Mountain Of Fire And Miracles Ministries
Denver Branch, Colorado
TEACHING: Receiving The Power Of Contentment
DEFINITION:
1. Content means to be happy enough with what one has.
2. Content is not desiring something more than or different.
3. Contentment therefore is a state of being contented or satisfied in ones life.
4. Contentment is a gift from God and grows out of having His perspective on life.
Our text for this teaching is taken from Philippians 4:11-13 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 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. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
In the scripture we just read, Bro. Paul knew how to be contented in all areas of his life, whether he was in need or whether he had plenty you could not tell the difference. Are you also in need today? Or you are discontented because things are not working out the way you expected it to be? You will need to lean on the everlasting arm of God. You have to rely solely on God’s promises that never fail to help you to be contented with whatever situation you find yourself. Many Christians today just want and want without really knowing why they want what they wanted. Many are dissatisfied and disgruntled because of the circumstances around them or because of what their friends have and they don’t have.
Brethren, let me share with you today the secret of contentment. The secret is knowing how to enjoy what you have, and to be able to lose all desire for things beyond your reach. Therefore, if we are contented with the lot that God has appointed us, we will not be grieved because of what we lack.
WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT BRINGS CONTENTMENT:
1. Humility: Contentment grows out of humility and trust in God. The bibles says in Psalm 131:1, "My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me."
Pride comes when we exalts ourselves and degrade others. It leads to restlessness because it makes us dissatisfied with what we have and we are concerned with what everyone else has or doing. Pride keeps us always hungering for more attention and adoration which is in opposition to humility.
With spirit of humility in our lives we can put others first and allows us to be content with God’s leading in our lives.
Contentment gives us so much security that we are not worried or has to prove ourselves to others.
Brothers and sisters let us allow the spirit of humility, trust and contentment rule our lives and to give us the strength and liberty to serve God and others.
2. Daily Devotion To The Word Of God: Contentment grows out of devotion to Christ and eternal values.
When we search the scriptures daily we are thought by the spirit of God to be content. The bible says in Hebrews 13:5 "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”
The only way for us as Christians to be content and not become materialistic is to know that God cares for us and can take care of all our needs.
Through our daily devotion to God we see his love expressed in what he has provided and remember that money and possessions will all pass away. We become content when we realize God’s sufficiency for our needs and Godly character begins to develop in our lives.
The word of the Lord in Matthew 6:24 said, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
We live in a materialistic society where many people spent their lives collecting material possession because they are not contented with what they have.
The desire of many for money and what they can buy; far out weight their commitment to the word of God that can only deliver to the utmost.
Please let us not fall to the materialistic trap because the love of money is the root of all evil. There is nothing wrong in wanting money but to seek after money is wrong and dangerous.
3. Patient: Patience is the key to contentment. Psalm 37:7-8 says "Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing."
Anger and worry are two very destructive emotions that the enemy used against the children of God. These two emotions reveal a lack of faith and contentment that God loves us and is in control of all our lives situations. When we dwell on our problems we will become anxious and angry. But if we are patient and concentrate on God and his goodness we will find peace that passes all understanding.
WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO CONTENTMENT?
1. Materialism Is A Barrier To Contentment. The bible confirmed this in I Timothy 6:9, that "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction."
It is always wise to separate between needs and wants. It is possible to have all we need to live but along the line allow ourselves to become overwhelmed with, be anxious or discontented over what we merely want.
Just as Brother Paul said we can choose to be content without having all that we want or allow ourselves to be a slave to our desires. It’s a choice.
Verse 6 of I Timothy 6 we just read said “…godliness with contentment is great gain.”
We should all covet godliness. We should honor God and center our desires on him.
2. Covetousness: Coveting is a barrier to contentment. To covet is to which to have the possessions of others. The Bible in Exodus 20:17, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Covetousness goes beyond admiring someone else’s possessions or thinking. When you start saying I would like to have one of those and you want it so bad that you could not stop talking or thinking about it, you have a problem. Perhaps you need deliverance.
Coveting includes the following symptoms: Envy, Jealousy, and Resentment. When we start feeling resentment towards what others have that we don’t have.
When we find ourselves in a state of covetousness, we need to find out the root of what is leading us to the envyness and pray that God will help us deal with our resentment; and meet all our needs. Sometimes we may need to go through a self deliverance to clear all the resentment from our life.
As I mentioned earlier that, the secret of contentment is knowing how to enjoy what you have, and to be able to lose all desire for things beyond your reach. For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it, but if we have food and clothing we be content with that. Hebrew 7-8.
This church and its members will lean on God alone to supply all our needs in Jesus name. We appreciate others and what God is doing in their lives but we would not run to get what they have. We are going to depend on God alone and He will send us helpers to move this church forward.
Let Us Rise Up For Prayer.
1. O Lord, help me to be contended in all areas of my life in the name of Jesus.
2. Father Lord, endow me with the spirit of contentment that will glorify your
name in the name of Jesus
3. Oh Lord, feed me with your feast of contentment in the name of Jesus.
4. Oh Lord, let not my expectation in you be cut off in Jesus name.
5. Lord Jesus, empower me to be content with what I have in Jesus name.
Nimota Kelani Page 3 3/12/2008