239-A Content Heart Brings You Joy#
239-A Content Heart Brings You Joy
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Life of Eagles)
Philippians 4:10-13
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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 this through him who gives me strength.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, I especially thank and praise You, thank You for giving us a new beginning this week, You grant us a content heart, teaching us to give thanks in everything in our lives. A content heart makes us joyful always. You still govern this world, You know all that I have and will lead me to overcome all troubles. Thank You and praise You, I completely surrender this time to the Holy Spirit to renew my thoughts and intentions, let my focus be on Jesus Christ. Thank You and praise You, I pray in the name of Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!
The topic of sharing is: A Content Heart Brings You Joy.
The main theme of Philippians is joy. For us, it is easy to rejoice when good things happen; anyone can do that. If you can rejoice always in any situation, that joy must come from Christ. Everyone has dreams and goals; as children of God, we cannot just live day by day! Although Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow, we need to have goals and dreams. We have goals and dreams, and we also need to have faith in God. However, sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we have prayed for something for a long time, but there is still no progress. It may be for your career, your finances, or a certain illness. After asking God for a long time, the situation still does not improve. What should we do? Should we change the direction of our prayers, or should we give up relying on God? During this waiting period, what kind of mindset should we have to face life?
Many people are dissatisfied with their current situation while waiting for the promise to be fulfilled. For example, someone wants to buy a house; this goal and ideal are good, but before the house is purchased, do not be dissatisfied with the current situation, do not complain, and do not be discouraged, because these will not help you achieve your goal faster. When faced with problems, complaining, being discouraged, and losing heart will not make progress; instead, it will lead you deeper into confusion. So, brothers and sisters, if you do not understand this, joy will be taken away, and our current joy will be lost.
If you focus too much on what you want in the future and do not cherish the present, not being grateful for everything you have, there will be a huge gap between your goals and reality. The goal is one thing, but if it is not achieved, returning to reality, the environment is like this, many people will begin to lose heart and feel disappointed. What is the correct attitude? Thank God, say to the Lord: "Lord Jesus, I believe you will give me a new house and a joyful heart, allowing me to live in this house with joy every day. Hallelujah!"
Paul means that no matter what circumstances he is in, he can be content. He has learned this, which proves that contentment is something we should learn. It is not that once we believe in the Lord, we immediately know contentment; it requires learning. Paul said he learned how to be humble and how to be rich. Did Paul ever experience being looked down upon? Did he ever hold a high position? Yes, he experienced both, whether in abundance, being full, hungry, having plenty, or lacking. Notice, he learned one thing in every environment: to be content. So contentment does not arise automatically; it is our choice and needs to be learned. In everything, we should see God's power and provision.
Contentment does not mean giving up our dreams and stagnating. Some people say, "Well, now I don't need to set goals or dreams; it's all up to God!" This is incorrect; it will cause all Christians to lose motivation. We do not feel discouraged or lose heart because we believe in God's timing, knowing that God is working behind the scenes. When the time comes, He will surely lead us into the best place He has prepared for us.
What should we do when we find that certain environments do not change? Many people hope that God will change this environment, but after praying for a while, the environment does not change; what needs to change is us. If we continue to live in frustration and tension, complaining every day: "Why hasn't God worked for so long? Why am I facing the same problems? Why do such things always happen in my family?" Some say this is allowed by God. Yes, I also tell everyone that God indeed allows this environment to occur. Why does God allow it?
Please remember: under the New Testament, God allows everything to happen, which must be beneficial to His children. However, God absolutely does not allow sickness to come upon you; that is not something God allows! God allows certain environments because He has His good intentions, indicating that we need this environment to change ourselves. What is it for? To change our vessel to receive God's greater blessings. Amen! We need to understand this principle: God uses the environment to change us. I will use today's scripture to tell you what this reality is, to help you understand that the current environment is not scary; what is scary is not knowing God's will and then complaining and losing heart.
