A Call to Contentment

Jonathan Pickens steers us away from the dangers of prosperity and discontentment and ushers us forward into contentment and satisfaction that we can only find in Christ.

Contentment is something you have to learn.

Weeds grow from the ground, but fruit trees need to be cultivated and produced.

Paul says that there is also a secret to it. The peace and contentment that other religions introduce are found in looking at Jesus.

Contentment doesn't come from looking inward but from looking outward.

1. Beware of the danger of prosperity.

• Why is it impressive to be content when you have everything you want?
• “Satisfied with earth, they are content to do without heaven. Rest assured it is harder to know how to be full than it is to know how to be hungry.” — Charles Spurgeon
• "Success is the greatest challenge he’s had to overcome as a coach.” — Kirby Smart
• When life is going well, we start to rely on those "good things" instead of God.
• We start to look at little "gods" instead of God.
• There can be a subtle current drifting you down the beach—this is the danger of prosperity. A chokehold of comfort and a silent assassin.
• When we turn to the nice things for our self-reliance, we live for the next nice thing instead of making much of Jesus.
• We can become a people filled with socially acceptable things yet live lives that are barren of fruit and void of the presence of God.
• Jesus spat out lukewarm from His mouth.
• David's greatest threat wasn't King Saul—it was his success.
• Your greatest threat may not be when life goes wrong but when life goes right.
• The problem isn't nice things; it's us.
• So what do we do? We repent and have gratitude.
• By the bridge of gratitude, let these things become a playground for our praise.
• As we enjoy them, we worship Him.
• The danger of prosperity is that it can lead you to believe that Jesus is not enough.

2. Beware of the doubt that comes with difficulty.

• The difficulty isn't necessarily the problem; it's the doubt that it creates that can become the problem.
• The difficulty caused you to doubt, and you stopped before you started.
• When the blows of life come, and the enemy strikes you, it can be easy to be surrounded by hard things, and you're struck in a way that others know that you're empty. But sometimes, if you're full and you're struck, you can extend grace.
• Many of us feel empty or stuck, and life hits. Even small things can hit us.
• But there's a way to get through life's most difficult days. It sounds different because you have Jesus.
• You can be content even when the blows of life come.
• You have a God who wants to fill and be enough for you, satisfying you 10,000 times more. You have a God who is more than enough.
• It hurts, but we're full.

3. Behold the one who will satisfy your soul.

• If you're weak, He is the one who strengthens you.
• Think less about winning a game and more about strengthening your calling.
• “Without that abiding consciousness of the presence and power of my dear Lord and Saviour, nothing else in all the world could have preserved me from losing my reason and perishing miserably… I felt his supporting power as did St. Paul when he cried, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – John G. Patton.
• In the midst of the most unimaginable difficulty, John G. Patton made it through because He had the One who could give him strength.
• What would it look like for you if you didn't stop what God called you to, but you stayed when it got hard because of the strength God gave you?
• You could have everything, but nothing will fill you other than God.
• What if we were content not knowing where we're going but knowing who we are following?