This year, God wants to re-ignite our passion for Him and for the life that He has given us.
Last week, we learned of two things that go hand in hand to steal away our ability to enjoy life; worry and anxiety. God’s word has plenty to say about them, but they are not good for us. Instead, we are to cast all of our worries and anxieties onto Jesus who will trade them for His joy and peace.
This morning, we turn to two other things that steal away our ability to enjoy life as God desires us to. Those would be discontentment and ungratefulness. Last week, it was those two little words, “What if?” that caused us to worry and become anxious. This week, it is those two little words, “If only…” that invoke discontentment that steals away our joy in life.
If only I were skinnier, richer, faster, healthier, taller, happier, more social, etc. If only my house was bigger, cleaner, closer, etc. If only my car was newer, bigger, smaller, got better gas milage, etc. If only my spouse was kinder, more loving, listened more, talked more, talked less, paid attention, etc. If only my job were closer, paid more, gave me more time off, provided better benefits, had better employees, etc.
If only…
We can apply these two litter words to anything and everything in our lives. What these two little words do is stop us from enjoying life right here and right now and tell us that “if only…”, then we could enjoy life.
They cause us to compare ourselves and our circumstances to others. They cause us to believe that the grass is always greener on the other side instead of the truth that the grass is always greener where it is cared for and maintained.
As we learned last week, we can easily deceive ourselves and think that we are content and grateful people. We may not think that this is something that we struggle with.
One of the strongest indicators of us becoming discontent or ungrateful is our words. Are we whiners and complainers or thankers and praisers?
When we begin to compare, we begin to complain. We think that we deserve better than what we have. We think that we earned something that we don’t have. What we begin to do is what the Bible calls covet. In fact, it is forbidden in the tenth commandment:
Exodus 20:17
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
To covet is to desire something that is not yours.
If you find yourself spending more time on temu or mac bid or amazon or facebook marketplace than you do in the Bible app, then you might struggle with discontentment. Discontentment is often revealed by FOMO; the fear of missing out. You are afraid that you might miss out on a great deal or miss out on an opportunity to get something better than you have now.
We don’t necessarily complain about what we have, but we always keep our eyes open for something that is better. It’s almost like we actually want to make ourselves discontent.
What we may not realize is that this discontentment can actually cause us to miss out on the best things available to us! FOMO causes us to MO, which causes FOMO, which causes us to MO, which causes FOMO… What a vicious cycle that steals, kills, and destroys from our lives!
Getting caught in this cycle is nothing new between God and His people. For time’s sake, we’re not going to go through the whole history, but most of us are already familiar with Israel’s journey between Egypt and the promised land flowing with milk and honey.
It was full of miracles and provision and God’s undeniable lead in their lives by a physical pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. It was also full of whining and complaining because God’s people were rarely content with what God was providing for them nor doing for them.
At the end of their journey, Moses said to everyone:
Deuteronomy 1:25-38
25 “It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.”
26 But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. 27 You grumbled in your tents and said, “The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. 28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’”
29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”
32 In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, 33 who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.
34 When the Lord heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore: 35 “No one from this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your ancestors, 36 except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.”
37 Because of you the Lord became angry with me also and said, “You shall not enter it, either. 38 But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it.
The people grumbled and complained in the privacy of their own homes, but the Lord heard it. The Lord heard it and only two people from the hundreds of thousands in the generation of people whom God brought from Egypt right to the promised land would actually enter into it and receive it; Joshua and Caleb. Not even Moses was permitted to enter in!
How often do we miss out on God’s promises because instead of trusting Him and being grateful for what He has given to us, we instead choose to grumble and complain? How often are we right on the doorstep of something far better than we could ever imagine and yet we find something wrong with it and reject it? By doing so, we reject God who has given it to us…
You may have experienced something like this, too. You search long and hard for just the perfect gift for someone. When you finally find it, it is a bit out of your price range. However, you buy it anyways and can’t wait for them to open it! You watch eagerly with joy-filled anticipation as the person opens it only to see a look of disgust and disappointment on their face.
That doesn’t exactly invoke an attitude of generosity within you, right?
It invoked God’s anger!
That generation would continue wandering throughout the desert until they died!
It is an arrogant and prideful thing to think that we deserve better than what God gives to us!
In fact, it is an arrogant and prideful thing to grumble against God thinking that He cannot do what He has promised to do! It is arrogant and prideful to think that God has anything less than our best planned and prepared for us!
He doesn’t hate us, God loves us and could not possibly do anything more to prove that truth to us!
If you find yourself wandering around in desert places spiritually, you might want to check your attitude.
Do you have an attitude of gratitude toward God or are you discontent?
