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Contentment

Are you happy ? Are you content? Do you know the difference? Or,. Contentment. C an you be one without the other ? Generally, “Happiness” is usually a temporary condition based on external circumstances; and,

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Contentment

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  1. Are you happy? Are you content? Do you know the difference? Or, Contentment • Can you be one without the other? Generally, • “Happiness” is usually a temporary condition based on external circumstances; and, • True “contentment” is a perpetual state based internal decision and commitment. Physical and Spiritual

  2. Contentment- Phil.4:10-13; 1Tim.6:6-9 More specifically, what is it, or what isn’t it? • It isn’t laziness, or being a slacker, 1Cor.4:12. • It isn’t being under-motivated, or an under-achiever, Phil.4:13. • It is a decision to be satisfied with what you have, Heb.13:5. • In a spiritual context, contentment is trusting God to provide what is needed and best, and being happy with however much or little it may be, 2Cor.12:7-10.

  3. Contentment- Phil.4:10-13; 1Tim.6:6-9 What is the source of contentment- and what isn’t? • It isn’t abundance, Phil.4:12b-rich people can be just as greedy and discontent as poor people, 1Tim.6:17-19. • It isn’t the ability or willingness to do without, Phil.4:12a-poor people can be just as envious and covetous as rich people, 1Tim.6:9-11. • Contentment, it seems to me, has two primary sources: • Humility of mind; and, • Trust in the heart. Let me illustrate this way…

  4. Contentment- Phil.4:10-13; 1Tim.6:6-9 Consider discontentment in our physical lives (anything from jobs, cars, homes, schools, to the sexual relationship between husbands and wives): • I shouldhave more (competiveness based on comparisons). • I deservemore (covetousness based on arrogance). • I needmore (doubt, rather than trust, based on dissatisfaction). • I wantmore (desire based on greed). What is the common denominator? Lack of humility in the thought processes, Rom.12:3.

  5. Contentment- Phil.4:10-13; 1Tim.6:6-9 Consider contentment in our spiritual lives (anything from our relationships and roles within the kingdom to everything physical previously considered): • I should have more becomes “God will give me what I need,”Matt.6:25-33; Luke 16:10; Matt.25:14-30. • I deserve more becomes “I deserve only death,” Rom.3:23; 6:23. • I need more becomes “I have all I need,” 1Tim.6:8. • I want more becomes “I want only to please God- ‘Thy will, not mine, be done,’” 1Thess.4:10b-12. What is the common denominator? Trust in the heart, 2Cor.1:8-12.

  6. Contentment- Conclusions: Some say, “Contentment is not‘having what you want,’ but, ‘wanting what you have.’” Maybe- but more precisely, and from a more spiritualperspective, “Contentment is recognizing that everythingyou have came from God rather from yourself (1Tim.6:7, humility of mind), and trusting in God that it is sufficient and best (Matt.6:30, trust in the heart), enough to be truly appreciative for and satisfiedwith however much or little it may be,” (Phil.4:11).

  7. Contentment- Conclusions: Now, do Youhave the: Humility of mind and trust in heart necessary to be truly appreciative (thankful) and satisfied (content) with what God provides? If so, you will live a wonderfully content andhappy life, 1Tim.6:6! If not, a lifetime of discontent and misery awaits you, 1Tim.6:9. The choice is yours!

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