We must learn, as Paul did, to be content. Being discontent is a sin and is believing the lie that God made a mistake in our life. But if we get to the root of our discontentment, we have to admit that it’s our refusal to submit to God’s will. Have you surrendered your will and learned to be content?
Excerpt is taken from the full sermon, “The Secret Things and the Revealed Things“.
Where can contentment be found? And so often, Christians admire contentment and they long for it and they confess they’re strangers to contentment. They make it so unattainable. “Oh, if only I had the second blessing how contented I would be.” And they blame their upbringing and they blame their personality. They say, “My mother was discontented,” “my grandmother was…” and I’m discontented too. Paul says he learned contentment. He learned it. He learned it. It didn’t come to him on the Damascus road. One moment, driving, rabbinically furious, and then the Damascus road, and after that he was just laid back from then on. It wasn’t like that. He learned it. He was in a meeting once – a prayer meeting – and an old Christian got up and he said, “Let’s think of Psalm 23… ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, and so I will not be in want.'” The Shepherd – like my Lord? The King of the universe is mine? Oh, I’m not going to be in want. I’m going to trust Him. I’m going to be content. Paul listened. Paul learned like you learned coming here Sunday by Sunday. He learned it. And you have to learn it too. What did he learn? He learned one: being discontented is a sin. It’s against our whole position that our Lord looks after us and cares for us. All things are working together for our good. You know, we can parade our discontentedness because: “I love her, but she doesn’t love me.” “She won’t marry me and I’m sulking for the rest of my life.” You’re saying Jesus made a mistake then in closing that door. Being discontented is a sin. Secondly, it’s possible to be contented. Those of you who’ve had a very trying upbringing, it’s possible for you to learn contentment. Not just a few people who are self-integrated and intelligent and sensible men and women. Not just them, but you with all the pressures and strains that your life has been under, you can be a contented person. And no circumstance, no set of circumstance can take that contentment from you. That’s the Christian life. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. And then thirdly, Paul discovered how – how to be content. Well, I’ve taken over the Hilton in San Antonio. It’s only $100 you have to pay next weekend. I’ll be giving lectures on how to learn contentment. Not. Not. I’ll tell you without money and without price how to be contented. You go to God and you say to God, “Thy will be done.” That’s it. Thy will be done. I don’t want my own will. I want Your will. And that’s why so often I’m a discontented person because I don’t like God’s will. I don’t like what God has done with my life. And there’s no way I’m going to wear the red jewel of Christian contentment without taking my stand on this: what I want in my life is the will of God. And then when God says, “Alright, My child, this is My will for you.” “This is the way I want you to walk.” “I want you to be brave.” “I want you on the narrow path.” “I want you to be looking unto Me every day.” And then when I know, well, it’s God’s will, and I’m not frustrated, I’m not discontented, I’m not depressed, I’m not plaintive, I’m not self-pitying because this is my Father’s will. And so I rejoice to do Thy will, O Lord. And Jesus could say that perfectly. And that’s my righteousness. That He’s left me and example and I walk in His steps. And I want to be content too following the Savior.
