con⋅tent⋅ment
[kuh
n-tent-muhnt] 
Show IPA–noun
| 1. | the state of being contented; satisfaction; ease of mind. |
| 2. | Archaic. the act of making contentedly satisfied. |
Are we content? Can we be content in plenty?
People get lost in the "stuff" and can lose sight of the purpose that we're here for. You can, however, be content with a lot or a little, depending on your attitude. Or is it the Rockefeller opinion of needing "just a little bit more?"
There are times when we are concerned/worried about meeting our basic needs (money), but it's an attitude that we need to have to be content; a choice. Philippians 4:11 - being content in want or need (NIV version). In ESV, it teaches us that we learned TO be content that our circumstance is the best for us.
What's more important - pursuing contentment or just having it?
ESV makes it sound more like a continuous process. Paul suggests that we need to be content in any situation, and that it's not easy... we just need to strive for it. The message of the gospel suggests the perfect tense which is not necessarily achieving perfection, but striving for the goal. It's not that we need to be perfectly content, but to strive for it.
Example; Paul & Silas in jail. In prison, they began singing songs and praises to God. If you were in this situation (hands and feet in stocks), when you don't feel like praising God due to not being "into it," what's our response? But it could be in the opinion that Paul and Silas probably didn't feel like praising God, but they realized that they should praise Him, and followed suit. Out of that obedience came the blessing of reaching the prisoners, not that they always feel like being obedient.
Application: Why is it so difficult to be content, such as with management (Steve and Michelle)?
Paul says that in EVERY circumstance he has learned (including low and in plenty). Paul has the history and experience that God has given him in the past to be content. The "secret" is that God gives Paul (and us) the strength to be content in very circumstance.
But why are we still frustrated in those circumstances? What strength is given to us?
Strength does not necessarily mean fixing the problem, but God gives us strength to bear the burden and frustration in such circumstances. God helps us through it.
Application: Type A personality - always pushing, known for excellence, frustrated by others who hold us back from our accomplishments... why are we frustrated and not content? Over time of being completely frustrated, Type A just "gives up." Is this attitude proper, or what's the bigger picture?
Maybe we need to be looking for God's will in the situation and trying to figure out what He wants out of that situation. "Man plans his way but God directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9) Contentment is all about attitude and bringing ourselves to God's perspective. Is it a personality conflict within the current environment? The conflict can be so strong that we just want to give up fighting it instead of necessarily changing the attitude, as the "contentment" verse suggests. When does the spirit of contentment occur when it comes to the things of God? It's splitting up what we want versus what God wants in that environment. That attitude brings about confidence in God's plan. When we bring our mind back to God's perspective, our spirits settle. God loves us and wants to use him for His glory, and when we acknowledge that, we can have peace.
Sub-theme - keeping our eyes on Christ and the things of Christ is an underlying strength and aides our godly perspective.
What degree of contentment is within our control?
We can control our response to our environment. We can control it because it's a choice we make, not something granted to us. It's about responding in a godly way to situations - we always have choices, whether it be internal or external.
Example: Prayers, especially about financial situations. How do we look at the financial situations? Should we be seeking contentment versus praying for more abundance? Same thing goes for prayers regarding health - it's God's decision to heal or increase financial abundance if it's in His will.
Example: Faith healing - should we expect healing when we pray for it? Are we praying and asking God to help us deal with our current situation and find His will; finding a balance? Is balance a Biblical teaching, or are we to be radical - complete faith in a God we cannot see? Does complete faith = contentment? Faith is in what God has done and contentment in what God is doing? We need to have faith that God is in control of what we're going through and know that whatever happens, it's all going to be "good" by God's definition.
Maybe contentment is not only a matter of perspective, but a matter of context.
We're talking about contentment in the context of God's perspective, but there are other areas where God does not want us to be content (Ex: do not be lukewarm, be hot or cold; life of complacency). How do we live a life of passion and radical extreme pursuance of God? How does it relate to contement?
Look at Christ's example of when he was and wasn't content. The way he faced pharisees and money changers was not content. He was content, however, when he chose to drink the cup of crucifixion, but he battled with that circumstance. He cried out to God for a different way, but still followed through on his commitment.
Contentment can be contrasted with James' statement: "you do not receive because you do not ask" (James 4:3). What do we receive for what we ask for? It's not that we receive what we want necessarily, but what God wants. Discontent breeds selfish requests (what we want), contentment breeds godly requests (what God wants).
We can strive and be content at the same time... how does that work? Paul was not referring to contentment relating to his relationship with God but whatever circumstance he found himself in. Is contentment closer to joy and peace. Joyful attitudes towards circumstances changes how you perceive what's going on around you through those "glasses."
Wrap Up
Contentment is within the scope of our circumstances while it doesn't necessarily mean that we should be "content" with our relationship with God, but strive for a deeper relationship. The things of God we should never be content with, but the things of this world we should be content.
