HEART DISEASE
#1 - Being Satisfied
Philippians 4:10-13
By Rev. John R. Hannem,
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Over the next few weeks we are going to look at some diseases that effect the Christian. And when I say diseases I am not talking about physical diseases like the flu or mumps but instead I am talking about Spiritual diseases, diseases of the heart that infect all our lives and their cure.
I also want you to know that I am a realist. Today as we talk about having a heart of discontent I don’t expect for your week to immediately become all gumdrops and lollipops, I don’t expect us to wipe our slate completely clean in 30 minutes. But this is what I do expect, GROWTH. I believe that it is my responsibility to help you question your lifestyle, your relationship with God and your belief in that same God so that you will have the opportunity to grow in your spiritual walk. Grow closer to God and be a living example of what Paul talks about in Romans 12:2 so we are not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
We are going to begin this series today by examining what I believe is one of the most difficult passages in the whole Bible. It not difficult because it is filled with big names and places in the Old Testament, as a matter of fact this passage is not in the Old Testament but rather in Philippians 4
Read Philippians 4:10-13
Did you hear it? Did you cringe? Probably not so les look at it a little closer. Lets reread the 11th verse.
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances”.
There it is, one of the hardest teachings in the whole bible and it has to do with contentment. Paul penned these verses while in prison. And, he was content! How could he be? Well, he had learned that contentment and happiness are not dependent on external circumstances, but on inner qualities of the heart, and upon a right relationship with the Lord.
David gives us another picture of contentment when he writes in Psalm 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
Contentment is something that we all strive for, the problem is that the world tells us to all look in the wrong places, so we either become apathetic where we don’t feel anything or we spend our lives thinking you know if I only…
We think, “If I only was 20 pounds lighter then I would be happy.” And the world says you can buy a one month supply of lard off magical milkshake drink for only $59.95 and drop that unwanted weight.
We think, “If I was smarter then I would be happy.” And the world says buy Dr. Libby’s original, patented Sublingual B-12, B-6 & Folic Acid pill and amaze your friends.”
We think, “If I was only funnier, or more popular, and had more people like me then I would be happy.” And the world says, wear our brand of clothes, drink our beer, drive our car, buy our DVD with 50 great party jokes and you will be popular.
But what happens when you loose 20 pounds, and can answer the all the questions on Jeopardy, while you wear stylish clothes and tell great jokes during the commercials? Are you truly content?
The problem with the worlds contentment is that you are like a dog chasing its tail. You are never fast enough to fully grab a hold of all that there is to offer, so you just fall to the ground worn out and dizzy.
What is contentment?
Well good ole Webster says that contentment is to rest satisfied, to be positive and well-pleased; to not be disgruntled or disheartened. Freedom from care or discomfort.
The Pulpit Commentary says that, "It is quiet restfulness in the midst of all kinds of changing events. It is a cordial acquiescence in the arrangements of Heaven."
The JHV or John Hannem Version says that it is peace in the very core of your soul.
So many of us live day to day without that peace in our souls that not only do we not know what it feels like but we have forgotten that it is supposed to be there, but God says if we are his children we are to be content.
In Luke we read "And be content with your wages."
This was a teaching directed to the soldiers, but it’s also directed to us today. You see contentment would prevent the soldiers from intimidating others (doing violence), and practicing blackmail (falsely accusing) because of their low wage scale. It helps us to remember that God has fulfilled His promise to provide us with all that we need. I have to learn not to make money so I can live, but trust that God will allow me to live with what I make.
Paul again writes but this time in 1 Timothy 6:6-8 "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.".
I believe that the poorest man in the world is the man who has more than he needs but feels like it isn’t enough. Remember the parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 13?
The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He says to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest. So here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’
But we know that’s not going to happen. Soon I have a bigger barn so I need more stuff and then I need a bigger barn then more stuff. That’s what happens when you fill your barn with something besides God. God provides us with a gift or a blessing but we’re not satisfied with that and so we don’t have peace.
Then we read in Hebrews 13:5 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Now I don’t believe that God is saying here that we shouldn’t set goals to improve our status in life, like buying a new car when we need one or a bigger home when we have 4 kids and live in a two bedroom town home. But I do believe that He is teaching against a misplaced emphasis on the material things. God has given us possessions to use for His glory and not for our position in life.
Our trust and confidence must be placed in God alone, that is the only way that we will ever be satisfied with our situation in life. We are told that if we are faithful, God will cause all things to work together for our good and His glory.
Unfortunately it seems that all to often in the church while our Heavenly Father says “live lives of contentment”, we suffer with an "I can’t be satisfied" attitude. It seems to me that we often misread Philippians as, "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be discontent."
