2010 Feb 14 - Contentment (Phil 4:10-13)

Philippians 4:10-13
Contentment

Paul's letter used the contrast between poor and rich to describe contentment. Those are relative terms, of course. But Paul's point was focused on heart attitude. No matter how we define our circumstances, can we be content in them?

We described contentment as being full, happy, satisfied, thankful, calm, uncomplicated, peaceful: basking in the moment. Being content should be active, not passive. Some contentment is mere laziness, we thought. It should be more than being too disinterested to care about what's going on in our lives. We should actually be at ease with ourselves and with our circumstances.

Why do people experience discontent? A lack of being full, happy, or calm would lead to discontent. But a lack of faith is a more serious problem. We sometimes try to satisfy our needs without God. We can be distracted from what's really important. Fear may play a part. And contentment may be affected by our goals for ourselves. It is also hard to be content when our aim is to keep up with others, a common form of coveting. The more complicated our lives, the more difficult it is to be content.

1. False contentment can stem from a passive approach to life. Low goals and low expectations can pass for being content. This may be more of an issue of laziness or lack of motivation. Discussion pointed out that this lack may be because of our background, and not necessarily because we deliberately chose such an attitude.
2. False contentment can stem from fatalism, a blind acceptance of anything that happens. The example of careless driving was given, for instance: "I don't need to watch out for hazards. I'll be okay until it's my time to go."
3. True contentment stems from trust. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

We should recognize, no matter the circumstances, that God has plans for us and a purpose. God has a will for us in every situation. This is not necessarily a detailed map ("spend three weeks without a job") but more of a goal ("learn to depend upon me and my resources"). Psalm 55:2, Isaiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, 1 Thessalonians 4:17, and Revelation 21:4 have been helpful to various class members. Carmen's The Champion has also been an inspiration. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1ogO4tW2ck)

Discontent causes us to lose the joy of the moment. "I can't wait" is a potential joy-killer. Even looking forward to the end of a major project can help us miss what God has for us during the project. One example was given of learning to pray for today, insteade of just for tomorrow's challenges.

Discontent also hurts relationships.

One cynic has noted two tragedies: Not getting what you want, and Getting what you want. The point is that we should trust that God is on our side, aiming for our best.

Contentment is an attitude of the heart. We can choose not to dwell on the downside of the situation. We can be intentional in what we focus on. Richard Foster's Freedom of Simplicity book can help us with un-complicating our lives. Contentment removes competition and keeps us from chasing the unattainable. We will discover that we have fewer needs as we learn to distinguish them from our wants. We will have less stress, better priorities, and fewer demands on our time and energy.

How do we learn to be satisfied with less? Not just by trying harder. We have to learn to trust. Trusting God does involve practice, which means there will also be some errors. We won't get it right all the time. But improvement comes. Our choices should be prayer-directed, not want-based.

And we can always take the advice of an old song. When you recognize restlessness and discontent within yourself, analyze the source. And then, you can Count Your Blessings.