Learning to be Content

Good morning.

If you would this morning, if you would excuse me, turn in your Bibles to the book of Philippians.

Philippians chapter 4, and we'll be reading verses 10 through 20 in our hearing this morning.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

If you have your bulletins, or send your bulletins, if you have your Bibles or your cell phones or your tablets.

Philippians chapter 4, verses 10 through 20.

Philippians 4:10–20

It reads as follows: I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me.

You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.

Not that I am speaking or being of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.

I and in any in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble, and and you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except you only.

Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once and again.

Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

I have received full payment and more.

I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gift you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

To our God and Father, be glory forever and ever.

Amen.

Let us pray.

Father, we come before you.

And Lord, I do thank you for that song.

There is a balm in killing.

I don't know why, it just touched my heart.

But that we can find in you at any time, in any place, in anywhere that that balm that soothes the aching soul.

That we can find that that rest for our hearts and for our minds.

Those those times when we are troubled and we are concerned, we we can run to you.

We find safety.

And so, Lord, we pray that as we look into your word, as we have sung the words that you would speak to us this morning, Lord, you you know where our hearts are, you know where the anxieties lie, you know where the dissatisfactions lie in each of our hearts, you know where we are worrying and where we are fretting, whether we be young or old.

You know our concerns this morning, Lord.

Would you would you help us?

Would you teach us what it means to be content?

Would you teach us, Lord, what it means to rest in the fact that you are a sovereign God and in your providence you you care for your children.

Lord, open our eyes this morning that we might behold wondrous things from your word.

In Jesus' name we pray with thanksgiving.

Amen.

This morning, I would like us to, as a church, as a body, to think about what it means to be content.

That's something that we all need to consider, especially in the area that we live in.

We live in Washington, D.C.

We live in a place where there's a whole lot of competition and there's a whole lot of jockeying for a position.

We live in a world that is constantly asking us and telling us that we ought to pursue more, we ought to have more.

What we have is is not enough.

And as a people of God, how are we to understand what it means to be content and resting in God?

Young people, you you need to listen to this this morning.

This is for you also.

A lot of times I know you you might come here on Sunday mornings and you might think to yourself, well, that's old folk stuff, and I'll let mom and dad figure that out.

But but you need to know what it means to be content.

You need to know that because you're going back to school and and you're going to be seeing your classmates, and there'll be that competition about, well, I don't look like this one, or or I don't look like her, I don't fit into this group or that group, and and there can be a season of discontent in your own soul, and and God expects you, even as teenagers, middle schoolers, young people, to learn what it means to be content.

If you're a child of God, he expects you to be content also.

Every once in a while, he expects you to say to mom and dad, I don't need any more clothes.

You know when they say, okay, let's go school shopping, every once in a while it would be nice that that as a child of God, a Christian, you might be able to say, Mom, we don't have to go.

They may fall over, but but but contentment is meant for you also.

Now, a writer, Jeremiah Burroughs, and many of you are familiar with him, he wrote a book called The Contentment, the Rare Jewel of Contentment, the Rare Jewel of Contentment, and he defines contentment like this.

He says, Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to any delights, submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.

Let me let me read that again.

Contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.

It's that mind, that state of mind, that state of person where where, regardless of where I am, regardless of what's going on in my life and in my world and in my circumstances, I am resting quietly in God.

It's a sweet and sort of gracious frame of mind.

It's a frame of mind, it's an attitude of heart that that that, yeah, the bottom's dropping out.

Oh, yes, things aren't going the way I want them to go.

Yes, I don't have all the things that I would like to have, but I'm resting in God.

I want to make a couple of qualifiers here and just to sort of nuance this a little bit.

It it is not opposed, but just because I'm content doesn't mean I don't cry out to God sometimes.

Sometimes we're in situations and circumstances in life that that grieve the soul, that cause fear, and and and if I'm content, that doesn't mean I don't cry out to God and say, God level.

That's not what that means.

The Psalms are full of the cries of the heart where where men are crying out to God and they're asking God, God, what's going on, but yet they're still resting in Him.

So just because I'm content doesn't mean I can't cry out to God.

Just because I'm content doesn't mean, and it's not opposed, as one writer says, it's not opposed to seeking to change my situation and my circumstances, if it's all possible.

See, just because a Christian is content, it doesn't mean that he sits and he says, Well, this is just what's going to happen.

