What Is The Secret To Being Content?
Good Morning Friends,
The tiny home movement is a clear indication that there is a myth about having more. And then as we dig a little deeper we might learn that the lesson of living a meaningful life is to belong to Christ. Friends, when Paul wrote about godliness with contentment creating great gain he was not just speaking philosophically. He had learned the key to being content in all circumstances of life. The wisdom eluded Solomon. But if you believe in something other than the envy trap and having more money, that never seems enough, then you might discover that the price for joy has already been paid. So today we seek an answer to a very practical question: What Is The Secret To Being Content?
Scripture: give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NRSV)
I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.’ But again, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, ‘It is mad’, and of pleasure, ‘What use is it?’ I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, until I might see what was good for mortals to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself; I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house; I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got singers, both men and women, and delights of the flesh, and many concubines. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me. Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:1-2:11 (NRSV)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
Philippians 4:4 (NRSV)
I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:12-13 (NRSV)
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.
Proverbs 15:16
(NRSV)
Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:6-12 (NRSV)
Message: I do not think it is absolutely accurate to say it is a secret but Paul comes pretty close to capturing the idea of contentment. Much better than Solomon. You see contentment is about wanting what one already has and when one is rejoicing well… that is contentment. Part of this is letting God change our view of what money is really about. He wants to set our expectation realistically about what it can and cannot do. He wants us to beware of false teachings combined with the love of money. My, what a mess we are when it comes to money. If we are honest, we will admit that we want the hopefulness, happiness, contentment and love that we have come to associate with money. But we also feel the loss, despair, worry, anxiety and disappointment when our expectations are not met. In some ways we cannot live without it and in others we cannot live with it. So how do we create the perfect balance? How do we make more of our lives about giving not getting more? The answer is to put financial decisions in the Lord’s hands. We need to take the focus off ourselves and put it on Christ where it belongs. Let His Word and His Spirit shape our attitudes and behavior so we may find peace. Here we can see room for improvement but also experience contentment. Unhappy people are often unhappy because they’re never satisfied with what they have. They could have the whole world at their fingertips… and they’d still not be content. They have the wrong expectations. And that’s because they’ve never learned to rejoice in what they have. My hope for you is that you realize that one of God’s desires for all of us when He saved us was to give us pleasure. There is nothing wrong with pleasure. That is the way it was in the Garden of Eden. In fact the meaning of Eden is not just that garden of paradise where Adam and Eve were placed at the Creation but also a state of great delight, happiness, and contentment… in another word… bliss. We cannot go back to the first definition but we can experience enjoyment, satisfaction and contentment in second. One of the keys is to look for pleasure in the right places. Unfortunately we look for pleasure in all the wrong places. We are so surrounded by the wrong messages that we think they are the way to happiness. The Bible does not hide the heart of happiness. It is really no secret at all. Yet it seems like one. So is you want to know what that key is for, let me tell you it is for pleasure and happiness. If you want to know that source for joy and contentment, read on…Paul tells us he discovered it. He discovered how to be content. Read Philippians 4:4. Paul makes it clear. Here it is: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” That’s it!! Rejoice and keep rejoicing. Laugh and it will change you inside. Smile and that countenance will alter the way you are thinking. Rejoice and you will be content in any and every situation. Friends, rejoicing is not so much an emotion as it is a conscious decision that prompts a physical response to be happy… a conscious decision to believe in the joy of Jesus. It is the power of positive thinking. So dance with the Lord, abide in the Spirit, and stay in the River for then you will discover as Paul a joy and love that overflows.
Pray we give thanks in all things. Pray we learn to rest in God’s wisdom and provision. Pray we learn to be satisfied with a little. Pray we learn to live above life’s circumstances. Pray we learn to live on God’s power and providence. Pray we become preoccupied with the well-being of others. Pray we receive a spiritual satisfaction and contentment found in Jesus. Pray we are empowered to sow faith where there is doubt, trust where there is envy, peace where there is quarreling, love in places of hatred, assurance where there is fear, resolution in the place of conflict, and contentment in the place of jealousy. Pray we realize that joy, and peace and contentment do not come from our circumstances but from God’s grace-filled love.
Pray
we realize that all the excesses of the world will not make up for being in right relationship with God. Pray that we realize that money is a wonderful thing…but that it is possible to pay too high a price for it. Pray we do not drive ourselves mad seeking the wrong treasures. Pray that when it comes to keeping up, that our motivation is to keep up and in step with Jesus. Pray that we find His better way. Pray we find love in the simple things… Pray we know the joy and peace and fulfillment that can only be found in Him. Pray we have godliness and contentment. Pray we have the attitude of gratitude and the strong desire to share. Pray that we know we are created as giving and loving creatures. Pray we experience His provision, our contentment and our need to share with others. Pray we face the fear of the future. Pray we trust. Pray we seek His Kingdom first. Pray we risk failure. Pray we consider the lilies. Pray that we realize that contentment comes in our lives when we rely upon Christ for the power to prevail over circumstances. Pray we have the countenance of contentment.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 