In the Old Testament, God always used the Israelites as an example. When the Israelites relied on people, God sent prophets repeatedly to tell them: "Do not do this; look to your Lord, look to your God." They still did not listen, and we call this discipline. When God's word tells us that we truly cannot obey, God will use some people to change you, but the purpose is still for your good. Amen! God allows these things to happen not to strike or mistreat us, ultimately leading us to death, but to remove some problems from us, so God allowed this to happen.
For example, in the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us: He will prune the branches so that they bear more fruit. This pruning process is to cut away what should not be there. If we are pruned by God's word from the beginning, God will not need to use other methods to prune us. If God's word does not take effect, and we stubbornly go our own way, God may use some people or some environments to change the problems in us. For example, sometimes having a bad temper and encountering a very nagging husband, years later, you find that your temper has improved and you are not so impatient anymore. This is a good thing for you; impatience may delay many blessings that you should have received.
God allowed these things so that the Israelites could see what they relied on. Relying on people is fundamentally wrong, but the Israelites could not take this in. Whenever they encountered problems, they would rely on Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, and these people. But were these people helping them? When they first relied on the king of Assyria, did the king of Assyria really help them? No.
Isaiah 10:5-8
5 "Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger, the staff in their hand is my indignation! 6 I send it against a godless nation; I dispatch it against a people who anger me, to seize, plunder, and trample them down like mud in the streets. 7 But this is not what he intends; this is not what he has in mind. His purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations. 8 Are not my commanders all kings?"
What situation do we see? The king of Assyria is merely a rod in God's hand, just a staff in God's hand. We talked about this a while ago; His rod and His staff comfort me. No shepherd says he wants to use the rod to directly kill the sheep. Now, who does God use as this rod? The king of Assyria.
Assyria is the rod of my anger, the staff in my hand; I will send it to attack the godless nations! In fact, the Israelites had already begun to distrust God and worship other idols, even sacrificing their children to the god Molech. How does God deal with these people? How does He turn them back from the wrong path? God uses surrounding nations to discipline the Israelites, but God only allows them to become slaves. However, how does the king of Assyria act? He does not want to do it God's way; he thinks it is his own power, so he wants to destroy and cut off the Israelites.
Brothers and sisters, think about this: If your child is disobedient and always plays with dangerous things, you start to tell him with words, and he does not listen, what should you do? Proverbs clearly says: "He who spares the rod hates his son." Should you hit him with a rod? After you hit him, what then? If your child is already thirty years old, is the rod still useful? It should be discarded. But if this rod thinks, "If you raise your hand, I will kill this child," would you still want this rod? Would you use an electric rod on your child? No, the purpose of hitting him is not to kill him but to discipline him, to prevent him from going to dangerous places. But if this rod suddenly thinks: "I want to kill him, to cut him off," that is not God's intention.
Look at Isaiah 10:15: "Does the axe raise itself above the person who swings it? Does the saw boast against the one who uses it?"
Can the rod lift up the one who wields it? The pride and arrogance of the king of Assyria are right here! Brothers and sisters, do you see how this environment came about? The rise of this environment is actually to lead the Israelites to repent and turn to God. So when the environment around you does not change, think about whether you need to change. Once you change, this rod will no longer be needed. So does Assyria still exist? No; does Israel still exist? Yes. The rod is discarded once it is used up, but his children still exist.
Isaiah 10:20-21, what will happen when the Israelites repent?
20 In that day, the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on the one who struck them but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. 21 A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God.
In that day, when the Israelites no longer rely on the one who struck them, but rely on the Holy One of Israel, the rod will no longer be needed. That said, when you truly understand the current environment, you pray, and the environment still does not change, perhaps God wants to use this environment to change you. Once you change, this environment will no longer affect you, and it will not appear again. When we see this, shouldn't we be grateful for this environment? Thank You for shaping me.