But but if there are resources that God has provided, it's all right to seek those resources.

And even if you seek those resources, and if God says no, then but we're still resting in God, there's there's a contentment there.

That's like the apostle Paul when he was before Festus.

And and he was he was he was being tried and and he used all the resources he had.

He says, I want to go see Caesar, because that was at his disposal.

So because I'm content doesn't mean that we do not use the resources that God has for us to see if we might be able to change our circumstances or our situation.

Contentment is not talking about those who are just naturally laid back.

You know, that's not spiritual contentment, that's just your your disposition, that's just your personality.

Nothing really phases you a whole lot.

I'm sort of like that every once in a while.

It's just people think I'm nice and content.

Most of the time it's just because I'm laid back.

I got a sometimes it's just an I don't care attitude.

That's not contentment, that's not Christian contentment.

Contentment and being a Christian and being content doesn't mean that we can't strive and we're not able, we should not strive to better ourselves.

So as we look at this this morning, our text will help give us some ideals to what it means to be content.

One thing that we need to understand, even if I'm striving, if God has prospered me, what contentment is concerned with is what are you resting in?

What are we resting in?

What are we relying on for our joy and for our peace?

Is it am I content because I got enough money in the bank?

Or am I content because God is controlled, is in control of my circumstances, and if the bottom drops out, God still got my back?

See, the contentment is concerned with where are we placing our trust?

Now, there are some particular characteristics that are unique.

Is this a particular thing that's unique to a select group of people?

Does God expect every Christian to be content?

Is that just something for super spiritual believers?

Is that just something for those who are really, really committed?

1 Timothy 6, 6 to 8 says, But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and and we can take not, we can take any, we cannot take anything out of the world, but if we have food and and clothing with these, we will be content.

Hebrews 13, 5 through 6 says this, keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you, so we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

Our scripture reading this morning reminded us that contentment is for everybody.

God expects all of us to learn what it means to be content.

If you're a child of God, if you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, God is expecting every last one of us, from the youngest to the oldest, to learn and to learn the lesson of what it means to be content.

Let me ask you this question.

What would the closest people around you say about you?

Are you, would they say that you are a content person?

Would that be how they would describe you?

Would that be how they would how they would they would they would look at you and they would say, well, yeah, that that brothers, that sister, that, that, that, that, that young person.

There, one of the things is that they're just content.

You know, they they they don't need a lot, they, they, they, they know when to say no, they know when to push away.

They just there's just a spirit about them when where they're content.

Our our text today will help instruct us in how to learn to be content.

The apostle Paul, if you go back to our text in Philippians chapter 4, verse 10, he's writing to this church and and he's at the end of this letter.

Philippians 4:10

And this is the letter of joy, a letter written, there's a lot of joy going on.

Paul's sitting in joy, but he's in jail, but he's filled with joy.

And he's telling them, rejoice in the Lord always.

And again, I say, rejoice.

He's his circumstances are not are not dictating how he relates to God.

They it's still joy.

I still got my joy, as Paul, as a gospel song, says, I still got joy.

And Paul is at the end of the letter thanking these saints because they gave him a gift, and and and he's trying to let them know, hey, look, the gift came a little late, and they may have been thinking that Paul is upset that the monies or the resources didn't come on time.

And and Paul says, I want you to understand, verse 10, I rejoice greatly in the Lord that know that now at length you have revived your concern for me.

You you were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.

You tried to get the money, you tried to help me, but you didn't have an opportunity to do so.

Not that I'm speaking of being in need, for I have learned in what situation, whatever situation am I am to be content.

He he's letting them know, he wants them to understand, he says, Look, I want you to know that that just because the resources didn't come when you thought they should get there, that's okay.

I was content, I am content.

Now notice here what he says about about contentment.

He says that that contentment is learned.

Verse 11, not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in what a situation I am to be content.

Look at verse 12.

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to come how to abound.

In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

Contentment is a learned grace.

We don't we are not naturally content.

I'm not naturally satisfied with, you know, when I eat one bowl of ice cream, I I I can't push away.

I did that last night.

I had one bowl, I should have just left it alone, but I wouldn't I got another one.

Okay?

I I wasn't content.

I was I was fine, but I had to have more.

We're not naturally content.

That's not something that we just come out of the womb, we're content.

Our sinful nature, our our hearts are always geared to getting more.

I want more, I'm not satisfied with this.

