Contentment

By Pastor William R. Cunningham
Sunday April 9, 2006

Introduction

The church community is abounds with doctrines of riches and glory.  The premise of the Word of Faith movements seems to be how we can get from God as opposed what we could do for God in service.  The Word of Faith and related teachers teach us that we can have a new home, new car, new job, and a plethora of other things.  We are given a formula for riches and yet it seems to me that the only people that get rich, per se, are those who preach and receive from those they have deceived.

These false teachers tell the people that tithing would give great blessings from heaven and linking oneself to the man of God would bring about blessings as well.  All of these however are merely attempts to control the people so that they could take from them as much as they possibly can.  Unfortunately the people, taken away by their own fleshly lusts, follow these false teachers for the pursuit of riches and glory.

These same people may or may not come to realize that they are falling further and further away from the LORD because their life has nothing to do with serving and pleasing God.  Their lives center on receiving from God as if the LORD was a genie or cosmic bellhop according to one pastor I know.  They move further and further away from God as they try to get closer and closer to a life of riches and fortune that is promised to them by the false teachers.

What if we didn’t care about the riches and glory?  What if we were satisfied with what we have now and are not really pursuing to get rich or to get this or that?  What if we were truly pursuing our mission in life given to us by God?  What if we really sought the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first?  In order to truly seek God first I believe that we have to have a level of contentment.  We need to learn to be content with what we have in order to protect ourselves from pursuing more and more things and giving in to the insatiable appetite of the flesh.

This lesson is going to deal with the topic of contentment.  We are going to learn what contentment is and how we could obtain a life of contentment by evaluating the information given to us by several Biblical writers.

Scripture Texts

Main Scripture lesson:

Philippians 4:11-13 (NKJV) -- {11} Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: {12} I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. {13} I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Other reference scriptures:

• Proverbs 15:16 (NKJV) -- {16} Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, Than great treasure with trouble.
• Luke 3:14 (NKJV) -- {14} Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
• 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NKJV) -- {6} Now godliness with contentment is great gain. {7} For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. {8} And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
• Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) -- {5} Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Discussion

First let’s take a close look at what Paul said in his letter to the Philippians.  I will quote it again here for reference.

Philippians 4:11-13 (NKJV) -- {11} Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: {12} I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. {13} I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

In verse eleven Paul states that he has learned to be content in any situation. The word content literally means self-sufficient.

In Stoic philosophy this Greek word described a person who dispassionately accepted whatever circumstances brought (detached from circumstances). They believed that contentment was a high virtue in which one had sufficient resources available to meet any situation. For the Greeks, this contentment came from personal sufficiency. But for Paul true sufficiency is found in the strength of Christ.

Paul found that the secret to contentment is his relationship with Christ and knowing that in whatever state he was in that God would provide what he needed and the strength that he needed. Paul could be at peace in any situation because of his faith and dependence he had in God.

This is a hard saying from a practical and material perspective. It is hard for us to imagine that being hungry and poor could be a time of joy and contentment. It is hard for us to imagine that prosperity isn't the answer or the goal. I think that the principle that Paul gives us here in addition to the principle that we learn from the book of Ecclesiastes (I highly recommend that you read Ecclesiastes) will go far in altering our perspective of life. We'll realize that things aren't as meaningful as we thought though at the same time we want nice things.

What is difficult to comprehend here in regards to contentment is that it seems to be unrelated to the particular situation, that is, contentment is not dependent on the situation that we happen to be in.  Contentment appears to be a state of being that we take with us all of the time in any situation.  It also seems to transcend these situations and not just be mutually exclusive to them.

We can see this if we consider Paul’s condition when he wrote this letter to the Philippians.

Here is a litany of the various problems he had experienced:

2 Corinthians 6:4-10 (NKJV) -- {4} But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, {5} in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; {6} by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, {7} by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, {8} by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; {9} as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; {10} as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

2 Corinthians 11:26-28 (NKJV) -- {26} in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; {27} in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— {28} besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

Paul remained faithful to his calling even though he suffered so much during his ministry.  We should realize that in a real sense he could have just stopped in order to end the persecution that he was receiving.  However, he kept going to do what God called him to do.

Philippians 3:13-14 (NKJV) -- {13} Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, {14} I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

So we see that Paul had a hard way to go.  According to the Word of Faith teachers Paul would be faithless and cursed.  These false teachers would perceive someone in Paul’s situation as being on the other side of blessing since they teach that material prosperity comes to those who are blessed of God.

However, Paul was indeed blessed of God and he was the vessel of the blessing of God on others even though they to were sometimes persecuted.

Consider now the following verse of Scripture.

Proverbs 30:7-9 (NKJV) -- {7} Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): {8} Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me; {9} Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.

Can we truly pray this to God? Wouldn't you rather pray that God would give you the desires of your heart, which really means anything that you want? Would you pray that God would give you just what you need? Well consider that the model prayer that Jesus taught His disciples did just that. Remember the phrase "Give us this day our daily bread?" We would rather pray, "Give us this day our portion of abundance and prosperity."

In verse 13, Paul says that he can do all things through Christ and that Christ gives him strength and that that is the secret to his contentment. The context of this statement is in the situations that he might be in at any time. So regardless of the situation that he is in, he can do all things through Christ. Christ is where he gets his strength. Christ is sufficient for him.

Consider yet another scripture relating to this point.

Proverbs 23:4-5 (NKJV) -- {4} Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! {5} Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

Why would you seek to be rich? If your treasures are on the earth then riches are indeed what you will strive for. However, the Bible teaches us not to seek riches. This doesn't mean that riches won't come since God may purpose certain people to be rich. However, our goal should not be riches but a closer relationship with God.

We cannot be content if we are always seeking for more.  We cannot rest in the LORD if we always want God to give us more material possessions. 

The secret to contentment is the realization of the relationship that you have with Jesus Christ.  Your life is more than material things.  Your life consists more of what the world has to offer.  Your life is found in the purpose of God for you.  Be content with what you have and learn the power of dealing with any situation.

Does this mean to accept anything and everything that come your way?  Not necessarily.  Sometimes the things that come against us are due to our own lusts, Satan, or the world in general.  Not everything that happens to us is God’s will, which is why it is so important to seek God so that you would know His will.

The very fact that Paul said that he could do all things through Christ who strengthens him is evidence enough that God is not out to appease us.  It is evident that God doesn’t swoop down and remove us from all danger and calamities.  We see this in the persecutions of the Apostles and Christians.  Therefore, we need to experience something that transcends any circumstance as opposed to merely being airlifted from them.

Contentment is the key and the key to contentment is Christ.  Strive to obtain a personal and intimate relationship with Christ so that you would be able to endure until the end.  At the end there is a great reward and our life with the LORD in heaven will not compare with the troubles that we go through now.  Be content and pursue God.