Psalm 63:1-8 O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 4 So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. 5 My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips 6 when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. 8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
Philippians 4:10-13 10 I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. 11 Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Cultivating Contentment
How many of you have attended a Vendor Fair? We had one this spring and we will have another one this fall. I enjoy them but I do find much temptation at them. There are so many things to buy. Things I would have liked, at least for a moment. There is usually jewelry. What woman couldn’t use another piece of jewelry? There are things for the house. I can always use another knick-knack. I saw several pictures that would look nice on the wall. Each time I stopped and thought of whether I actually needed what I was looking at or whether it was better to look and keep going rather than buy. Could I be content with what I already had?
This morning we are going to talk about being content and the spiritual discipline of simplicity. Let’s start with what it means to be content, to be satisfied. It means not wanting more, having sufficient things. It means to be happy with what you have whether it is a lot or a little, to have peace within your being.
Paul has an important secret for us to learn this morning. He tells us that he has discovered the secret to being content despite his circumstances. He has known plenty and scarcity and knows how to be content in either. As he said, “for I have learned to be content with whatever I have.”
Before we discuss being content and simplicity let’s go over what it is not. In none of this are we to ignore our own need or others’ needs. If we have an actual need and we have the ability to fulfill that need then we should. There are no bonus points in heaven for depriving ourselves of what we physically need. If we are hungry and have food we should eat. Of course, there are reasons to deprive ourselves of food that are good. We could be dieting; we could have a medical condition like diabetes that limits what we can eat; we could be sharing a limited amount of food with others and allowing others to have more. But to ignore an actual need is not our aim. Simplicity does not mean scarcity, meagerness or buying the cheapest of everything. It is the ability to separate need from want.
I want to make three points about being content. First, we need to recognize that being content is a choice. We can choose to say, “I have enough.” Every time we go to the store and see something we might want to buy, we make a choice. We either choose to say, “I have enough” or “I need more.” It is our choice. When we face adversity we have a choice of being content with the situation or getting depressed or angry about it. Again, we have the choice. Being content is an inward state, it involves seeking peace within our being.
Think of it this way. Have you ever been in a car accident? I have, I’m not the best driver and I’ve been in several. Let’s look at what happens after an accident. I’m thinking of a particular one. I was on a highway and the man in front of me stopped short. I remember slamming on my brakes but I couldn’t stop in time and I re-ended him. Here’s the outcome. I was fine although my car was not. There were certain results from this and I can choose to focus on the good or the bad. These things were my choice. I can spend my time worrying about paying the deductible, worrying about how much my insurance will go up, I can berate myself for not avoiding the accident, I can bemoan the fact that it happened at all.
Or I can choose to focus on the good. I was not hurt and the other driver wasn’t hurt either. I have car insurance so my car will be repaired and I had a rental until then. Someone came and picked me up so I wasn’t stranded. These were all facts coming from the accident. Now let’s focus on the choices I had. Whether I focus on the good or the bad will determine how content I am. I chose to focus on the good.
Second, being content is an attitude. Contentment comes when we spend more time giving thanks for what we have than thinking about what’s missing or wrong in our lives. The first thing I do every morning is feed my cats. I can be annoyed by these demanding creatures or I can be happy I have cats and can afford to feed them. How I feel is determined by my attitude.
We all need the attitude of the psalmist in the psalm 63. He seeks God above things. You can hear the longing in his words; “my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” He paints a word picture for us of great longing and he tells us that only God satisfies him. He says God’s love is better than life. He has an attitude of gratitude. It may sound like a silly cliché but it’s true and effective. Listen further. “My lips will praise you, I will bless you as long as I live, my mouth praises you with joyful lips.” He is giving thanks as he goes through his day. Our psalmist is fully satisfied with God and he compares God to a rich feast. He spends time on his relationship with God. “When I think of you on my bed and meditate on you in the watches of the night.” This is not a quick prayer, this person spends hours praying and meditating, building a lasting relationship that will sustain him. He feels protected by God, “in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.” Our attitude affects us throughout our day and determines whether we are content or not. Spend a day giving thanks for all that pleases you and see how your attitude will improve.
Third, being content is a way of life. It is a way of living outside of circumstances. This is the kind of contentment Paul is talking about. Remember he is sitting in a Roman jail cell as he writes this letter. It is one thing to be content when things go basically well. It is something else very different to remain content when things go bad. We do this by doing what Paul did. We focus on God rather than our physical circumstances. Paul had reached a point in his walk with God that he was so enthralled by God that knowing God was all it took to be content. Hunger, hardship, danger, beatings, none of this mattered to Paul because he knew God and made this most important in his life.
Now I personally haven’t reached this point. I can be content with things but I have not learned how to be content in actual hardship. I can give thanks during hardship, I can focus on the good and not the bad but this is an area I need to grow in. I want to be able to say with Paul, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” This contentment comes from Christ. When we seek Christ above all else, when we value Christ above all earthly things we will be content.
One of the ways to contentment in life is to practice the discipline of Christian simplicity. Author, pastor and theologian Richard Foster wrote in his book about the Christian disciplines “Celebration of Discipline” that “simplicity sets us free to receive the provision of God as a gift that is not ours to keep and can be freely shared with others.” He goes on to say, “the central point of the Discipline of Simplicity is to seek the kingdom of God first and the righteousness of his kingdom first and then everything necessary will come in its proper order.”
Simplicity involves a life of joyful unconcern for possessions. Rather than focusing on the latest fashion we buy our clothes based on comfort and quality. We buy a car based on gas mileage, durability, and safety. We deliberately set out to live below our means; we make wise choices about our purchases so they last and so we have enough left over to be generous with our time, our gifts and our treasure.
Simplicity is the answer for people who are tired and weary. Simplicity is marked by a contented lifestyle that rests in God’s grace. It is the commitment to clear out, scale down, and realize the essentials of what we truly need to live well. The intimate search for wholeness is not found by accumulating more things, but by entering into God’s presence every single day. As the first century bishop Saint Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” God alone is what satisfies.
The author of Hebrews said, “Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.” (Hebrews 13:5-6)
We don’t celebrate communion during the summer while we are in Hiebeck Hall. Next week we are back in the sanctuary and we will have communion for the first time in several months. Consider what is on the communion table. Simple bread and grape juice, nothing fancy. Certainly not a feast, yet this symbolizes the greatest sacrifice of all time and we are fed there in a way no other food, no matter how elaborate or abundant can feed us. It is here in this simple meal that we remember that Jesus gave His life for us so our sins could be forgiven and we could be reconciled to the Father. The high king of heaven stepped down off his throne and won the victory for us. Is not Christ our Vision, our Wisdom, and our Treasure? Is this not enough to be content and even joyful? Thou and Thou only, be first in my heart, High King of Heaven my treasure Thou art.
Our hymn is Be Thou my Vision and it is in your bulletin.