Be Content

(1 Tim 6:1-11) Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. -2. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. -3. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; -4. He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, -5. Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. -6. But godliness with contentment is great gain. -7. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. -8. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. -9. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. -10. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. -11. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

6. "But godliness with contentment is great gain." Satisfied, enough, sufficient. You live in a very discontented society. People are not content with their lives, their families, their community, their country, their world, their church, their God. What impact does that discontentment have on you? Let us consider what God's word has to say about being content. Our text informs us that godliness with contentment is great gain. Not just a good thing, but great gain. Notice that the writer did not just say godliness, but godliness with contentment is great gain. It is great to be godly and God wants you to be so, but there is more to be gained that to be godly. Contentment is to be learned also.

Our text teaches us to do service to those that are our masters in this world and to not despise them. I have seen a lot of discontentment that people have with their bosses. It would do you good to thank God for your boss and pray for him rather than to fuss and fume about how stupid he is. Our text goes on to inform us that a lot of doting about words stirs up envy and strife, railings, evil surmisings and pervese disputings of men of corrupt minds. Now God wants you to clean up your mind, not to corrupt it. One of those areas is in how you regard your bosses. If you have a job and are able to earn a living, then be content. After all it is your life that you are missing when you go about fussing about the boss, the company, the weather, the government, or what ever it is that the devil gets you to fuss about.

(Heb 13:1-6) Let brotherly love continue. -2. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. -3. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. -4. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. -5. 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. -6. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Be content with such things as ye have. The Lord is my helper. Is He your helper? He will be if you will take Him as your Lord.

(Luke 3:12-14) Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? -13. And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. -14. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

These were the instruction that John the Baptist gave to the people that were coming to him and being baptized repenting of their sins. His instructions are still good today for you and I. Be fair, do no man harm, do not falsely accuse any, and be content with your wages.

Contentment is not automatic. It is something that we have to learn. (Phil 4:9-19) Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. -10. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. -11. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Yes, the Apostle Paul learned to be content. He was not automatically content and neither are you. It is something to be learned. It depends on your attitude toward things, other people, situations, and circumstances. You can learn to be content and it will be great gain for you. -12. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. -13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. -14. Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. -15. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. -16. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. -17. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. -18. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. -19. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Ills. - Content: There is very little difference in people but that little difference is whether it is positive or negative. The principle is illustrated by the bride who lived with her husband in an army camp near the edge of the desert in California. Living conditions were primitive at best. The only housing they could find was a run-down shack near an Indian village. The heat was unbearable in the daytime - 115 degrees in the shade. The wind blew constantly, spreading dust and sand all over everything. The days were long and boring. Her only neighbors were the Indians, none of whom spoke English. Finally, when the loneliness and the wretched living conditions got the best of her, she wrote to her mother that she was coming home. In a short time she received a reply with these lines: "Two men looked out from prison bars, One say mud, the other saw stars." She read the lines over and over again and felt ashamed. In the following days she set out to make friends with the Indians. She learned from them how to weave and make pottery. She became fascinated with their culture and history. She observed the desert and soon it, too, became a marvelous place of beauty rather than desolate and forbidding. What had changed? Not the desert; not the Indians. Simply by changing her own attitude she had transformed a miserable experience into a highly rewarding one. (Prov 4:23) Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

That illustration reminds me of my own families experience when I was in the Air Force and assigned to Clark Air Base in the Philippines in 1961. The Philippines were not considered a very good assignment because the living standards were so very poor. The weather was hot year round. In the rainy season (three to four months of the year) it rained constantly night and day. Mold grew on the walls and ceilings of the homes. In the dry season ( three to four months of the year) it did not rain at all and dust sifted everywhere. The water was not safe to drink without boiling it first. The roads were full of potholes and slow moving creatures. Thieves constantly roamed the housing areas and pickpockets were a daily experience for the Airmen stationed there. Thousands of the men assigned to this place left their families in the United States, pulled their tour of duty alone, and returned to the United States as soon as possible. My family was able to join me after a six month wait for housing. Meantime, I had met some other families and we had started to hold worship services in their home. We invited the Philippine people to our services and began to learn about them and their country. As time went on my family got involved with the Philippine people. We learned their language and visited and learned many things about their culture. The worship services that we started turned into a mission that has resulted in several thousand Philippine people repenting of their sins and coming to the Lord. Today there are more that thirty congregations of the Church of God in the Philippines which have been started by men and women that came in contact with our little mission.

I and my family returned to the Philippines for a second tour as volunteers in 1967 - 1969 and since my retirement from the Air Force, I have been to the Philippines four times to fellowship and visit with our many Filipino Friends. The Philippines will always have a very special place in our hearts as long as God allows us to live.

How about you dear listener, have you learned to be content? Have you learned to look for the good and refuse the evil?

Ills.: A lady, paying an early morning visit to a neighbor, was ushered into a rather untidy room for which her hostess profusely apologized, but her visitor smilingly replied, "I had eyes for nothing but these lovely roses," pointing to a vase of beauties which occupied a prominent place on the table. Just as the eye sees what it looks for, so the soul that is itself beautiful finds all that is best and noblest, and most worthy of praise in the men and women round about. In addition to this gift of hypervision, it has the equally beautiful gift of not seeing, which it exercises on occasion.

(3 John 1:9-11) I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. -10. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. -11. Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. Prating against us .. and not content - Greek: to berate idly or mischievously - loveth to have the preeminence. Many people today are not content with those that are living godly lives and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and they are very busy tearing them down. Now I have not tolerance for preachers that are living ungodly, unholy lives; but if you allow them to cause you to condemn all preachers, you are the one that is losing a great blessing. God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save the world and you need to hear it. (1 Cor 1:21) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

(Isa 55) Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. -2. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Why are you knocking yourself out and not getting anywhere? Listen to Isaiah as he tells you how to become satisfied. -3. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. -4. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. -5. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. -6. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: -7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. -8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. -9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. -10. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: -11. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. -12. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. -13. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

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Be Content