How To Be Content
Each year as we come to the New Year, many find themselves making what we like to call New Year’s resolutions. We plan to make changes, we promise, and plan to do better then we did the year before. We say I’m going to start the New Year fresh, I’m going to make a fresh start. I am going to lose some weight, I’m going to go to church like I’m supposed to, I’m going to be patient, I’m gonna live right, I’m gonna start all over…I mean we can’t wait until the new year comes so we can start it out with some of the same lies we told last year. Some of us indulge further in our own foolishness half way to the New Year because we think the New Year is the only time to make changes. Ah but I submit to you my brothers and sisters that change when needed doesn't need to wait until the next year, change when necessary is always in order.
I learned that many people have problems with change in our lives because we really don’t want our lives to be different. We want life to be better but not different. I came to tell you this morning that you can’t have it both ways. If you want life to be all it can be and right now it ain’t what it is supposed to be baby you are a candidate for change.
I want to help you as I help myself this morning by looking at this text which encourages us to accept life as God gives it. The chapter begins by reminding each of us of Gods standards for Christian behavior. While the writer sets the order of our responsibility to God, to each other, and to ourselves, he makes it perfectly clear that ultimately we will not be what God desires until we change our frame of thinking and attitude. He says if we are going to be different it starts with our thinking and ends with our actions. How do I know that you ask, well it’s right there in the verse. he says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Now the word conversation in the Greek translation refers to, a manner, way, fashion. 1a as, even as, like as. 2 manner of life, character, deportment. Your life style. When we see this he’s really saying let your lifestyle be without covetousness –which means, the love of money, or greed. More deeply it means to have a strong desire after the possession of worldly things.
What we learn is we must live our lives not absorbed and consumed by the things of the world, because things will fail at making you happy. But if you just be grateful for what God has already given you, you’ll be alright!
Matter of fact the text says, be content, be satisfied, with what you got and God will stay with you and keep you!
You know what keeps many of us from being content? We are holding on to some stuff that we should have let go of long ago. We failed to change some things in our lives. We got too much baggage weighing us down. A whole lotta junk we carrying around with us.
I came here this morning and I didn’t come to play, I came to let somebody know that God wants to work in your life, he wants to deliver you, take you to another level, another dimension, but you got to let go of some stuff.
Reverend what are you talking about? What has this got to do with change?
I’m glad you asked. Look, if you want your life to change for the better you’ve got to number 1…
I. Let Go of Some Problems
a. Many problems we have are self inflicted. I mean there are some problems we bring upon ourselves. These are what I call personal problems. I’m talking about things like…
b. pride: pride is a problem, it prevents from seeing ourselves properly.
i. Barney Fife – many of his complications, many of his dilemma are caused by him because of him.
ii. Some of us are just like barney many of our suffering are because of us. Let me help you for a minute
c. Our habits
i. Shopping is a problem for some; some can’t do it within reason, cause financial burdens
ii. Procrastination – if you wait til the last minute to get places, do things, to prepare baby you have a problem that requires addressing
iii. Fault finding – if others can’t do things right in your book you have a problem. Jesus said, “…take the 2X4 out of your eye and stop worrying about the splinter in everybody elses
iv. Complaining – I made up my mind that all the complaining I did in 2006, will not occur in 2007. complaining doesn’t help it hinders insight and clouds judgment
v. Sympathy seeking – everybody has something they have to deal with. You aint the only one suffering.
vi. There are things we know are not conducive for our life, yet we continue to do. Things that cause difficulties in our personal lives. Things we do with no regard for the word of God. That’s what Hebrews is talking about in the beginning of this chapter. Get rid of vices and immoralities. You want the blessings of God. You want to rid yourself of drama. A change in life style is necessary. We must also…
II. Let Go of Some People
a. Haters: despise you; have a problem with you for no apparent reason. You don’t have to do anything to them. Haters have a way of creeping up on you. They have a way of finding little stuff to form an opinion about you. Haters don’t like the way you dress, they don’t like where you live, the don’t like the way you walk. They don’t like your hairstyle. They just find stuff to hate on. You need to learn to ignore your haters. The more attention you give them the more you empower them to control your actions.
b. Tators
i. Make trouble for you
ii. Spectators- they always sit there, don’t do anything but critique everything that goes on
iii. Agitators – there the ones who are always stirring up mess. Just when everything’s peaceful, that’s when the agitators rise up and begin to stir things up.
iv. Dictators – are the ones who want everything to go their way, and if it not their way, they’re not going to participate.
III. Let Go of Some Pains
Teddy Pendergrass described pain like this:
Lookin' back over my years
I guessed, I've shedded some tears
Told myself time and time again
This time I'm gonna win
But another fight, things ain't right
I'm losin' again
Takes a fool to lose twice
And start all over again
Think I'd better let it go
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Oh...oh...oh...) Think I'd better let it go (What you think about it, girl), let it go, baby (Oh, yeah) Looks like another love T.K.O. (Mmm...mmm...mmm)
a. Past hurts
i. Hurt feelings
ii. Learn to forgive, so what if they are trifling you forgive them, if you can’t forgive you cut off your blessings. Matthew 6:15 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.Stop holding grudges, grudges get you nowhere
b. Present disappointments
i. Just because you are not where you want to be don’t mean you want get there. If you wallow in misery you’ll never walk in happiness.
c. Future anxieties
IV. Let Go of Some Praise
a. Praise is actually direct communication with the creator. Praise is telling Him he is the man.
b. Many of us hold praise in. many of us limit our praise. Many of us are selfish with our praise. We thing we are supposed to get the praise…
c. Ps. 100 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord…
d. Ps 18:49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
e. Ps. 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
f. Ps. 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
g. Ps. 107 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy