Month: October 2010

“…I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.”
Philippians 4:11

We considered murmuring and complaining last week and said that neither has any place in the life of a believer.  When do we complain?  When we’re discontent, right?  But, should the Christian ever be discontent?  1 Ti 6:8 says we ought to be content with merely food and clothing.  Clearly the apostle didn’t mean that we have the right to complain if we miss a meal because in Ph 4:12, the verse following our main text above, he says he had learned to be content whether he was full or hungry.  The bottom line is that the child of God should be content all the time.

So, why should we be content?  To answer that question we need to see clearly the source of our satisfaction.  When Paul sought deliverance from the Lord concerning his “thorn in the flesh,” God answered him in 2 Cor 12:2 by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you…” Did you know “sufficient” in that verse is the same Greek word as “be content” in 1 Ti 6:8?  This statement highlights the source of our contentment.  We should be satisfied because we are recipients of God’s grace!  Do we really need anything more?  If the body perishes, the soul that God has saved by His grace is still safe eternally in His arms!  What did Christ say should be our great reason for rejoicing in Lk 10:20?  “…rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

I spoke with a man this week that I hadn’t talked to since high school.  He is a newborn in Christ, saved only a month ago.  He also has muscular dystrophy and has been in a wheelchair for years.  I didn’t get to talk much.  He was overflowing, and I didn’t want to stop him!  I just sat back and let it all pour out.  He said something that really blessed my soul.  A few months back he would have said that what he wanted most was to be able to play ball with his son or go hunting with him.  It made me ashamed of all the things I’ve taken for granted that I have had the physical ability to do with my sons.  But, God had saved this man.  Even though he was still bound to his wheelchair, the Lord had set his spirit free, and now, what he was looking forward to most was to be able to raise his hands in praise to his dear Savior and bow before him.  He didn’t know if he’d ever be able to do that in this life, but he knew he would one day!  Wow!!  What a testimony!  He didn’t have a desire to run free and escape his physical infirmity so that he might enjoy all the things he’d been missing, but he only had a desire to be whole so he could fully praise the Lord to the degree He was worthy of.  He said whether he remained in his chair the rest of his life or not, he simply wanted that which would most glorify the Lord!

That man is one that has found contentment.  Americans are, for the most part, discontent.  We are spoiled!  We complain when our web page takes too long to display, when the car in front of us isn’t going fast enough, or when the food the waiter brings isn’t warm enough.  The children of God shouldn’t be stirred up by such meaningless things.  Christian, “be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'” (Heb 13:5) God’s promised to never leave our sides!  What more could we want?  The man content with Christ alone will not complain…

Jamie

Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
1 Pet 4:9

We’re getting close to wrapping up our study in Conformed to His Image this week as we’ve begun our final chapter on “Loving Others Compassionately.”  Most of the time, I think we know the right thing to do as we interact with others, but sometimes it’s harder than at other times.  Sometimes the individual we’re having to love makes it more difficult for us to be obedient to the Lord’s instruction, but we do our duty anyway.  Our text above highlights, however, that we’re not really being fully obedient to God if we do what He says while grumbling about it in our hearts!

Grumbling and complaining is often times second nature to us, but the reality is that grumbling has no place in the life of the believer.  Ph 2:14 says: “Do all things without complaining…”  Did you catch the “all” in that verse!  In other words, we shouldn’t be complaining about anything!  Why should the Christian never complain and grumble?  We shouldn’t grumble because we believe God to be omnipotent, that is, we believe Him to be in absolute, sovereign control.  So when we murmur and comlain against anything, we’re actually murmuring against the sovereign God that put that thing in our life!

Ac 15:18 says from eternity, God knew all the works He would do.  He has this entire thing planned out!  No matter how hard or painful any experience is, whether we understand it or not, everything in this universe is working according to God’s plan.  When difficulties come in our lives, Job 1:20-22 is such a great example for us.  It wasn’t wrong for Job to weep and to mourn when His children were killed and his wealth was taken in an instant.  His actions in v. 20 were not sinful according to v. 22.  But in this sinless reaction to these events, one thing you don’t find Job doing is grumbling!  He knew who was in control of his circumstances.  He attributed it all to God (v. 21), thus, instead of complaining, he fell down and worshipped!

The title of our chapter this week is not just “Loving Others” but “Loving Others Compassionately.”  In other words, we must love with a proper heart.  We can’t love as God instructs if we only love outwardly while we complain in our hearts that we’re having to do what love is requiring.  True love, the love revealed by Jesus Christ, is selfless. May we love according to His pattern. “…let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” (1 Jn 3:18)

Jamie