What I Wish I Would Have Said- more to come
This was going to be the conclusion, but I want to test out the question answering mechanism on the web site. See below and feed back...
Having looked at the text under consideration (1 Timothy 6:2b-11) and what I DID say, what do I wish I would have said?
The question came up in the message: "Are you willing to give up those things that you have determined are necessary for your happiness?" That is, by definition, you will NEVER be content as long as you put requirements on it. Contentment comes apart from circumstances.
The answer? Flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness (v. 11). Flee "these things" (the lusts of our flesh that we have made necessary for our contentment) and pursue these, much better, things. This works.
But there is a much better question to ask: "Why did you need 'those things' in the first place?" If you're honest, it's most likely because you have bought the lie that Jesus Christ's life, death and resurrection is not sufficient for you.
The key to contentment is resting in the sufficiency of Christ.
Here is the question for you: "Doesn't contentment lead to complacency? Isn't that bad? What's the difference?" I'll wait for our vast audience- both of you- to reply, and write my answer on Monday.
Go serve your King!
Pastor Wade
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Merriam-Webster defines
Merriam-Webster defines contentment as “feeling or showing satisfaction with one’s possessions, status or situation.” In contrast, complacency is defined as “self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.”
In Matthew 13, The Parable of the Sower, we read: “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
If we fully strive to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness, we do our best to keep our eyes open to see and our ears open to hear God’s word, and in this way protect our hearts from becoming calloused or complacent.
Contentment COULD lead to complacency