A little bit of Wisdom #2(2)

Last week we kicked off the series A little bit of wisdom

We talked in detail about 4 kids of people. / that are found in the first 9 chapters

The simple - It does things because he doesn't know any better. the cure is time

The fool - Knowing what is right he still does it anyway. ( I pity the fool) the cure is tragedy

The mocker - Knowing what is right does the apposite and insults people along the way. the Cure is God

Wise: those that take advice and apply it to avoid the pitfalls of life

Prov 9:9 Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.

We will kick it off with the same verse we did last week :

Prov. 4:7 “Wisdom is supreme: therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding

We talked bout it al starts with the fear of the Lord (saying that He is )

Awesome

Holy

He is right

This is a perfect launching point to what we are going to learn today.

Prov 19:23 “Having respect ( fear of the Lord )of the Lord leads to life. Then you will be content and free from trouble.”

This verse helps define what it is to be contempt :

Fear of the lord : (Yearha) respect , reverence

Leads to life: (Jay) from the root word (Jaya) Means : Alive, Save, quicken, revive and recover

Then you will be content ( rest , sleep) (Lun) abide , remain ( will keep you ), dwell , seated and abound

free from trouble : (RRaha) wickedness, mischief, affliction , harm

The reverence, respect ( fear ) of the Lord will revive (quicken) you then you will be abide (dwell ) in Him and you will be free from wickedness ( affliction , hurtful things )

There is a quote that says :

Never have we had more but enjoyed less

Technology : Never had we had more technology

Any iphone people / Android We love you, we are going to start an outreach ministry for those with androids

(the reason we don’t text you is because you make our bubbles turn green - specially in group text )( there is always that one )

Researchers are saying

Phone Have replaced 50 different items in our lives. Cameras , levels , calculators, dictionaries , books etc.

* We are still not content

Amazon Love that smiley face , you can have things within 24 hours ( here in the Northwoods 1 1/2 maybe lol)

Self driving electric cars are here.

Wifi information at our fingertips.

Netflix : Killed block buster ( thousands of movies at a push of a button / but we say there is nothing to watch )

The list goes on and we still only desire more.

Have you met someone who is content - If you do , they immediately make a difference in your life there is a peace about them that transmits to the other people around them

content person : a cure

discontent person : like a virus that moves from person to person

acts 4:13 “The leaders saw how bold Peter and John were. They also realized that Peter and John were ordinary men with no training. This surprised the leaders. They realized that these men had been with Jesus.”

Why are we not happy and not happy with what we have ?

The Enemy of contentment is Comparison ( its toxic)

Our culture is based on what you have is better than mine until i get the newest shiny ball.

Prov 14:30 “A peaceful heart gives life to the body. But jealousy rots the bones.”

Comparison:

Speaks lies into our lives and if we believe them it causes insecurities, depression , anxiety and even stress that can manifest physically

(So yes what happens to us spiritually can manifest physically )

You are not good enough! look at the other person

You are not Happy why cant i have that car etc

comparison breads lies into our lives

Lets look at 3 of them

Culture of Comparison

The wrong perspective :

Tries to convince us that what we have is not good enough

examples

You have a car but I need on e like the other family has. ( they got the coolest mini van with a vacuum builded into it )

I have a boat but its older i need something new like the one my other friends has ( they can fit more people and I am not going to get stuck in them middle of the lake you wouldn't want that right )

I wish I looked like the other husbands on facebook 6 pack and all ( there must be something wrong with me because i don’t look like that.

facebook updates of health goals when i am eating a burger #Blessed #superbless

There is a study done that every ten minutes session that you do in social media - anxiety increases , depression grows ( comparison is self afflicted pain )

2. The wrong presumption

I wish i had what others have, if I had it man I would be happy.

What is the message you are not happy but its only one step away One step away one click away

Pornography is exactly that : you are one click away from being happy

Comparison is a moving target

comparison is a moving target you get what you thought you wanted but in the end you are less happy than you were before .

“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” – Jim Carrey

* A study was done with people that had 25 mil or more - they reported that they were less satisfied , deep anxiety , they even thought that in order to be happy they would need to increase a 1/4 of their wealth

It creates a moving target a vicious cycle that cannot be satisfied

the cycle is like this

I dont have , I want what you got , I got what you have its not enough

3. The wrong person :

We end up putting so much attention to what they have that we dont enjoy what we have

We look at who their with and we forget who we have .

