The Key to Contentment

Philippians 4:11 "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have."

Content: pleased and satisfied; not needing more

When I was a girl I remember singing the song "He's all I Need."  The words are: He's all I need, he's all I need, Jesus is all I need. He's all I need, he's all I need, Jesus is all I need."  When I was young I sang that song without understanding what I was saying. Today as I sit here enjoying the sunshine on the mountains, I can honestly say, Jesus is all I need.

As we learn how much he loves us and as we place our faith and trust in him, we begin to feel content.  When we understand what the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 16:5 (MSG) "My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!"

God chose us!!!  He kept calling to our hearts until we came to salvation. He pursued us even while we lived lives of sinful rebellion. He never once gave up or got tired of the pursuit. 

Then the moment we accepted Christ as our Savior we became an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. Romans 8:17a "And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory."

Heir : a person who has the legal right to receive the property of someone who dies

Jesus already died and rose again so we can access our inheritance whenever we need it. Philippians 4:19 "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."  

God will supply all we need out of our inheritance. We don't need to fear asking the Father for provision, health, etc. He delights in giving it to us. Matthew 7:7 (MSG) “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?"

Being content involves knowing our needs will be met and bring satisfied with what we have. If we long for things that God hasn't made provision for (the provision might be divine or it can be through our own hard work and income, or maybe even a gift from someone else) we lose our contentment. 

Paul learned that if he had much he could be content and if he had little he could still be content.  His contentment was not based on "things". It was based on his relationship with Jesus, the giver and sustainer of life!!  

If we seek relationship with Jesus above all else God will take care of the rest. Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Check Your Attitude

Philippians 2:5-6, 8 "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross."  In our daily lives and relationships we must express the attitude of a servant to those around us. 

Matthew 20:26-28 "But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

Jesus was God yet he gave up the splendor of heaven, a life of ease, and his exalted position to be born in a stable. To walk on dusty roads. To live a life of poverty. To be betrayed by a friend and crucified. Why?  

Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” 

John 18:37 Pilate said, “So you are a king?”Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” 

1 John 3:8 "But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil."

Hebrews 2:14-15 "Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying."

We too, are called to serve. We are called to put others before ourselves. Philippians 2:3-4 "Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too."

When we begin to look out for our own best interests, putting ourselves above others, and think we deserve something from others or the world around us we get a "chip on our shoulder" which is usually expressed in the form of a bad attitude. We may become grumpy, angry, or sulky. We may pout or become snippy or short in our communication with others. 

Beware: Our attitudes will either draw others closer to Christ or push them away. No one wants to spend time with someone who is selfish or has a bad attitude. We are drawn to those who are loving, kind, gentle, etc. Do those adjectives sound familiar?  

Galatians 5:22-26 "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another."

The key to maintaining a proper attitude is to weigh our thoughts and attitudes on the scale of God's Word. Do my thoughts align with those of Christ?  Does my attitude demonstrate that I am a servant; that I am thinking of others above myself?  Does it demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit?  Romans 12:3 admonishes us, "Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us."

Our servant lifestyle must begin at home; the hardest place to practice it!!!  We must be servants to our family first, then to our friends, our coworkers, and on to the world. We must give of ourselves and demonstrate the love of Christ to all we meet each day. 

We may be the only Jesus someone sees. Will they see a Jesus who is a loving servant? Or a Jesus who is selfish and grumpy?  Will they be drawn to the Savior or put off by our grouchy attitude?  

We much choose daily to either die to self or to live by the dictates of our flesh. Joshua 24:15 (NIV) "...then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” 

Sacrifice of Praise

Hebrews 13:15 (NIV) "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name."

Sacrifice: the act of giving up something that you want to keep; an act of killing a person or animal in a religious ceremony as an offering to please a god

Praise is a sacrifice because in order to offer it to God we have to crucify our flesh, our apathy, our pride, our fear. We must crucify anything that diminishes our worship of God. We have to turn our focus off of ourselves and onto the One who made the ultimate sacrifice for us. 

Getting past "self" is a requirement for worship. We cannot worship God while focusing on our problems, desires, needs, etc. 

When we come to God in worship we must lay aside every care and focus on the Savior. When we begin to worship the enemy will bring every distraction to hinder us. But if we resist he will flee. James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Praise should be ongoing in our lives. Psalm 34:1-3 "I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together."

We must offer our praise in every circumstance. In the good times as well as in the bad times. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."  Praise is not based on how we feel or what is happening in our lives at the moment, it is based on Who Jesus is. 

As we offer praise to God, we remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Looking at the cross we see a picture of ultimate love and sacrifice. Praising our Savior should come easy when we put our focus on who he is and what he has done for us. 

People cheer for sports teams or stars in the entertainment industry. What have they ever done for us?  Nothing!!  If we can stand up and scream at a football game or a concert, how much more should we praise the King of Kings?  

Let us offer up our praise to the only one deserving worship, our Savior and King. 

Fear Trap

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

In the book of Job when Satan came before God, God pointed out Job. Satan accused God of putting a hedge around Job to protect him. Satan then pointed out ways he could get Job to curse God. 

