Contentment — a state of mind in which one’s desires are confined to his lot whatever it may be

1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NASB95)

6  But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

7  For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.

8  If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

9  But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

10  For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Contentment — a state of mind in which one’s desires are confined to his lot whatever it may be

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NASB95)

8  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

I.       What should we be content with as Christians

A.   A sufficiency of life needs

B.   Food, a covering, (a shelter could be implied)

1 Timothy 6:8 (NASB95)

 8  If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

Matthew 6:11 (NASB95)

11  ‘Give us this day our daily bread.

1.     Daily bread not bread for a month or year

Philippians 4:12 (NASB95)

12  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 

C.   Average provision prayer

Proverbs 30:8 (NASB95)

8  Keep deception and lies far from me,

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

Feed me with the food that is my portion,

1.     Keep in mind average of the world…..

2.       A prayer to keep deception and lies far from me

3.       Neither poverty or riches

4.       Food that is our portion      

Job 23:12 (NASB95)

12  “I have not departed from the command of His lips;

I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

D.   Keeping, treasuring, and not denying the word of God

Job 6:10 (NASB95)

10  “But it is still my consolation,

And I rejoice in unsparing pain,

That I have not denied the words of the Holy One. 

E.   Holding to the path of God

Job 23:11-12 (NASB95)

11  “My foot has held fast to His path;

I have kept His way and not turned aside.

12  “I have not departed from the command of His lips;

I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

II.    4 temptations to our contentment   

A.   Envy

B.   Love of money

C.   Self Ambition

D.   Anxiety

E.   Grumbling      

A.   Contentment is opposed to envy

 James 3:16 (NASB95)

16  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

1.     Ask yourself is there jealousy 

2.     Ask yourself is there selfish ambition

3.     Ask yourself is there disorder

4.       Evil things with them

a)       You could be being tempted by the bait of jealousy

(1)     Bait is to catch

(2)     Kill

(3)     Devour

B.   Contentment is opposed to the love of money

Hebrews 13:5 (NASB95)

5  Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”

1.     Free your character from the love of money

2.     Money in and of itself is not a problem

a)    The love of money is

b)    Love of money is a root, though not the root, of evil

(1)  The love of money can drive a person into all types of evil

(2)  Greediness may cause a believer even to stray from the faith

(3)  A life focused on material things produces only pain

3.     Be content with what you have

4.     Ask yourself are we content with what we have monetarily  

a)       You could be being tempted by the bait of the love of money

(1)     Bait is to catch

(2)     Kill

(3)  Devour 

b)      God will never desert us

5.       There are three times in life when we have empty hands—at birth, at the time we come to Jesus, and at death   

C.   Contentment is opposed to selfish Ambition

Proverbs 13:10 (NASB95)

10  Through insolence comes nothing but strife,

But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.

1.      Ask yourself do you have a selfish ambition or an ambition that goes beyond your self? 

2.     Ask yourself, am I surrounded by strife…where did it come from  

3.       Ask yourself are you insolent, rude, audacious, disrespectful

D.   Contentment is opposed to Anxiety

Matthew 6:25 (NASB95)

The Cure for Anxiety

25  “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Matthew 6:34 (NASB95)

34  “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

1.     Ask your self do you worry?

a)    Not to be mistaken for proper concern

b)    Inordinate concern about things or circumstances you have no control over 

c)       You could be being tempted by the bait of worry

(1)     Bait is to catch

(2)     Kill

(3)  Devour 

d)    Do not worry about tomorrow

(1)     Worry is the illusion of control

(2)     A bad math equation not well solved        

(3)  Today alone concerns

(4)  The day will take care of it self

(5)     God is in control, not us

E.   Contentment is opposed to Grumbling

1.     God is not a fan of grumbling      

Numbers 16:41 (NASB95)

Murmuring and Plague

41  But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lord’s people.”

Numbers 17:5 (NASB95)

5  “It will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I will lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you.”

Numbers 16:5 (NASB95)

5  and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself.

1 Corinthians 10:10 (NASB95)

10  Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

2.     The cure for grumbling

1 Chronicles 16:23-33 (NASB95)

23  Sing to the Lord, all the earth;

Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

24  Tell of His glory among the nations,

His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

25  For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

He also is to be feared above all gods.

26  For all the gods of the peoples are 1aidols,

But the Lord made the heavens.

27  Splendor and majesty are before Him,

Strength and joy are in His place.

28  Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

29  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;

Bring an 1offering, and come before Him;

Worship the Lord in holy array.

30  Tremble before Him, all the earth;

Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

31  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”

32  Let the sea 1roar, and 2all it contains;

Let the field exult, and all that is in it.

33  Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord;

For He is coming to judge the earth.

3.     Fruit of the cure of grumbling

Psalm 40:3 (NASB95)

3  He put a anew song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;

Many will see and fear

And will trust in the Lord.

III.  Why should we be content

A.   Verse 6:7 we will all die eventually!

B.   We can not take any pavement with us 

IV.The greatness of God’s divine promises

2 Peter 1:4 (NASB95)

4  For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

A.   We are partakers of God’s promise of

1.     God’s divine nature 

2.     Deliverance from the corruption world   

V.   Contentment

A.   Arises from the inward disposition

B.   Is the offspring of humility

C.   A intelligent consideration of the goodness and faithful kindness of a Loving Father who is our provider and providence

1 Timothy 4:8 (NASB95)

8  for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NASB95)

 6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

7  For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.

8  If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

10  For the love of money is a root of all 1sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Philippians 4:11 (NASB95)

11  Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NASB95)

8  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

Ephesians 3:20 (NASB95)

20  Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,