The Giant of Discontent
Notes
Transcript
This morning I would ask you to bare with me as I share four short stories.
Two friends met each other on the street one day. One looked forlorn, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “What has the world done to you, my old friend?” The sad fellow said, “Let me tell you: three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me forty thousand dollars.”
“That’s a lot of money.”
“But you see, two weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew died, and left me eighty-five thousand dollars, free and clear.”
“Sounds to me that you’ve been very blessed.”
“You don’t understand!” he interrupted. “Last week my great-aunt passed away. I inherited almost a quarter of a million from her.”
Now the man’s friend was really confused. “Then, why do you look so glum?”
“This week—nothing!”
We can often come to the point where we expect to get certain blessings that God never promised us, and when they do not come, it is easy to get bitter.
William Randolph Hearst was a very wealthy newspaper publisher who had an incredible collection of art. The Hearst mansion in northern California is a testament to his insatiable desire for artistic treasures. On one occasion he learned of some artwork he was determined to obtain. He sent his agent abroad to search for the treasure. After months of investigating, the agent reported that the treasure had been found. To further sweeten the find, Hearst learned that the relic wouldn’t cost him a dime. He already owned it. The rediscovered piece was in Hearst’s warehouse with many other treasures that had likewise never been uncrated.
The desire for acquiring more can sometimes blind us from what we already possess.
The story is told about two wives who were doing their laundry in a laundry mat. They were both mending their husband’s pants.
One wife said, “My husband is so miserable. Nothing goes right at work, and he can’t find anything good on television. Our home is a place of despair. When we go to church, the song leader is terrible and the pastor is an idiot.
The other wife said “My husband is so excited.” He can’t wait to go to church. He loves the sermons. We laugh all the time and enjoy our family.
It got very quiet in the laundry room as the women continued sewing the pants. One was patching the seat of the pants, and the other was patching the knees.
The forth story is the story of the wealthiest man of all time. It is estimated that his wealth would be at 2 trillion dollars in modern currency. He owned 12,000 horses, 1,400 chariots, and 12,000 horseman. Palace after palace and all of his drinking cus were made of gold. In fact he was so wealthy that kings from all over the world would come visit just to see his wealth. This man lacked for absolutely nothing. He set the standard for achievement so high that it has still yet to be matched. From all perspectives we would think this is a man that knew contentment. What more could he desire?
Yet, the following is a comment that he made.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
In these four stories we have seen distinctly different perspectives. neglect
Discontentment due to expectations.
Discontentment due to excess.
Discontentment due to a wrong emphasis.
Discontentment due to experience.
Faulty Expectations.
Faulty Expectations.
Discontentment will slip upon us when we focus on the possessions of others.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
You can know if you are discontent by your reaction to the blessings of others.
Does it bother you to see others succeed?
Does it bother you to see other receive reward?
So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
You and I are not owed anything. There is no guarantee of success.
The toil of hard work only guarantees the next meal .
The labor for Christ guarantees a heavenly reward.
The Dangers of Excess
The Dangers of Excess
Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’
So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’
But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
The danger of excess is that it can lead to a false since of security, yet it does not satisfy.
Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent, But who is able to stand before jealousy?
A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.
He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their eyes?
The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.
All the wealth in the world will not bring contentment to the heart of those who covet.
Wrong Emphasis
Wrong Emphasis
Again we see that the rich man in Luke 12 pursued wealth and forgot the temporary gift of life.
Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Don’t pursue wealth, pursue Christ.
Labor, work, toil, these are Christlike characteristics. However, seek righteousness not riches, and seek worth not wealth.
Lastly we see Discontentment due to Experience.
Lastly we see Discontentment due to Experience.
whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
Solomon, the man in our fourth story, battled this giant named discontent. As he reflected upon life he said, in Ecc 12.1
Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;
He wanted to tell the young people that his experience revealed the evils of discontent.
Satan will be happy to allow us to be conquered by this giant of discontent. He will sit by and never lift a finger and laugh as we self-destruct.
Solomon was discontent because his experience had proven that material gains were empty and void.
In conclusion, Solomon found where contentment may be found. He shares this great insight in Ecc. 12.13-14
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.
I know not, and I would not know,
Content, I leave it all with Thee;
'Tis ever best it should be so;
As thou wilt have it let it be.
But this I know: that every day
And every step for me is planned;
I surely cannot lose the Way
While He is holding fast my hand.
And surely, whatsoe'er betide,
I never shall be left alone:
Thou standest ever by my side;
To thee my future all is known.
And wheresoe'er my lot may fall
The way before is marked by Thee;
The windings of my life are all
Unfoldings of thy Love to me.
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
You may search for satisfaction in pleasures of the flesh, in the wealth of the world, in relationships, and in pleasure. However, you will only find contentment in Christ and a heart of thankfulness.
Instead of focusing on what you do not have, thank Christ for what he has given.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.