God allowed Satan to take everything Job possessed. Job 1:12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence. 

After he had lost everything, Job makes a powerful declaration, Job 3:25 "What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true."

When we allow fear to overtake our hearts we open the door to the devourer. God did not cause Job's suffering, Satan did. Job feared that he might one day loose all he had and that fear is what influence the enemy to suggest ways to test him. 

The enemy knows us well. He studies our lives looking for ways to destroy us. 1 Peter 5:8 "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."

The enemy will try to cause us to fear so he can then pounce on that fear and bring destruction. When we begin to fear we must speak to our spirit and remind ourself that fear comes from the enemy.   2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

The key to avoiding the fear trap is putting our trust and confidence in God.   Psalm 56:3 "But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you."  We can take all our worries and fears to him. Psalm 34:4 "I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears."  

Remembering how much he loves us can help us avoid the fear trap as well. Nothing can separate us from that love!! Romans 8:38 "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love."  Psalm 23:4 "Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me."

Fear is not from God and it draws our attention away from God and what he wants to do in our lives. We must take the fearful thoughts captive and make them submit to what we know about God. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV) "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."  

God is love and he cares for his own. He will never leave us to struggle alone. Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

Let us place our faith and confidence in God and avoid the fear trap. 

Living Sacrifice

Romans 12:1 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him."

Sacrifice: the act of giving up something that you want to keep 

Being a living sacrifice involves choosing daily to loose our lives for Christ.  Luke 9:24 "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." 

Loosing our lives involves daily choosing to die to our flesh. Choosing to following the leading of the Holy Spirit and not indulging our sin nature. When we come to Christ our flesh is crucified with him.  Galatians 2:20 "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  

Our old man (our flesh) doesn't want to stay dead. It will raise its ugly head at every opportunity. It will try to convince us that it is alive and well. It is our job to daily surrender our lives again to Christ. To yield to his control and leading. If we make allowances (provision) for our flesh it will rise up and take control. 

Romans 13:14 (ESV) "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."

We crucify the flesh through the strength of Christ. He did not allow himself to yield to his desires as he walked in this earth. He made it possible for us to do likewise. However, we need to remember that we can't fight alone. Often when we feel the flesh rise up we try to put it in its place in our our strength. The Word tells us, Zechariah 4:6 (NIV) "‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty."

When we put our total dependence in Christ and trust him to care for us, he gives us the strength to resist the enemy when he comes to call; the power to crucify our flesh and die daily. James 4:7 "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Humble here means: to destroy the power, independence, or prestige of. We choose to destroy our own independence in order to become totally dependent on Christ. Only then can we truly be free from our old man and become the living sacrifice God desires. 

I love this song. I pray it speaks to your spirit!!  

Crucified with Christ by Phillips,Craig, and Dean. 

http://youtu.be/PmB0u5BQ8BM

God is Greater

1 John 4:4b "the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world."

God is greater than the spiritual powers of this world. Ephesians 6:12 "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." John 16:33 "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 

God is greater than sickness and disease. Exodus 15:26 He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”  Matthew 14:14 "Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick."

God is greater than financial need.  Philippians 4:19 "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." 

God is greater than the leaders of our nation and the world. Romans 13:1 "Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God."  Daniel 2:21 "He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars."

God is greater than our sorrows.      2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

God is greater than anything you are going through. He is able to provide, heal, direct, and comfort.   He never sleeps or slumbers. He is caring for us 24/7.  Psalm 121:1-8 "I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever."

Our God by Chris Tomlinson. http://youtu.be/NJpt1hSYf2o

Temporary Residents

1 Peter 2:9, 11 "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Dear friends, I warn you as 'temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war 

against your very souls.'"

When our house was being built, my family and I lived with some dear friends. They did everything they could to make us feel welcome and "at home."  However, no matter how welcome they made us feel, we were not "at home."  We we guests in their home.

That is how Christians should view life here on earth. This world is Satan's home, we are temporary residents. As such, we have to guard against getting overly comfortable. When we come to Christ through salvation, we receive the mandate to be holy. 

Leviticus 20:26 "You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own."

1 Peter 1:14-16 "So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, 'You must be holy because I am holy.'"

Holiness is not optional for followers of Christ. It is required. God says, "You MUST be holy..."

What does being holy mean?

Galatians 2:20 "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  Colossians 3:3 "For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God." Ephesians 2:6 "For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus."

These scriptures along with many others show us the key to holiness.  In this quote from an article in "Christianity Today" (What does God mean when he asks us to be holy as he is holy?) by Joel Scandrett, we see why. "At bottom, God's call to be holy is a radical, all-encompassing claim on our lives, our loves, and our very identities. To be a disciple of Jesus Christ requires nothing less than death to our fallen, egocentric selves in order that we might live in and for him. "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it," says Jesus, "but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:35-36). To be holy means that all we are and all we have belongs to God, not ourselves, and that every aspect of our lives is to be shaped and directed toward God."

The questions we must ask ourselves today are:

1. Is there any area of my life I have not given the Holy Spirit access to?

2. Am I living like a temporary resident of this world or am I comfortably at home here?

3. Is every aspect of my life shaped and directed toward God?