Contentment

We had a guest Pastor today and I was so glad that Frank & I were able to listen to his message.  In the month of Feb we provided coffee service, greeted, taught Sunday School and worked in the nursery.  This was the first Sunday in a while where we just got to go to church and listen.

The message was based on Paul's letter to the the Philippians.  He was imprisioned and was writing to thank the Phillippians for their past generostiy.   And also to tell them that he was content with his circumstance.  He had learned to be content in any circumstance.  He had been rich and poor, fed and hungry.  But he had made the decision to be content.
The Pastor made the following 5 points:
1) Being content runs Counter to our sinful nature.  Satan wants us to want more, more, more.  Becuase then we have lost sight of God.  Think of the original sin.  Satan promised Eve that she would be "Just like God" if she disobeyed and ate the fruit.  Pastor told a story of a rich man who walked by a fisherman sitting beside his boat daily.  Finally the rich man asked the fisherman why he was never out fishing.  The fisherman replied the he had caught all he needed.  The rich man told him that he should catch all that he could catch, not just what he needed.  Why would he do that?  Then the fisherman could buy bigger nets. more boats, and become rich.  What would he do if he was rich?  Why then he could just sit and relax and enjoy life.  Which was exactly what he had been doing when the rich man walked up to him.
2) Being content has to be learned.  It doesn't come automatically.
3)Contentment comes from a heart of gratitude.  I am happy with what I have, not thinking about what I don't have.
4)Contentment grows in proportion in how we truly love and trust Jesus.
5)Contentment grows when we value relationships more that things.  Both our relationships with God and with friends and family.

Well, I bet that you didn't come here for a sermon today, but I really felt the need to pass on this message.  It truly touched me and I needed to hear it.  Maybe someone else needs to as well,