Having a Happy Thanksgiving, contentment.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
1 Tim. 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
Phillipians 2:14 DO ALL THINGS WITHOUT COMPLAINING, MURMURING, AND ARGUING!
Psalms 23 on contentment, ... The Lord is my shepherd --- I SHALL NOT WANT,
Proverbs 15:16 Better is little with contentment and the fear of God, than great treasure and trouble
Philipians 4:11 Not that I speak of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
1 Tim. 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
How can we have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING?
Only Turkey’s are not thankful at Thanksgiving?
I know where a family has been fussing, they want Thanksgiving together, they just don’t want to work and do the cooking, but they want to get together and eat?
1. Today, let’s ponder what is CONTENTMENT?
Are you content? Why or why not?
We look beyond the dictionary for words to help us understand what definition does contentment mean? ... Contentment is a mental and spiritual state, not just satisfaction with possessions and status. Pleased, willing, happy, cheerful, merry, glad, secure, sufficient.
2. Why must I walk on stony paths?
I must rest assured, that if God the Almighty would send me down a stony, hard path ... God will surely provide me with good, strong shoes and strong ankles. For God will never send me down any hard path for which He has not prepared me, He also has equipped me well for this journey. For there is a purpose, a plan...The journey a head, is mine, but if God be WITH ME...and I WITH HIM, I can make it. It is not just the destination, for along the journey of stony paths, there are lessons and opportunities for me, Lord! Show me!
3. There is a difference in instinct and learned behavior!
Somethings in life you need no schooling, you just know how ... there are no class rooms in the nursery of a hospital to teach a baby how to suck, this is an instinct. But, know a successful trip on the journey of life, must go far beyond instinct, we must apply our mind and hearts and LEARN. There is more to life that lustful eyes.Contentment is a learned behavior!
Philipians 4:11 Not that I speak of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Good Paul, how do we learn this same lesson? I think, Paul would say it has much to do with our daily menial choices! Is contentment taught at school, at church, and on TV?
4. We tend to blame others if we are not happy!
Proverbs 15:16 Better is little with contentment and the fear of God, than great treasure and trouble.
What would it take to make you thankful?
Why are you not happy?
Who do you blame for your troubles? Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the enemy, did not their choices of who to listen to, and the choice of looking at that pretty fruit come into play? If you have a good Thanksgiving, could well depend on you. We must quit blaming others!
5. Pleasure as a goal aims one toward emptiness.
Prov. 21:16 He that loves pleasure shall be poor.
1 Tim. 5:6 But she that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.
There is nothing wrong with pleasure and feeling good, but that is a terrible goal. This is much like chasing rainbows for a pot of gold.
6. Contentment is birthed in appreciation.
(Thank you Bonnie Mackenzie, and thank God for friends!)
Thankful because???
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE TEENAGER WHO IS NOT DOING DISHES BUT IS WATCHING TV,
BECAUSE THAT MEANS HE IS AT HOME AND NOT ON THE STREETS.
FOR THE TAXES THAT I PAY,
BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I AM EMPLOYED.
FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY,
BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.
FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG,
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.
FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK,
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE.
FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING, AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING,
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.
FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT,
BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
FOR THE PARKING SPOT I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT,
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING AND THAT I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.
FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL,
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM.
Author unknown
We are pondering having a Happy Thanksgiving?
Can food, togetherness, or gifts bring happiness?
We must survey contentment, for contentment can be a matter of choice and vision! What brings contentment? What kills contentment?
7. Contentment is an attitude adjustment, contentment is of the heart and mind.
I want to use an illustration to demonstrate this point. Many years ago, in the horse and buggy days, a farmer sold his farm and was moving from Jamestown to Johnstown. This move was a two day journey by horse and wagon. At the end of the first day, the farmer and his family were tired and sought a place to spend the night.
The farmer went up to a house and asked if they could please spend the night near a spring of water on the man’s land. They agreed. That night as the two families were visiting the man doing the moving asked, "Have you heard how the people in Johnstown are?"
The host replied, " How were the people in Jamestown?"
The moving farmer said, "We had the nicest neighbors. Our kids loved the school, and played well with the other children. We loved our church and the Pastor was so special. We hate to have to move."