There was a disorder discovered in 2013 called

FOMO Fear Of Missing Out believe it or not a bunch of us struggle with it

SOBERING FACTS about social media put a fan on this fire and fueled it

( 4.48 billion / have SM ) - checking every 10 to 15 seconds if something changed or status changed

THE EVERGE 18-25 YO 2 hours and 27 A DAY THEY CHECK IT around 159 times a day

Genz 3 hours - MIllenials 2.25H - Gen x 1.5 H - Boomers 1 H

Total 69% population is on social media

Men 61% WOMEN 77% 18-29YO - 70% 50-64YO 73% 65+ 50%

Funny thing that the higher the income the lowest the percentage of people in social media

Ok you dont have social media but you have a phone every after hour work text email - pulls you away from where you are to somewhere else

The secret of contentment

Solomon tried everything many many wives 700 wives and 300 concubine had money Possessions

He realized that wisdom was very important and he put it this way

Ecclesiastes 4:6 “One handful with peace and quiet is better than two handfuls with hard work. Working too hard is like chasing the wind.”

simple - live the life he has for us focused on Him

Thank God there is hope for us we see it through the life of the apostle Paul

one of the greatest examples of someone who lived concept was the apostle Paul he was not born like this he put it this way

Philippians 4: 11-12 “I’m not saying that because I need anything. I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me. I know what it’s like not to have what I need. I also know what it’s like to have more than I need. I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough or not enough.”

He is writing this from prison not at the palace

What is the secret :

V13

we can quote it but it was written about contentment.

we quote it in sports Etc

Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything by the power of Christ. He gives me strength.”

The Secret of Contentment

Realize what we have

if we made a list of our problems we could have a pitty potty service - poor poor me

I believe that God is not mad about that , he wants us to offer our needs to Him and let them go

but the problem is that we make a home there

instead of letting it go ( You Gave it him dont take it back )

I was having a bad day and it turned into a bad week

I said ill go to the fridge to bet an drink that they no longer make in Starbucks : Very Berry Hibiscus

opened the fridge and guess what someone had drinked it ( my mom had been home and he killed it )

You would of though that the Anti Christ stole it from me

I even said why have you forsaken me God. ( i know its nothing to yo but it was my crisis)

How I got out of that funk .

I started thanking God for what i had

Thank you you for a roof over my head

Thank you for my kids that drinked my very berry

thank you for the clothes

thank you for my church

that ugly cloud started lifting

you know how i got out of it - I started thanking God for what i had - thank you you for a roof over my head , thank you for my kids that drinked my very berry , thank you for the clothes , thank you for my church - and that ugly cloud started lifting

We are in this together

I started thanking him for what he freed me from and the hope that i can go to heaven to be with him

come on somebody

1 tim 1:15-17 “Here is a saying that you can trust. It should be accepted completely. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the worst sinner of all. But for that very reason, God showed me mercy. And I am the worst of sinners. He showed me mercy so that Christ Jesus could show that he is very patient. I was an example for those who would come to believe in him. Then they would receive eternal life. ( praise break ) The eternal King will never die. He can’t be seen. He is the only God. Give him honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Make a list so when FOMO hits you have spiritual 2x4 to hit him with

2. Make God your source

really our discontent is not about material or money possessions or the trophy wife and well chiseled body men

its about a void in our lives

I am sure you heard

We are born with a god sized shape hole - we can fill it with something else

there are many of you who have walked away from God and you are returning today - I am proud of you

dont give up there is an answer for your life in Him

for the believer : you found out that he was the answer but maybe you are slowly crawling back to where your answers are coming from the world dont go there

Only in God we can find the answers

The apostle Paul puts it this way

Philippians 2:12-13 “My dear friends, you have always obeyed God. You obeyed while I was with you. And you have obeyed even more while I am not with you. So continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling. God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to be in keeping with his good purpose.”

Greek word for working out

root words daily Commit

its from a word used in gold mining : meaning dont stay in the surfece there is more gold to be found if you dig deeper

together : daily commit to digging or getting closer to God your savior ( cant stop )

look maybe you are saying God jest dont care - he is looking at you today and saying come on in the water is fine go deper you might find what you are looking for but its not in the surface

CS Lewis said it like this

salvation is an onion pilled in reverse CS Lewis

Everything we need and we lack is found in christ

You want to become rich its not on money alone

1 timothy 6:6 Yet true Godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

I know there is devotions and podcast but there needs to be some warfare times and i know those spiritual weapons are not in the surface you have to dig for them

3 Live life on mission

It’s someone had something to gripe about was him his life did not turn out like he expected it to be but he said this

Philippians 3:12-14 “I have not yet received all of those things. I have not yet been made perfect. But I move on to take hold of what Christ Jesus took hold of me for. Brothers and sisters, I don’t consider that I have taken hold of it yet. But here is the one thing I do. I forget what is behind me. I push hard toward what is ahead of me. I move on toward the goal to win the prize. God has appointed me to win it. The heavenly prize is Christ Jesus himself.”

Contentment fills me with life and fortifies me from circumstance.