You might be right on the threshold of a lush oasis, but we have to choose to enter into it.
Will we praise in the valley, praise on the mountain?
Praise when we’re sure, praise when we’re doubting?
Praise when we feel it, praise when we don’t?
Praise because of who God is and not at all because of our circumstances?
Praise because He’s sovereign!
Praise because He reigns!
Praise because He rose and defeated the grave!
Praise because He’s faithful!
Praise because He’s true!
Praise because of who God is and not at all because of our circumstances?
Praise invokes within us an attitude of gratitude! It takes our focus off of ourselves and off of worldly things and sets our hearts and minds on Christ and on Heavenly things. It is a gateway that brings Heaven to earth!
David wrote:
Psalm 131
1 My heart is not proud, Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.
3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.
Oh, contentment is a process! Here, David likens gaining contentment to weaning a child from its mother. It is a transition and it is a process. The end result is way worth the effort, though!
A child weaned from its mother also gets to enjoy even better things, too! They get to explore a whole variety of food and drink. No longer are they limited; they have freedom!
Are we still clinging to our baby bottles? Are we still whiny throwing tantrums like a toddler? It’s time to grow up!
There are far better things that await us, but we have to first choose to let go. It’s time to trade in discontentment for gratitude! By doing so, we enter through the gateway of praise that leads us into freedom and the ability to explore and encounter and experience things far greater than we ever could have whined for!
We enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! We enter into His anger with complaining and His curses with grumbling! Which will we choose?
Paul wrote to Timothy and reminded him that:
1 Timothy 6:6-11
6 …godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
It’s not wrong to own stuff. Money is not evil.
However, the love of money and lust for stuff can lead us astray very quickly. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
In an attempt to live a better and more enjoyable life by having a lot of money and stuff, we actually end up unhappy and discontent. Paul warned that we can actually be plunged into ruin and destruction and pierced with many griefs by being eager to gain money and stuff. He said that in contrast, godliness with contentment is a great gain!
Paul also wrote:
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Now, Paul valued hard work and spoke quite boldly about this topic. Here are just a few of those instances:
Acts 20:33-35
33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
1 Timothy 5:8
Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.
14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.
It is Biblical and important to work hard and to provide for our own needs. It becomes the underlying motive that reveals why we are working hard.
Is it because we love money and eagerly desire stuff or is it so that our needs are met and so that we are able to be generous toward those who are unable to meet their needs? Are we working to build our own kingdom and therefore slowly begin to place our trust in that instead of in the Lord and His Kingdom?
Paul also wrote:
Philippians 4:11-13
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
This is perhaps one of the most misquoted verses of the Bible. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
Often, it is quoted as a way to encourage ourselves to do pretty much anything and everything; even at times to continue in sin. The context of this verse is that Paul was saying that he could be content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, living in plenty or in want, through Christ who gives him strength.
This is why I personally prefer the NIV translation of this verse because it cannot be quoted without referencing the previous verse. “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” What can we do through Christ? Not all things, but rather, be content in every situation.
We can find contentment no matter what our current circumstances are through Christ!
No matter what we may be going through, we can maintain an attitude of gratitude!
When we choose contentment and gratitude, it becomes for us a great gain! It expresses our trust and faith in the Lord and unlocks His generosity in and through our lives. Choosing to be content and thankful no matter what our circumstances are enables us to enjoy this life that God has given us. Yes, even in our lack or need from a worldly perspective, we can still enjoy a full and abundant life!
In fact, I don’t know about you all, but some of the most miserable and stingy people I know are rich and some of the happiest and joy-filled people I know are poor.
Again, Paul wrote to Timothy:
1 Timothy 6:17-19
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Life that is truly life! Life abundant – life to its full! That is the life that Christ has freely given us and it is ours regardless of our earthly circumstances. We are rich in Christ with access to every Heavenly treasure where there is always an abundance; always more!
2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you, through his poverty, might become rich.
When we begin feeling like life isn’t fair, when we begin to grumble and complain, we should stop and shift our focus and mindset back onto Christ to get a proper perspective adjustment. We deserve to be flogged. We deserve those nails. We deserve the cross. We deserve death. We deserve hell.
However, Jesus took it all upon Himself; the full punishment of our sin! He then forgives us of all of our sin and instead of the curses and death that was poured out onto Him, He pours out blessing and life onto us! And He does it with JOY! It was His pleasure to become poor so that we might become rich, to become weak so that we might be made strong, to die that we might live, to be cursed that we might be blessed, to be tempted that we might overcome, and so, so much more!
Let’s receive the richness of God’s Kingdom and choose to be content and grateful for how blessed we truly are!