Foes of Contentment
Covetousness
Max Lacaddo tells of taking one of his children to McDonald’s one afternoon after soccer practice and ordered him a happy meal. After sitting down at the table and smelling the fries, Max reached across the table and grabbed one. The child stopped eating, look at his dad and said in an angry tone "those are mine."
Lacaddo says he was a little disappointed with that response but instead of causing a scene he just sat there and during the quiet he began to reflect about his son’s attitude, and came up with two thoughts.
1) My son forgot who bought the fries for him.
2) My son didn’t understand that I had the power to take them from him or buy him 20 more orders.
Max confessed that his son had an attitude problem, and it was a problem that he learned at home. He says there are times when his attitude towards God and things are wrong also. The french fries became a lesson on overcoming covetousness.
All to often we forget who is the giver of all good gifts, and that at anytime God can take our blessings from us or bless us beyond our wildest imagination. It is in this forgetfulness that we allow covetness to enter our hearts and make us discontent. The secret of contentment is knowing how to enjoy what you have and being able to lose all desire for things beyond your reach."
Unbelief
God instructs us to be content , and like every command from God the command of contentment is based solely on His promises. He has promised us that He will not forsake us, that He will not leave us, that He will help us and that we need not fear what man may do. He promises to sustain us with all the physical necessities of life. Do we really believe these promises? If so, how could we be anythig but content? Sometimes I believe that we put the emphasis on the wrong thing? Never forget, God takes care of His own.
Envy.
We all know what envy is, jealousy of the good fortune of another. And this spirit will keep us from contentment.
In 1 Samuel 18 we see that Saul was content with what praise he was receiving until he saw David was getting more. Then he could not even enjoy the praise that was being heaped upon him.
Envy is a dangerous evil which must be wiped out from our hearts. Paul writes in Galatians 5:19-26 … The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the
Pessimism.
The story is told of two buckets that were hung in the well house. The first bucket was a dreadful soul and often complained "No matter how full I come up, I always go down empty." But the second bucket would always remind him, "Yes, and regardless how empty I go down I always come up full."
Kenfield Morley expressed how pessimism effects our contentment this way. "I can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."
We who are followers of God know that this is not the end. Our roof may have a leak in it but one day we will be in a mansion. Our clothes may be tattered and torn but one day we will wear robes of white. The sky may be dark but one day we will see the light of the throne of God. Truly there is a better life awaiting the child of God on the other side.
Finally there is Complaining.
We talked a little bit about this heart condition a few weeks ago, but did you know that when you complain you destroy any contentment that you might have? You see it is one thing for a thought to rattle around in my head but when I voice it I give it power.
Someone once said you can’t keep a bird from flying over your head but you can keep it from making a nest in your hair. I can’t stop a fleeting thought from entering my mind but I can keep from voicing it; and, deepening the thoughts of discontent. Those who gripe and complain live a sad life filled with sorrows. Because it is that complaint that shows that they have forgotten the blessings of God. We must cultivate an attitude of contentment and the only way we can do this is by working at it!
LIFE APPLICATION
Paul says in Philippians 4:11 that he had to learn how to be content. (1) We too must learn to be content. Contentment must be cultivated in our lives. We need to start looking for the blessings in our lives and be thankful for them.
God says in Matthew 25:21 that if we can be loyal with small things, then He will let us care for much greater things. I believe that if we can learn to be content with what God has blessed us with now the he will allow us to be content with greater things.
(2)Count your blessings! We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5: 18 to give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Everything that is going on in your life at this very moment is God’s will for you. If you are being blessed at this moment then you need to thank god for your blessings. If life is rough at this moment then you need to learn, like Job, to thank God that He considered you worthy to endure the trial.
WE could not help but be content if we were to loose ourselves in counting what we do have, food, clothing, shelter, family, health, freedom, job, rather than on those things we do not have.
With that in mind we must (3) learn that happiness is not tied to things.
In Ecclesiastes we read … Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
We live in a society that is centered and oriented on stuff. And as enlightened as we have become we either disbelieve what Solomon wrote or we have not figured it out yet. So many of us rush through day after day to "climb higher" or "get more." And we never find happiness and contentment. That’s why psychiatrists and counselors are in such high demand, ulcer medicine is big business, and with all of the warnings about how cigarette smoke will effect your health more people started smoking last year than the year before.
Solomon was right contentment does not come from externals but from internals.
(4)Finally we must develop a deep sense of appreciation for the simple things of life,
Paul writes to his son in the faith in 1 Timothy 6:8 "And having food and raiment let us be therewith content" That is what God led Paul to write, and David put it this way, "A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked." Psalm 37:16
Solomon said it like this: Proverbs 15:16 "Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.