RAIN!
For example, he had a contentment that many folks do not know much about.
Look at Phil. 4:11 again, "Not that I speak in respect of want for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."
Notice, contentment is not something we pray for and receive THROUGH PRAYER, he said, “I have LEARNED how to be content.”
WHAT IS CONTENTMENT?
Define: Contentment is something that makes us enjoy life when we face the rainstorms in our life. WITHOUT IT WE LIVE A LIFE OF MISERY?
When it comes to dis-contentment let’s look at several things.
First, we need to consider -
I. THE CAUSE OF DISCONTENTMENT
It is difficult to list all the possible causes of discontentment but as an old pastor who have been around for many years, I believe I know the ONE THING that cause MUCH OF THE DISCONTENTMENT in the life of many Christians.
IT IS LIVING A LIFE OF ENVY!!!
WHAT IS ENVY?
ENVY wants what the other person has.
• There are folks who are living a discontented life because someone has something they do not have.
Illus: They remind me of the babies in the nursery. All of the babies are playing with their toys and having a wonderful time, but one baby looks over at another baby playing with his/her toy and he/she raise cane because he/she wants that toy that belongs to another child.
• Many cannot enjoy the blessings of God today because they cannot keep their eyes off God’s blessings on others.
Illus: Benjamin Franklin said, "Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor."
We have looked at the CAUSE OF DISCONTENTMENT for many christians, now look at the ...
II. THE CURSE OF DISCONTENTMENT
Many live on Dis-contentment Avenue.
Illus: They can tell you a couple of dozens of things they do not like but cannot tell you one thing they like.
They seem to find nothing that satisfies them.
Illus: Listen, the jails are filled with people who saw something that someone else had and they stole it for themselves.
But not only are the jails filled due to discontentment in the lives of folks today, it is showing up in other areas of our life, such as…
A. DIVORCES
How many homes have been wrecked over a man or a woman becoming discontent with their mate?
Illus: I have heard men talk about how their wives have changed since they married them. I wonder if they have looked in the mirror lately. They are not the specimen of manhood that they once were also.
It is amazing to hear why folks are getting divorced these days.
Illus: One lady said my husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God, and I didn't.
Illus: One woman said, “Marriage is a three-ring circus: Engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering.”
Illus: One man said there are two times when a man doesn't understand a woman: Before marriage and after marriage.
Illus: One man said the reason they name hurricanes after women because when they come and go, they take your house and car.
Illus: The woman applying for a job in a Florida lemon grove seemed way too qualified for the job. “Look Miss," said the foreman, "have you any actual experience picking lemons?" "Well, as a matter of fact, yes!" she replied. "I've been divorced three times."
While it is astounding to hear why folks are getting divorces, DISCONTENTMENT IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE.
Men and women are looking around, and they see other prospects for marriage and all of a sudden they are discontent with their mates.
Illus: It is like going car shopping. Some folks have a perfectly good car and then they go on a car lot that has all these shiny cars and all of a sudden, the urge hits, -- TRADE!
We see discontentment in the jails, in the divorce courts, and also in-
B. WORK FORCE
We have people that go from job to job. When a few problems come up, they are ready to hit the road and find another job.
It used to be that folks would stay at one job their entire life, but now it is hard to find folks who have stayed on the same job ten years.
Why?
BECAUSE DISCONTENTMENT RULES THEIR LIFE!
Illus: I have learned two things about green grass. It always grows greener over the septic tank, and it has to be mowed more frequently.
We see DISCONTENTMENT in…
• Divorce courts
• Job force
C. Financial world
How many people buy something because it was new, and they think it will make them happy?
• Instead, they put themselves into debt and it makes them miserable.
• Then they find out that the new things break down just like the old things did.
Discontentment can be seen in many areas of our lives. But how can we do something about all the bad things that come our way?
The devil has made this trap so easy to fall into.
(1) Credit cards
(2) Buy with no interest
(3) Buy and you do not have to make a payment for one year.
(4) Buy and receive two for one price
(5) Buy and we will give you this free
(6) Some have been having a going out sale for the last ten years!!!
Illus: They have on television a 90-year-old man that is selling vitamins. The only problem is he has been 90 years old for the last 3 years.
Remember, marketing is both an art and a science. And it is so easy to fall into a financial trap these days.
God wants to teach us how to SING IN THE RAIN and be CONTENT WITH THE BLESSINGS OF GOD HE HAS BLESSED US WITH!!!
Paul said, I have learned how to be content in whatsoever state he found himself.
We looked at the…
• CAUSE OF DISCONTENTMENT
• CURSE OF DISCONTENTMENT,
now look at -
III. THE CURE FOR DISCONTENTMENT
Look at one of the most precious verses of scriptures, 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
God knows the cares of this life are too much for us to carry, this is why God’s Word says CAST THEM UPON HIM.
God did not design these bodies to carry the load that some are carrying.
But notice why He tells us to cast them upon Him, “…for he careth for you.”
It does not matter what kind of RAINSTORM has come into your life; God wants to teach you to SING IN THE RAIN by simply putting those cares in his hands.
A. DRAW NIGH TO GOD
James 4:8a, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you....”
Illus: The songwriter wrote these words for our encouragement in this area.
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."
You never find that Jesus was discontent.
He is our example, and we are to follow Him. He knows all about your problems.
B. DELIGHT IN WHAT GOD GIVES YOU
Psa. 37:4 "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
Have you notice the way some folks worship the Lord?
Illus: For example, instead of delighting themselves in the Lord during the song service they look like they are having a gall bladder attack.
Illus: Some remind me of a mother trying to feed her baby and the child locks their little jaws tight like you are not going to make me open my mouth.
Some Christians instead of delighting themselves in the Lord they lock their spiritual lips together like you are not going to make me happy in the Lord.
The Bible says we are to DELIGHT OURSELVES IN THE LORD.
It seems some come to church with the attitude they came for nothing from the Lord, and they are going to leave the same way they came.
Seek for happiness, anyone can find misery. Look for the best in everyone.
Illus: A boss commented to his secretary about one of his men: "Harry has such a bad memory, it's a wonder he remembers to breathe. I asked him to pick up a newspaper on his way back from lunch, but I'm not ever sure he'll remember his way back to the office."
Just then Harry burst through the door, brimming with enthusiasm. He exclaimed, "Guess what, boss! At lunch I ran into old man Jones who hasn't given us an order in seven years. Before he left, I talked him into a million-dollar contract!" The boss sighed and looked at his secretary, "What did I tell you? He forgot the newspaper." -- James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 135.
You can always find contentment in the Lord if you seek for it.
Illus: Talk about contentment: A dear old lady said she just had two teeth left, and she was thankful that they met.
Instead at looking at what others have, learn to be content with what God has given you.
Conclusion:
Has discontentment been a part of your life?
Everyone here can have a life of CONTENTMENT or DISCONTENTMENT.
• We have discontent by seeking for things that do not satisfy that satan tempts us to seek.
• We have contentment by seeking for those things in our life that satisfy that the Lord Jesus put here.
God’s Word says in Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
You know…
I. THE CAUSE OF DISCONTENTMENT
II. THE CURSE OF DISCONTENTMENT
III. THE CURE FOR DISCONTENTMENT
