Contentment
Notes
Transcript
The Struggle for Contentment: A Masterful Theme
The Struggle for Contentment: A Masterful Theme
I am a big fan of movies. When I find a movie that I like I can watch it over and over again. Even though I know what is coming. I like sports movies, rom-coms (when watching with my wife), science fiction (come on, I grew up on Star Wars - pretty sure I saw the first one in the theaters and if not that one I know I saw Empire Strikes back) and as a I musician, yes, I like musicals.
There are a couple of movies that I really like but probably not for the reason that most people do.
I like For Love of the Game, a romantic movie disguised as a sports movie - Greatest Showman, a very lose biopic of P.T. Barnum and the Disney movie “Soul”.
There is a common theme in all three of these movies. These movies, being mainstream movies, don’t connect on the spirituality of the topic today, but if you will indulge me for just a few minutes, I will get them to where they need to be and where we need to be to have contentment in our life. (Hint - we can’t/don’t do it on our own)
For Love of the Game
For Love of the Game
For Love of the Game tells the story of an aging MLB pitcher throwing a perfect game in his final appearance in professional baseball. The movie is interlaced with flashbacks over his lifetime, primarily over the last five years and many relationships and experiences that have shaped his life. And his own selfishness and self-driven determination that ultimately allows him to pitch the perfect game, No walks, no hits, no men on base of any kind. To give a sense of perspective and accomplishment for this fictional feat, In real life, in over 154 years of Major league baseball, in the almost 240,000 games played, there have only been 24 perfect games.
This should have been the crowning moment of his life. Everything that he has done in his life was to get him to this moment. Every practice, sacrifice, injury, lost relationship, everything - should have paled in comparison to the joy he would feel for this accomplishment. And to do it in his final game (he decides during the game to retire) would be a story book ending that not many professional athletes get.
But that isn’t the end of the movie. He gets a few fleeting hours of joy with his teammates in the immediate celebration, he gets the adulation of the baseball fans (even the opposing fans), but at the end of the night he goes home to nothing and no one. The final scenes of the movie show him reconnecting with a lost love that he had pushed away as he realizes that this greatest moment of his life is nothing. He is not content. He has no contentment. He finally realizes his role in his successful/messed up life and seeks to make it right.
The Greatest Showman
The Greatest Showman
Yes, I like musicals. Let me be clear, not every musical, but many of them. Let me also be clear, the movie adaption of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats”, that was just pure garbage.
The Greatest Showman is a VERY loose biographical telling of the life and P.T. Barnum. For all of the younger folks, if you are wondering where you know the name Barnum, it is part of the later Barnum and Bailey’s circus, and if you don’t know what a circus is, well….it has been a minute since I have seen ads for one and has been a very long minute since I have been to one.
This is another story of a man driven to “success”. He continues to want and want. Money, fame, respect, status. You name it, he wants it. He puts everything he wants ahead of everyone and everything in his life. Near the end of the movie we literally see it all go up in flames.
Now of course, this is a Hollywood move so we do see the main character get his redemption. He patches things up with his wife, he gets to resurrect his Circus with very generous help of others and he actually gets to a point where he places others first. He gives up his “crown” his ringmaster top hat, and goes to be with his family.
I like the simple spectacle of the movie. The music, the choreography, the whimsy of it all. But my absolute favorite scene of the entire movie isn’t the climactic song and dance number almost at the end.
No…it is the very end…P.T. Barnum is in the audience, not on the stage leading, just in the audience observing. His two young daughters are on stage (one as a ballerina, and the other as a tree) and his wife is seated next to him. Arm in arm with her head on his shoulder. In that one final moment we see something we haven’t seen before in the entire movie. Husband and wife are content. Content just to be there with each other and observing their children.
Soul
Soul
This movie tells the story of a talented pianist that has settled into life as a teacher and private instructor but that still dreams of making it to “the big time”, of being a traveling, professional musician. He views most everything he has done up to this point of his late middle aged life as a failure. He doesn’t see himself as good enough. Moving quickly because we need to finish the illustrations and get to the meat of the message, our protagonist gets the chance to play his dream gig. He is the pianist for a remarkable jazz quintet, has his professional debut and at the end of the night is left with the realization that all of his hopes, dreams, practice, dedication, sacrifice has led a great few fleeting minutes. Over and done with. And if he is lucky, he will be able to recreate it the next night, and the next and the next. He realizes that his greatest achievement is a hollow victory that has no permanence.
What Hollywood gets wrong
What Hollywood gets wrong
All three of these movies come so close to understanding where true contentment lies, but ultimately the Hollywood version simplifies it to the point that we - us - the same ones that screw it all up - the ones that push everyone aside, the ones that cause all the heartache, the authors of our very own selfishness can have an epiphany and suddenly figure it all out on our own. We can do it ourselves. Maybe we can do it on our own, but that definitely hasn’t been my experience or what I have seen from others in my life
What is Contentment?
What is Contentment?
Oxford Languages: (Google Dictionary)
noun: contentment
a state of happiness and satisfaction.
"he found contentment in living a simple life in the country"
What does the Bible say?
What does the Bible say?
A Noun, a Verb and an Adjective
A Noun, a Verb and an Adjective
Old Testatment
Old Testatment
Hebrew: yā’al “content to dwell”
Hebrew: yā’al “content to dwell”
21 Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.
7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!
“Be willing”, “agree”, “be (so) disposed)
“Be willing”, “agree”, “be (so) disposed)
11 Then the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man became like one of his sons to him.
Yātab be’ ênê “be good in the eyes” or “he deemed it right”
Yātab be’ ênê “be good in the eyes” or “he deemed it right”
20 So when Moses heard that, he was content.
Word not actually translated but draws out the sense of the original word
Word not actually translated but draws out the sense of the original word
10 You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Glory in that, and stay at home; for why should you meddle with trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”
47 You did not walk in their ways nor act according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you became more corrupt than they in all your ways.
New Testament
New Testament
Greek : arkéō “be satisfied” “make do”
Greek : arkéō “be satisfied” “make do”
14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.
Greek: eudokéō “think well of” “take pleasure in” “am well content”
Greek: eudokéō “think well of” “take pleasure in” “am well content”
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Greek: autárkēs “content; having enough; independent; self-supporting”
Greek: autárkēs “content; having enough; independent; self-supporting”
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
Wait…What??
Wait…What??
New English Bible “I have learned to find resources in myself whatever my circumstances.” Phil. 4:11
Don’t forget verse 13!!
Don’t forget verse 13!!
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
We find our contentment in and through God
We find our contentment in and through God
What value does contentment have in our daily lives?
With godliness is great gain
With godliness is great gain
16 A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
As Christians, contentment should be visible in our lives
As Christians, contentment should be visible in our lives
In our respective callings
In our respective callings
20 Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called.
With our wages
With our wages
14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
With what things we have
With what things we have
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
With food and clothing
With food and clothing
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
Why???
Why???
God’s promises lead to contentment
God’s promises lead to contentment
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
So….now what???
So….now what???
We have talked about what contentment is, we have seen examples of contentment in both the Old and New Testament. We have seen that the english language uses one word and the Hebrew and Greek use many to get to the key thoughts behind the word contentment.
How do we have it? The bible doesn’t contradict itself…the New English Bible interpretation of the bible say that Paul finds the resources within himself for contentment. But that is only if you only read the one verse and don’t keep going.
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
We can find our contentment in life in God only if we have a relationship with God. We have that relationship with the Father through His son, Jesus Christ.
Do you have that relationship?
Do you know what it means?
If you have that relationship, are you content?
Do you seek first the kingdom of God? Luke 12:13-34