Philippians 4:11-13
How content are you? There are surely some who seem to have
all the pieces of contentment - career, health, family, wealth - but who are
still profoundly discontented.
Contentment, contrary to popular opinion, doesn't just mean being
satisfied with what you have. There is a
“secret” to finding contentment.
There is nothing wrong with desiring more,
but there is something wrong with not being content until you get it.
The True Course to Contentment
(Continued)
· Learn to be content with less
or more. Philippians
4:12
Christians get trapped into a
discontented life by adopting worldly goals: more, bigger, and best. The Bible identifies these as indulgence, greed, and pride.
True contentment can't be achieved
without personal discipline and staying within the lifestyle
parameters God has established for you.
In affluence, anxieties and worries
are not usually related to the
lack of things but rather the loss of things.
lack of things but rather the loss of things.
In "poverty", we may be
tempted to curse God.
In "wealth", we may be tempted to forget God...
In "wealth", we may be tempted to forget God...
· Avoid coveting. Exodus 20:17
Don’t covet what someone else has, but seek to realize your own unique blessing
from God.
Living beyond your means creates bondage to debt and steals your
contentment.
When you covet another man’s property, you also are begging for another
man’s problems.
· Let go of
the past. Philippians 3:13
Nothing can poison your tomorrow like the past holding
hostage your today.
· Find your sufficiency
in Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:13
What we consume will consume
us. It's our choice whether we are consuming God's life or the enemy's
lies.
There is in every man a “God-shaped”
vacuum that nothing in the world can fill and it deeply desires God.
Man is not thirsty so much as he is empty;
and emptiness takes a miracle to fill.
Contentment has learned the lesson
that Jesus is enough.
