Contentment in Christ: Purpose, Identity, Gratitude, Generosity

He gathers it up. Our little resources, our little prayers, our little efforts, our few dollars. He gathers it up. He says, this is more than enough. I'll take it and bless it and break it. I'm gonna multiply it to bless all kinds of people in ways you cannot even begin to imagine. That's what God did with the Philippians few dollars to fund Paul in jail. [00:26:57] (23 seconds)  #SmallGiftsBigImpact

It's not about running a marathon. It's not about shooting free throws. It's not about a terrible basketball game last night. Not about any of those things. Not about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Not like like like, the whole thing, this whole verse is all about how in the world did a zealous, self righteous, discontent human being become content. He learned it at the feet of Jesus. That's where we learn it. The one who gives us strength. [00:10:38] (24 seconds)  #ContentmentAtJesus

When you take the gifts god's given to you and do the work god's prepared in advance for you, then you're not looking around at everybody else saying, well, what about them? What about them? What about them? That's just sideways energy that feeds your discontent. Run your race. When you know you're doing what God put you on earth to do, it's a lot of contentment isn't there. [00:13:45] (20 seconds)  #RunYourRace

You put your life in his hands. You're enough. You put your life in his hands, you're a beloved child of God, he's making you into the man and woman he created you and designed you to be. You are enough in Christ, and in Christ, he is making you more than enough. That's the invitation into contentment for some of us who battle those voices of I'm never, never, ever good enough. [00:15:34] (21 seconds)  #YouAreEnoughInChrist

Twice in this passage, Paul says, he is content. Now part of what's so striking about that was Paul was not a naturally content person. He was zealous. He was self righteous. He was angry. He was hard charging. He was not content. End of slide is but you know what happened to Paul? He met Jesus. Paul met Jesus, and now he's content. [00:09:07] (22 seconds)  #TransformedLikePaul

And and Paul uses a really, really important word to talk about contentment, like how we got there. And and the word he uses twice in this passage as he talk about contentment is this, I've learned to be content. I have learned the secret of being content. Listen. A few of us only a few of us are naturally content people by disposition. The rest of us are gonna have to learn it just like Paul did. Right? [00:09:30] (22 seconds)  #ContentmentIsLearned

You're never smart enough, never good enough, never achieved enough, never had enough money, never cheat, never never good enough. Like, all the ways. Right? This is how this is how you buy stuff. How the world gets you to buy stuff. Right? By telling you you don't have enough and that you're not enough. If you just get this next product, this next thing, then maybe you'll be okay. [00:12:32] (16 seconds)  #DontBuyTheLie

And and here's the thing. Here's the thing. This has happened all around you. That he says, hey. Plenty or want. Good times, bad times. I could be content. How many of you how many of you have a story in your life where there was a season of storms or challenges and in and of yourself, your flesh, you would have been anxious or uptight, but you had a peace, a contentment that was completely surprising even to you. How many of you experienced that peace, that contentment? How many of you experienced? [00:11:02] (23 seconds)  #PeaceAmidTheStorms