I need more.

This isn't good enough.

And so, this issue in this business of contentment, we gotta learn how to do this.

You're gonna have to learn this.

This is a process.

Paul, and it's encouraging because if if if Paul had to learn it, then surely we gotta learn it.

You know, sometimes we think of Paul as this, we just think he had everything all together all at once, and that there was no sanctification process in his life.

Paul says, I had to learn.

I've learned how to be content.

So, so he we want to understand that that it does not naturally come to us, and that this is a process, that that God is going to take us, he's going to work us through a process of teaching us how to be content.

Notice something else here about contentment.

He says this, verse 11 and 13.

He says that it he says, in whatever situation and in any and every circumstance, I have learned to be content.

So, so our our our contentment, he's content, doesn't matter where he is, didn't matter what the circumstances were, didn't matter what he was going through, he had learned that in anything, anywhere, whatever's going on, he learned to be content.

Now, beloved, that's that's amazing.

Because in my mind, I'm thinking, well, I'll be content about this, this, this, and this, but there's no reason for me to be content about that.

That this has to change.

And yet Paul says, he says, look, it he learned it, he says that in whatever situation and and in any circumstances, I have learned to be content.

Beloved, so so what that means for us, what that means as we're learning this business of contentment, and that God will teach us and He will He will sanctify us in the business of contentment, understand that there's gonna be some circumstances, and there will be some situations that you may not want to be content in.

But God says, whatever circumstance, whatever situation, Paul says, I learned to be content.

And God in his training process is not, he is not adverse to to mixing up our world.

He's not adverse to shaking things out so that, shaking things up so that you and I could learn in any circumstance and and in any situation to learn to be content.

That might be why there are times when you go to the doctor and they tell you something you don't want to hear.

Maybe, maybe God is is using that to teach you, to teach us how to be content.

Maybe you're trying to figure out why why might why won't these kids just act right?

That's all I all I'm asking is that they act like they got some sense.

That's all, I'm not asking for a whole lot here.

And it just seems like it's just constant chaos.

Now, they need to learn and act like they got some sense, but maybe in the midst of that, God is teaching you to rest in him.

Notice here, I want to I want to give us some examples of what Paul meant when he said, In any circumstance or any situation, I've learned to be content.

Listen to first 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 23 through 28.

2 Corinthians 11:23–28

He says, Are they servants of Christ?

I am better, I am a better one.

I am I I am talking like a madman, with far greater labors, far more imprisoners, with countless beatings, and often near death.

Five times I received of the hands of the Jews the forty lashes, less one, three times I was beating with rods.

Once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, at night and a day at drift in the sea, on frequent journeys, and dangers from rivers and dangers from robbers, dangers from our people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers from false brothers, and toil and hardship through many sleepless nights and hunger and in thirst without food and cold and exposure.

And apart from these things, there is the daily pressures of on me for uh on my on my anxiety for all the churches, and in every circumstance and in every situation, he learned to be content.

Beloved, I'm not content if I don't eat on time.

You ever have one of them situations where you've been working all day and you're hungry?

And it just gets real ugly at home or with anybody else because I want to eat.

But here's a man with all these things, he was content.

He had learned contentment.

Now, we need to understand this that God teaches us contentment through the very challenges of life.

That's that's the tool he uses to teach.

How did Paul learn that that he could be content in God?

How did he figure out that that even though the the ship broke and breaks, God's faithful?

How did he figure that out?

Because God got him to where he said he was gonna get him, didn't tell him how, but he got him there.

He saw the faithful hand of God all throughout his life, and and even in the beatings and and all the various things, he constantly delivered Paul and sustained Paul in the midst of it all.

Beloved, understand something.

I I want you to just for a moment to in your own hearts and in your own minds, just just think of the various trials and the various testings that you have had in your life.

And and when they came on you, there were those thoughts and those attitudes to say, I don't know how I'm going to do this.

You sat there and you and you said, I don't know how we're going to make it through as a family.

Or maybe you're there now.

And every day God gets you up.

And you can't figure out how you're putting one foot in front of the other.

But He is faithful.

You can look back at stuff and you and you didn't know how you were going to get through, and you look back and you say and you're on the other side.

What was that?

That was that was the faithful hand of God in all the circumstances and all the various trials, letting you know that I got your bag.

I'm not gonna leave you.

I'm never going to forsake you.