The wise host answered, " Well, the people in Johnstown are the same way. They are kind and very helpful. It is a good place to live."
The farmer and his family found Johnstown a precious place to live, and they enhanced the church and neighborhood there.
Several days later, a craftsman was moving from Jamestown into Johnstown. They stopped at the same farm house and sought permission to spend the night near the same spring of water. They unhitched the horse from the wagon and began visiting with the gracious farmer and his family.
That night around the camp fire the two families visited. The craftsman demanded, " Old man, do you know anything about Johnstown? What kind of people are there?"
The farmer spoke gently, "How were the people in Jamestown, from where you are moving ?"
The craftsman responded in a loud voice. " The people in Johnstown are mean and cruel. The Pastor is a big hypocrite.
The school kids picked on my kids and made fun of them all the time. The school teacher was dumber than dumb. The women are big gossipers, Johnstown stinks!"
The wise host farmer suggested, " The people in Jamestown are about the same way!"
The young craftsman stomped his feet on the ground, and said in an angry voice, "I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT, THOSE PEOPLE IN JAMESTOWN ARE SORRY AND TROUBLEMAKERS just like the ones in Johnstown. After I make some money, we will move to Ohio!"
Sometime later, the craftsman angrily loaded his wagon and moved to Ohio, to get away from the problems in Jamestown and Johnstown.
This illustration is a powerful point, rose colored glasses make the world look rosy. Your choices and attitudes will have a great effect on how you see the world.
One person in trials and great problems will throw up their hands and quit. Another person facing the same difficult situation will become better, not bitter.
Problems do not make you better or worse, problems just identify the real you! Contentment is a learned, disciplined mind and heart. Life can be won or lost in attitudes.
8. Some general points about contentment.
A contented mind is a great blessing, by subduing your lusts and desires you can find happiness!
Contentment is a rare pearl of great price, to few invest in the purchase thereof.
There is a hidden treasure in Psalms 23 on contentment, ... The Lord is my shepherd --- I SHALL NOT WANT, my cup runs over.
If you are not content where you are, you will not be content where you are going!
Many can love their neighbor, they just can’t look in the mirror and love what they see?
9. What is the requirement to be content?
Today, in the rest home, Jim and I played music. A very old lady named Valley, said, " Brother Hughes, when we hear you are coming, this place brightens up!"
It is not my presence or my guitar, we laugh a lot, and cry a little. It is my faithfulness to my post of duty.
1 Tim. 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
10. The bigger the house and fancier the car and the faster the games, the sadder the house?
I have learned a truth in my long tenure here on earth.
The bigger the house the least the happiness.
I make some mad when I say this. The kids with the computer, video games, four wheelers, driven to school, left at the mall, appreciate very little.
(Every rule has some exceptions, but as a truth this stands.)
Husbands and wives demand more and more.
Remember when a stick was a great horse?
We have to have designer jeans, diamond jewelry, gold watches, more, more, more. Nothing satisfies. The more they get, the more they demand.
Contentment is a process of thanksgiving and appreciation.
11. How much is enough?
A multimillionaire was once asked, How much is enough?
The answer was: ONE MORE DOLLAR! How do you define success?
How do we measure success?
Do we measure success the same way God does?
Is what breaks your heart the same thing that breaks God’s heart?
12. COMPLAINING, your mouth will tell, for where the treasure of your heart is, that is what your mouth will tell!
Matthew 12:34--36.
Phillipians 2:14 DO ALL THINGS WITHOUT COMPLAINING, MURMURING, AND ARGUING!
Complaining on a regular basis becomes habitual.
How can we claim contentment with a complaining mouth and heart?
13. GREAT GAIN: team work is required, godliness and contentment.
1 Tim. 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
In the church in the USA, today we seem to measure a lot by gain and prosperity, should we not look to the heart for contentment?
14. Let’s skip this one?
Luke 3:14... and be content with your wages.
I don’t think it is wrong to ask for a raise.
But rather, God is our source, you will never get what you deserve, for this we should be grateful.
Will you submit your heart to the search light of the Holy Spirit?
Are you honestly thankful and content?
Could we improve and learn how to be more content?
Does your mouth need to be rooted in praise and edification more?
His student, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr Kyfingerss@aol.com Help me, pass this to others?
