CONTENTMENT
Philippians 4:11
"I HAVE LEARNED IN WHATSOEVER STATE I AM, THEREWITH TO BE CONTENT"
HERE'S THE QUESTION, "IS CONTENTMENT ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE?"
ARE YOU CONTENT WITH YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD?
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS:
"BE EAGER TO BE APPROVED OF GOD";
"HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS";
"SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM"
"THE VIOLENT TAKE THE KINGDOM BY FORCE"
IF YOU'RE A STUDENT, ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE QUALITY OF YOUR STUDIES AND THE GRADES YOU'RE EARNING?
ARE YOU CONTENT WITH YOUR FLABBY MUSCLES?
HOW ABOUT THE QUALITY OF YOUR FRIENDSHIPS? OR YOUR JOB PERFORMANCE? IS THERE CONTENTMENT? OR PERHAPS THERE'S A DISCONTENT WHICH MOTIVATES YOU TO SEEK DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPROVEMENT.
CONTENTMENT IS NOT AN UNCRITICAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE STATUS QUO. NO, EVERYTHING SHOULD NOT REMAIN AS YOU FIND IT.
WOULD WE BE CONTENT WITH A CHURCH WITH LITTLE LOVE, ENTHUSIASM, OR BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING?
WOULD THERE BE CONTENTMENT WITH MUSIC/DRAMA PRODUCTIONS WHERE THE MUSIC NOTES AND LINES ARE MISSED?
WOULD IT BE O.K. IF THE SCHOOL HAS LITTLE INTEREST IN THE PERSONAL PROBLEMS AND LIFE SITUATIONs OF THE STUDENTS?
OR WOULD WE PASSIVELY ACCEPT A BUSINESS CLIMATE WHERE THERE'S ONLY HALF-HEARTED INTEREST IN THE NEEDS OF THE CLIENTS?
FURTHERMORE, CONTENTMENT IS NOT A WILLINGNESS TO MEASURE OURSELVES BY THE MEDIOCRE. THE FACT IS, WE CAN ALWAYS FIND SOMEONE TO MAKE US LOOK GOOD.
WHAT WE HAVE IN PHILIPPIANS 4 IS A WARNING AGAINST MATERIALISM AND OTHER FORMS OF EXTERNAL MEASURE.
THIS IS A PROBLEM IN THE CHURCH. WE TEND TO JUDGE CHURCHES BY THEIR BUILDINGS AND THEIR FINANCIAL SHEET. IN THIS CULTURE, THE
BUSINESS MANAGER BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PASTOR.
NOTE THIS: CONTENTMENT IS TO BE SOUGHT IN COMPANY WITH GODLINESS AND AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF HIS STRENGTH.
SO THEN, HOW DOES ONE ACHIEVE CONTENTMENT?
FIRST, IT IS THE RESULT OF LEARNING - NOT BY TAKING A COURSE CALLED "CONTENTMENT 101", BUT LEARN AS DOES A "DISCIPLE."
WE LEARN FROM THE MASTER - HE SAID, "THE FOXES HAVE HOLES, THE BIRDS HAVE NESTS."
SECONDLY, WE MUST SEEK TO AVOID COMPARISONS WITH OTHERS. DO YOU NOTICE WHAT OTHERS ARE WEARING? DRIVING? COMPUTING?
THEIR POSITION AT THE WORK PLACE? THIS IS NOT HELPFUL.
THIRD, WE MUST CLARIFY OUR FOCUS - MONEY SHOULD ALWAYS BE AT THE SERVICE OF THE KINGDOM.
FOURTH, LET'S BE EAGER TO DEVELOP OUR INNER RESOURCES, OUR GODLINESS.
"THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES STRENGTH"
Think about it!! Are you content to live in a Fox hole? When you could be Soaring the heavens from a Bird's Nest level of life? Ever hear the expression, "He/She has gone to the dogs" (Dogs come from the Fox family)? If we are content to live in the valley's, then we will never reach the mountain tops. God doesn't want us to be content to live our lives the way we find it. Change is there in His Word...He will give you strength to fly,,to Soar,,all you have to do is ask Him.
God Bless All, Love in Christ, Sister Betty
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