Welcome to midweek encouragement for the soul!
Welcome to midweek encouragement for the soul!
This coming Wednesday night - May 8, 2024 - we continue our new Bible study series called "Hidden Figures." Each week in May we will look at a story of a woman in the Bible whose life can give us insight, inspiration, and hope. These women are not prominent figures; you have to look hard to discover their stories. Yet there is much we can learn from them when we take the time to hear their stories. This week our focus is on the life of Deborah.
Join us as we share her story and pass on some mid-week encouragement for the soul.
If you can't attend in person, join us on our Facebook page at 6:30 p.m. or listen to the message later when you have time.
For those without Facebook, come back here to our website the following day and watch a replay of the message anytime! And for those in a hurry, you can download the notes for the message from the "Past and Future Messages" page of our website. There are many ways to be spiritually fed and encouraged.
Our Bible study Wednesday night, April 24, 2024, focused on the topic of contentment. Many people struggle with being content in life . . . never being satisfied with a job, in a relationship, with their income, etc. Discontent also includes feelings of never having enough. You just can't stop working, stop trying to get more money, put more into your 401k. This issue may apply to you, or to someone you know. But what's important to understand is that God's desire for our lives is to be content and at peace.
And if you or someone you know struggles in this area, we want to share a secret with you - there is a way to live a life of content.
It is something anyone can learn who is willing to do so.
To know how to fix the problem, you first have to understand what's going on that has prevented contentment in the first place.
Let's start at the beginning. We can all be content. As the Apostle Paul explains, contentment is something he learned.
Phil 4:11-12- “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
Because Paul experienced so much suffering and so many challenges - if he could be content, then so can we. We can learn to be content just like he did. How? The first step is recognizing the problem that hinders contentment in the first place.
1 Timothy 6:4-10 is a key to understanding why so many people can't be content. There, the Apostle Paul describes how there are people who disagree with the Bible’s teachings and don't understand them. Such people have missed the truth and Paul says "Their minds are sick." In other words, they have unhealthy thinking, and because of it, they have jealousy. Paul says that these people think religion is supposed to make you rich, but they misunderstand. Look at verses 7-10 - "We didn't bring anything into this world, and we won't take anything with us when we leave. So we should be satisfied just to have food and clothes. People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them. The love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some people want money so much they have given up their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain."
Paul describes so many people who are discontent. And at the heart of the problem is jealousy. But what's at the root of jealousy? Greed. Greed is a selfish desire, and that creates jealousy. From selfishness, we don't celebrate the good things that come to other people or the blessings they receive. Instead, we are jealous for what they have, and then pride kicks in its ugly head to tell us we deserve it. Those conditions come from an unhealthy mind. That is the diagnosis. That mindset causes greed, which in turn creates jealousy and pride.
To fix discontentment with life, we have to tackle the root of the problem - an unhealthy mind.
But the solution for the problem is also given to us in 1 Timothy 6:6. Here is what Paul says, "religion does make your life rich, by making you content with what you have." The CEV (Contemporary English Version) of the Bible states it in plain terms we can understand, but other versions of the Bible phrase it this way: "godliness with contentment is great gain."
That gives us a plan of action and a solution for how to be content: it's 4 G’s - Get rid of Greed & Grow in Godliness.
You may be wondering, what is godliness anyway? It's simple - it is thinking right & acting right; it's living out the words of Jesus and following His example. It's being His disciple and is the example, or proof, of our faith. And what is our faith? It's knowing God loves you, that He Provides, and blesses, and guides us. Therefore,
godliness is trusting God to provide for our needs while being content with what we have.
We say that godliness is proof of our faith because being satisfied is a mark of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. The Holy Spirit is how we understand the truth of scripture, and what scripture tells us is that God provides for our needs and takes care of us. The Bible paints a beautiful picture of God as our Shepherd. And as we grow and mature in our faith, we can say like David: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” That means if I am not in want, I have all that I need . . . I lack nothing. The truth is, sheep do not lie down in green pastures if they are worried, afraid, etc. They only lie down when they are content and at peace.
As our faith matures, we come to understand that when we’re ready, God will move us up to better positions, better jobs, etc.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6
Mature faith knows that the people driving you crazy right now are serving a purpose in your life. Because scripture says, "As iron sharpens iron, So one person sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17
Mature faith knows that if you needed it, God would have provided it. "And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
Remember what Jesus taught - "Your Father knows what you need even before you ask." Matthew 6:8.
And sometimes, we have not because we ask not." James 4:2.
The words of Jesus were: Ask and ye shall receive. Read again the words of Jesus from Luke 11:11-13 - "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
And what the Holy Spirit gives us is comprehension . . . we can know the truth - our God loves us and will provide for us. He will give us all we need. He may not give us all that we want, but even that is because He loves us. Sometimes the very things we think we want will harm us. We will be led down a path we should not walk, or we just aren't ready for it yet.
So to be content - to learn contentment - we have to allow the Holy Spirit to mature us and develop us. And that only happens if we have a desire to be better . . . a desire to allow God to open our minds & change our hearts. We must go from saying it's “my way” to submitting to God’s way. And that is called: Repent.
John Baptist preached the word repent. He called on people to repent from their way of life and repent from their unhealthy thinking. He said: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” And when the people asked how - what did they need to do? John the Baptist answer in Luke 3:10 – share your abundance and your blessings. If you have 2 shirts, give one to someone who needs it. If you have excess food, share it. "Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” (Luke 3:14) That's John's way of saying - repent of greedy attitudes. If we have 2, it's easy to say - I can't give one away, I might need.
But mature faith knows, God will bless our giving, and He will provide for our needs. When you know that, you have learned the secret to contentment. And when you live it out, you show the fruit of your faith. Your life will display this truth - God is enough. I’m where I need to be, and I have what I need to have.
Truth is - battling the desire for more money (greed) is always going to be part of our Christian journey to maturity.
But hang onto the words of Jesus - “You cannot serve both God and money.” Matt. 6:24. And remember His teaching - don’t worry about your lives; know that the birds don’t sow or reap, or store away food in barns, but God feeds them and takes care of them. And we are more valuable than birds! Trust that God knows what you need. Seek Him first, pursue righteousness (godliness) “and all these things will be given to you as well.”
That means, all our needs will be met. And the words, “as well” mean – pursue righteousness first, and you'll be blessed mentally and spiritually, but you will also be blessed in worldly ways as well.
But keep this in mind: The world wants position and power, but Jesus taught the last will be first.
The world wants to have pride, and Jesus taught humility.
The world wants to accumulate, but Jesus taught to give.
The world wants control, and Jesus taught submission.
The world wants to be master of our domain, and Jesus taught us to be a servant.
Learning to be content is surrendering to God: if I need it, He’ll provide. It's surrendering selfish desires and being willing to accept what God desires. To be content is to surrender to the Holy Spirit to teach us to be grateful for what we have, and not focus on tings we think we lack.
The solution to Contentment is the 4 G’s - Get rid of Greed & Grow in Godliness. It is possible. And it's wonderful.
Here are 4 scriptures to help:
2 Cor. 9:8– “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
Philippians 4:19– “And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Psalm 84:11– “No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly”
Psalm 34:9-10– “Fear the LORD, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.”