Fun:
Squirrel!
Confluence
Bifurcate
People get lost in the "stuff" and can lose sight of the purpose that we're here for. You can, however, be content with a lot or a little, depending on your attitude. Or is it the Rockefeller opinion of needing "just a little bit more?"
There are times when we are concerned/worried about meeting our basic needs (money), but it's an attitude that we need to have to be content; a choice. Philippians 4:11 - being content in want or need (NIV version). In ESV, it teaches us that we learned TO be content that our circumstance is the best for us.
What's more important - pursuing contentment or just having it?
ESV makes it sound more like a continuous process. Paul suggests that we need to be content in any situation, and that it's not easy... we just need to strive for it. The message of the gospel suggests the perfect tense which is not necessarily achieving perfection, but striving for the goal. It's not that we need to be perfectly content, but to strive for it.
Example; Paul & Silas in jail. In prison, they began singing songs and praises to God. If you were in this situation (hands and feet in stocks), when you don't feel like praising God due to not being "into it," what's our response? But it could be in the opinion that Paul and Silas probably didn't feel like praising God, but they realized that they should praise Him, and followed suit. Out of that obedience came the blessing of reaching the prisoners, not that they always feel like being obedient.
Application: Why is it so difficult to be content, such as with management (Steve and Michelle)?
Paul says that in EVERY circumstance he has learned (including low and in plenty). Paul has the history and experience that God has given him in the past to be content. The "secret" is that God gives Paul (and us) the strength to be content in very circumstance.
But why are we still frustrated in those circumstances? What strength is given to us?
Strength does not necessarily mean fixing the problem, but God gives us strength to bear the burden and frustration in such circumstances. God helps us through it.
Application: Type A personality - always pushing, known for excellence, frustrated by others who hold us back from our accomplishments... why are we frustrated and not content? Over time of being completely frustrated, Type A just "gives up." Is this attitude proper, or what's the bigger picture?
Maybe we need to be looking for God's will in the situation and trying to figure out what He wants out of that situation. "Man plans his way but God directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9) Contentment is all about attitude and bringing ourselves to God's perspective. Is it a personality conflict within the current environment? The conflict can be so strong that we just want to give up fighting it instead of necessarily changing the attitude, as the "contentment" verse suggests. When does the spirit of contentment occur when it comes to the things of God? It's splitting up what we want versus what God wants in that environment. That attitude brings about confidence in God's plan. When we bring our mind back to God's perspective, our spirits settle. God loves us and wants to use him for His glory, and when we acknowledge that, we can have peace.
Sub-theme - keeping our eyes on Christ and the things of Christ is an underlying strength and aides our godly perspective.
What degree of contentment is within our control?
We can control our response to our environment. We can control it because it's a choice we make, not something granted to us. It's about responding in a godly way to situations - we always have choices, whether it be internal or external.
Example: Prayers, especially about financial situations. How do we look at the financial situations? Should we be seeking contentment versus praying for more abundance? Same thing goes for prayers regarding health - it's God's decision to heal or increase financial abundance if it's in His will.
Example: Faith healing - should we expect healing when we pray for it? Are we praying and asking God to help us deal with our current situation and find His will; finding a balance? Is balance a Biblical teaching, or are we to be radical - complete faith in a God we cannot see? Does complete faith = contentment? Faith is in what God has done and contentment in what God is doing? We need to have faith that God is in control of what we're going through and know that whatever happens, it's all going to be "good" by God's definition.
Maybe contentment is not only a matter of perspective, but a matter of context.
We're talking about contentment in the context of God's perspective, but there are other areas where God does not want us to be content (Ex: do not be lukewarm, be hot or cold; life of complacency). How do we live a life of passion and radical extreme pursuance of God? How does it relate to contement?
Look at Christ's example of when he was and wasn't content. The way he faced pharisees and money changers was not content. He was content, however, when he chose to drink the cup of crucifixion, but he battled with that circumstance. He cried out to God for a different way, but still followed through on his commitment.
Contentment can be contrasted with James' statement: "you do not receive because you do not ask" (James 4:3). What do we receive for what we ask for? It's not that we receive what we want necessarily, but what God wants. Discontent breeds selfish requests (what we want), contentment breeds godly requests (what God wants).
We can strive and be content at the same time... how does that work? Paul was not referring to contentment relating to his relationship with God but whatever circumstance he found himself in. Is contentment closer to joy and peace. Joyful attitudes towards circumstances changes how you perceive what's going on around you through those "glasses."
Wrap Up
Contentment is within the scope of our circumstances while it doesn't necessarily mean that we should be "content" with our relationship with God, but strive for a deeper relationship. The things of God we should never be content with, but the things of this world we should be content.
Fun:
Squirrel!
Confluence
Bifurcate
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