CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN

                           

In 2002 Lisa Beamer was interviewed by a writer of Today’s Christian Woman. She was asked what happened to her on 9-11. She said “as soon as I heard that it had been my husband’s flight I cried out “no!” and crumbled to the floor. I spent the rest of the day huddled on my bed. Later friends, church and family came to be with her.

 “I didn’t break down crying hysterically or scream; God already was giving me an incredible peace. My greatest struggle now is living in grief and hope which are both realities for me.” Lisa had a choice to either accept or complain about God’s providential will for her life. She chose to accept.

In Philippians 2:12-14 Paul wrote “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do his good purpose”. This verse assures us that God provides the desire to do His will. God calls us to obedience and then gives us the power to obey. Spiritual growth does not solely depend on our strength; rather we cooperate with God, working with him as he works in us.

The Bible is not just a book; the word it contains is alive. That word is at work in those who treasure it (1Thess.2:13). In the parable of the growing seed (Mark 4:26-29), Jesus used the seed to show that his word is alive. How a seed grows is a mystery to the farmer. In the same way, the word of God works, with a hidden and mysterious power, within those who hear it.

Paul informs us that God is causing us to will and to do “for his good pleasure.” God is sovereign and does whatever he wishes with those who inhabit the earth. But all of his deeds are right and his ways are just (Dan. 4:31-34). When God acts to please Himself, He is also acting in a way that is for the benefit of believers. He acts to glorify Himself and for the good of those who believe in Him (Rom. 8:28). 

Paul says ^“Do everything without grumbling or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure”. Some people worship their problems; their lives revolve around every difficulty and problem that pops up.  Others have a different approach - they feel problems mean God has failed or they have; they pretend everything is good. God wants us to put problems in the right perspective.

Suffering is often the occasion for grumbling and arguing. We see this in Israel’s history during years in the wilderness. In Exodus 16:6-8, Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “And what are we that you should murmur against us?” Yahweh heard your murmurings which you are murmuring against him. And what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against Yahweh”

Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. “We remember the fish... cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now all we ever see is this manna!” The Lord became extremely angry (Num. 11:4-10).

Then the Lord told Moses and Aaron, “How long will this wicked assembly keep complaining about me? I’ve heard the complaints of the Israelis. So tell them that as long as I live, as certainly as you’ve spoken right into my ear, that’s how I’m going to treat you. Every single one of you from 20 years and above, who complained against me will certainly never enter the land (Num. 14:26-30).

Psalm 95 starts with worship and then suddenly turns to a warning against rebellion. The psalmist is urging us to worship the Lord, and warning us that if we do not, we will set a process of rebellion into motion. The cure for whining is worship. The psalm says “Let’s bow down and worship! Let’s kneel before the LORD, our creator, for he is our God”.

Then God says “in the wilderness, your ancestors challenged my authority and tried my patience, even though they had seen my work.  For forty years I was continually disgusted with that generation.  So I made a vow in my anger, they will never enter into the resting place I had set aside for them’” (Psalm 95:1-11)

In Psalm 73 Asaph whines and complains to God because the wicked are prospering while the righteous are suffering. “Take a good look, the wicked have it so easy and get richer and richer! In vain I have kept my motives pure, and maintained a pure lifestyle. I suffer all day long. This is troubling to me”(vv.13-14). It is only when he comes to worship that Asaph begins to see things clearly and his bitter spirit melts into one of praise and gratitude (vv17-27).

From Scripture it is very clear that God hates murmuring. Why is it so dangerous to murmur? It does nothing but causes unneeded stress. Complaining and murmuring does not give God glory. It destroys your faith by eclipsing all the good things God has done for you. It gives the devil an opportunity to sneak in. It repels people away from God. You might get what you want just like the Israelites did with similar consequences.

In the world today there is a lot of murmuring. People are grumblers and fault-finders (Jude 1:16). When their folly brings their way to ruin, their hearts rage against the Lord (Prov. 19:3). Corinthians 10:9-1 warns us not to test Christ. And don’t grumble as some of them did and then were destroyed by the angel of death. These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us.

Do not complain against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door (James 5:9). Welcome each other as guests without complaining (1 Peter 4:8-9).  Keep your life free from love of money and be content with what you have (Heb. 13:5-6).

Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires. They plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager to make money have wondered from faith and pierced themselves with many grieves (1 Timothy 6:6-10).

Rejoice always, give thanks in all circumstances (1Thess 5:16-18). Always give thanks to God for everything (Ephesians 5:20). Be grateful for every little thing that you have or receive. When God gives you something don’t wish you had a different thing. Do not be envious or try to compete with others, it will create ungratefulness. Count your blessings daily. A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:30

Be thankful for what you have, some people wish they have what you already have. If you are unhappy because you did not get a son, someone wishes she even got a girl because she did not get children. If you wish you got children, someone was not even able to get a spouse for companionship. If you did not get married someone would have loved to live to your age and even remain single but they died quite early.

The psalmist tells us to bless the Lord and to forget not all his benefits (Psalm 103:2). Counting our blessings and giving thanks for everything in life is always being humble. Thank God for everything; thank him continually for the small and the big blessings he sends your way. This will result in contentment. Keep a record of all the things God is doing in your life. If He helped you before He will help you again.

The psalmist asks “what shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me” (Ps. 116:12). Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! (Ps. 118:1). There are over a thousand reasons to thank God daily: friends, family, food, clothes, water, jobs, shelter, salvation, we could go on and on. We live life sometimes like these things are nothing.  Yet people starve and others die without knowing the Lord.

In our minds, grumbling is not a serious offense, but it is a serious sin. People grumble about their lot in life. They can almost always find something or someone who they will grumble about. Grumbling is the result of refusing suffering as a part of God’s plans and purposes (unlike Christ; 2:5-11). Grumbling and arguing are an expression of our failure to trust in God’s good purposes and in His ability to “cause all things to work together for good” (Romans 8:28).