I'm not gonna leave you hanging out the dry.

Oh, it might get tight sometimes, it might get tough sometimes.

You might feel like you're gonna die.

You might come close to dying.

I'm still there.

I'm still there.

I got you.

Notice here.

The power to be content, verse 13.

Where's that power come from?

The power to be content is through Christ.

He says, I can do all things through who?

Through me, through my through, through through me gutting it out, through me, my own energy?

No, I I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

It's it's Jesus, it's the power of Holy Spirit, beloved, that pulls you through.

Keep trying to figure out how you got there.

You keep trying to figure out what kept you at night.

You keep trying to figure out how it was God who did it.

It was the Holy Spirit.

I can't explain it.

God doesn't explain it, He just gets it done.

So Paul could say, I've learned, I've seen it.

I was beaten 33 times and almost to death.

I'm still living.

Hungry.

I'm still living.

Broke, broke up.

I'm still here.

And I'm gonna stay here until God says it's time to go home.

He learned it through the various things that he he went through.

Now let me just let me just close.

Let me just give you the situation where where we see this contentment being worked out in the life, directly in the life of the apostle Paul as we close.

2 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 7 through 10.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10

He says this so keep me so to keep me from being conceited, and because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, the thorn was given to me in the flesh.

A messenger of Satan to harass me to keep me from becoming conceited.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.

See, there's nothing wrong with asking.

There's nothing wrong with praying.

There's circumstances and there's situations that God might put us in.

Nothing wrong with requesting.

God, get it out.

Nothing wrong with that.

But but but God has the He has the prerogative, He has the option to say no.

And look what He says to him.

He says, But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you.

My power is made perfect in weakness.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ might rest upon me for the sake of Christ.

Then I am contented with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

He says, Look, God says, Paul, I'm not getting you out.

I'm going to give you grace.

I'm going to grace you, Paul.

You don't know how it's going to work.

You'll wake up and that thorn will be there every day, but but but somehow you will get through and you won't be an understanding.

But it's me.

It's me, Paul.

It's me.

Now, beloved, we need to understand, what does when we learn contentment, when we get this lesson learned, what will this do for us?

What will contentment do?

Contentment, once we get it right, once we learn it, it will free you up to serve God.

Because half the times we we we we get lazy in our service because we're so concerned about this and with that, and we get distracted about the circumstances of life and this and finances and money, and we can't pray like we should, and we don't serve like we should.

But when I'm content, I'm not gonna worry about that.

I'm gonna keep on serving God.

I'll let God handle that.

That's what contentment does.

That's that's what Paul says, and well, that's what our scripture this morning said.

It says, look, seek ye first the kingdom of God.

It says, Don't worry about your your food and your drink and your don't worry about it.

I got that taken care of.

I can feel I've I'm I'm clothing lilies of the field every day.

I got you.

Stay focused, stay on point, stay on the job, seek first the kingdom of God.

Don't don't let this stuff, these circumstances, twist you up and get you all off track.

I can handle that.

Stay focused.

Like the apostle Paul said in Philippians 3 12, he says, not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own brothers.

I do not consider that I have made it my own.

But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

When I'm content, I can do that.

When we're content, we can as a church do that.

We can handle God's business that He gave us to do because we're not worried about our business.

God says, I'll take care of your business.

I'll feed you, I'll clothe you, I got that.

I know these things are weighing on you, but I'm big enough I can get it done.

Beloved, what would we pray for one another as we we move through this year, we move through the rest of the year, that that we will learn what it means to be content.

That we would learn what it means that God is able to handle our lives.

He's more than capable of doing what needs to be done.

All the the the stuff is real.

I'm not denying that the trials and the stuff ain't real.

It's real, it's real.

But greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

Let us pray.

Father, forgive us, forgive me for not trusting you.

For not believing and resting and relying in the fact that you are able to handle very real, sometimes very scary situations in my own life and in our world, and and fretting.

Forgive me for my discontent and wishing I was somewhere else or doing something else, or all the various things that that distract my heart.

Help me to realize and remember that you got it under control.

And that you in your providence and in your love and your kindness and your mercy towards me, you will do what is best.

And as as the psalmist says, I won't fear.

What can man do to me?

What can stuff or the lack thereof do to me?

Help me, Lord.

Help us.

Teach us, Lord, to rest in you.

In Jesus' name we pray with thanksgiving.

Amen.