“Joy in Contentment”

Series: Joy for the Journey “Joy in Contentment” Philippians 4:10-13 As we open God’s Word today, we are in the home stretch in our series “Joy for the Journey.” Throughout this study we have repeatedly seen how to have joy even though life is a journey filled with many ups and downs at every turn along the way. When reading the book of Philippians, one would assume that Paul must have been living the life and enjoying all that was going on, but the truth is that Paul was facing great hardship. He had been imprisoned for preaching the Gospel and was awaiting trial. As he penned the words, he was chained to a Roman guard and most of his freedoms were gone. He didn’t know when his circumstance would end, if this would lead to him being acquitted or beheaded. However, Paul was not defeated or discouraged. Even in suffering Paul was able to look to the Lord and rejoice in Him. Paul knew Jesus and trusted God’s plan for his life. So, day by day, moment by moment, and verse by verse, Paul lived with joy and encourages us to do the same. Throughout our study we have seen many ways that we have joy in Christ, but today we come to one of the ways that seems foreign to many of us. What God calls us to in this passage is a great challenge for us today – Contentment. Let me ask you this morning, “Are you content?” The word “content” means to be “satisfied, pleased, happy.” Far too often in our culture and in the church, we are a discontented people. In order to be content, we think we need to have some experience, some relationship, some possession, some amount of wealth, etc. We might say, “Pastor, I am not content, but if I only had this then I would be. Or, if only this hadn’t happened to me, then I would be content.” Many of us think this way, and without even realizing it we become victims of our circumstances. However, God wants us to be victors over our circumstances. We don’t have to be defined by our circumstances, but by who we are in Christ. If we are living for Christ and find our identity in Him then we can find contentment, satisfaction, and happiness in Him no matter what we are facing today. Contentment doesn’t mean that everything in life is perfect, that I have finally gotten what I want or that everything in my life is satisfying and happy. If this were the case, nobody could have contentment because nothing in this world, apart from God and His Word, is perfect. Not everything in life is satisfying and enjoyable, and no matter how hard you try, you will never get everything that you want. Contentment isn’t a lack of hardship. Warren Wiersbe defines it well. He said, “Contentment is not escape from the battle, but rather an abiding peace and confidence in the midst of the battle.” With this in mind, do you have contentment? I believe that God shows us everything we need to know about contentment in this brief passage of Scripture. SHOW TEXT Contentment is not something that is talked about much today. It goes completely against the grain of our culture and our human nature. In our fallen human nature we are prone to want more, and in our culture we are told that we deserve more and should pursue it. This feeds right into the humanistic agenda where we make ourselves out to be god by doing the things that we want because we “deserve” it. However, it is all a lie and a plot of the enemy. He knows that no matter 2 how many experiences we have or how many possessions we have, none of these things can truly satisfy. The God who made us and knows us, and also knows what is best for us, calls us to live with contentment. True contentment is not found in more for me, but in less of me. True contentment is found not in temporary pleasures, possessions, or positions, but in eternal purpose and promises. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 says it well, “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” God speaks through Paul to show us how we can experience contentment today. I. The Draw of Discontentment (vs. 11) Paul begins with a simple statement, “I am not speaking from want.” Please don’t read today’s definition of the word into Paul’s use. When we speak of a “want” we are referring to something that we desire. We might say I want to go on that trip, I want to receive this gift, etc. However, Paul’s use of the word is very different. The only other time that this word is used in the New Testament is in Mark 12:43b-44 where Jesus describes the widow who gave her two mites. Jesus said, “This poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty (want), put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” This word translated “poverty” is the same exact word that Paul uses here in Philippians. Paul was in prison in this moment. In that day there were no benefits given by the state to the prisoners. This meant that he was entirely dependent on others for food and basic provisions, but Paul wanted them to know, “Even though I am in prison and my freedoms are limited, I am not in poverty, I am not poor, and I am not wallowing in my adversities. Instead, by God’s grace, I am content.” Here in verse 11, he lets us in on a secret that led to his contentment – he was focused on how he could honor God in HIS circumstance. Another way of saying this is that he was not distracted negatively by the situations of others. Paul clearly was aware of the situations that others faced, and all throughout the New Testament we see his concern and compassion for them. When he saw the situations of others, he sought for ways to help them and edify them. However, he didn’t allow his mind to be drawn away from the things of God by having an attitude of discontentment. It has been said that “All people live in one of two tents – content or discontent.” Which do you live in today? I believe that we have likely never dealt with such a crisis of discontentment as we see in our world today. Never in the history of the world have we had so much, yet still we want so much more. This is true in many ways, but there are three primary areas of discontentment: First, there is material and financial discontentment. We think that if we had that possession or this certain amount of money then everything would be fine. Second, there is relational discontentment. We think if only we had this type of friends, a spouse, if only I hadn’t been left out then my life would be so much better. Third, there is circumstantial discontentment. We think if only my circumstances were different, if this thing hadn’t happened to me, if only I were the boss, if only my parents hadn’t done this, if only...you get the point. None of us have likely ever wanted to be in this place of discontentment, but many find ourselves there without even 3 realizing how it happened. If we are going to overcome it, we need to know how it began so that when we are faced with the temptation in the future, we know what the devil is doing. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2:11 that we shouldn’t be ignorant of Satan’s schemes. How does he bring us to a place of discontentment? How does he draw us away? A. We Are Drawn Away by Comparisons Remember, Paul was focused on his situation and how he needed to respond, he wasn’t dwelling on comparisons with others. When we live our lives focused on the situations of others it easily leads us to a place of discontent. **ILL: A few years ago, Heather and I had the opportunity to enjoy a nice meal with a few other couples. This meal was fancy. It was in a five-star restaurant, it was elegant, beautiful, and the ambiance was amazing. And, best of all, the meal was already paid for. We enjoyed the piano music, the flowers, and the courtesy of the staff. We ordered our salads which were delicious, then we had our entrees which were amazing, then we ordered our desserts. I ordered a dessert that sounded good, but when it was brought to the table I thought, “This isn’t what I ordered.” I looked at it and thought, “Well, I can’t complain.

Load more