Many people ask me: Why doesn't God eliminate the devil? If the devil were eliminated now, we would have nothing to worry about; that would be heaven! The reason the devil is not eliminated now is that we still have many things to do; we still need to receive God's blessings. When the devil attacks us and we overcome it, God will reward us. Bless your enemies, for they are the stepping stones to your elevation! If you cannot see this and complain about God in the environment, your situation will not change at all; instead, you will be disturbed by the environment. After the Israelites turned back, this rod naturally became useless. After God used the environment to prune away the obstacles that hindered us from receiving blessings, that rod was discarded.
Some people often encounter similar problems; once this problem is solved, another similar problem appears. If you find yourself in this situation, I suggest you change yourself, rely on God, and overcome all your environments. You can say: "Lord, let me change, let me have the strength to overcome this environment." Once you change, this environment will no longer be a problem.
Contentment is to place our eyes on God, and your faith will be strengthened. It is hard to grow in favorable circumstances; when everything goes well, you do not feel the goodness of God's grace. But when you encounter problems and see your weaknesses, you also recognize yourself. You may want to lose your temper, but you choose to rejoice; this requires strength, brothers and sisters. You may want to complain, but you need to express gratitude with your mouth; this requires strength from God. In difficult environments, you can feel discouraged, but you choose to rejoice; this requires strength that comes from Jesus.
2 Corinthians 12:9, at that time, God arranged an environment for Paul. Paul received great revelations, and wherever he went, the gospel thrived. At the same time, there was much work from the enemy. Initially, there were some enemies who oppressed him, but Paul overcame them. Later, what kind of enemies did he face? Enemies who praised him. Both are enemies, brothers and sisters. Do not think that only persecution is an enemy; in fact, if someone constantly praises you, even if you make mistakes, that is also an enemy. They hope you float higher and higher, and then "bam," you fall down; that is also the work of the enemy.
When Paul went to preach the gospel, were there many who praised him? They said, "This is the servant of the Most High God; they preach the true way of Jesus, the way of salvation!" Is this praise good? Yes, but if this praise continues, and it is not praising God, but praising whom? Look! What a great servant this is! Look! What a powerful servant this is! Look! What a knowledgeable servant this is! God is not seen; the praise is always for you. If you listen for a long time, you may think this is your ability, and at that time, you can easily become proud and fall.
So Paul asked the Lord three times: "Lord, take this thorn away from me! When they praise me, I really feel unworthy; I know what kind of person I was!" But did the enemy leave? The Lord said: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Paul said, "I would rather boast about my weaknesses!" Paul knew that all the revelations and abilities he had were not his own but came from God. So every time he saw his weakness, he saw God's power covering him. He performed many miracles and saved many people; it was not his ability; this is what Paul saw.
Brothers and sisters, do not try to change your environment! You can change yourself through the environment. Always being discontent indicates that there is a problem in some aspect. Some people do not like their job; they are tired of renting; many things make them frustrated! When will my career make progress? When will my finances break through? This complaining mindset can only keep you stagnant! God's plan for our lives is not just to let us live in a warm room or greenhouse; we need to grow and mature. Ultimately, we grow into mature Christians, and God wants to release more of His grace.
Perhaps you do not like your current situation, but God has His purpose. Please remember, you will not stay in that environment until you die. Life is like a series of exams; every time we answer is a test of faith. It depends on whether you can pass. You say, "What if I don't pass?" Then keep coming until you pass; the next time you will not encounter this problem again. Once you pass the exam, this problem will no longer trouble you.
Psalm 23 written by David is loved by everyone. Some time ago, I shared with everyone; do you know why David could write such a psalm? If he had grown up in the royal family, he would never have known this. If you do not have experiences like David, you cannot express gratitude and praise in everything like David. For many years, David lived alone in the wilderness, shepherding his father's sheep, while his brothers were well treated at home, and he was not favored by his father.
His father often forgot him. Interestingly, once Samuel went to his house and said: "I want to anoint your son as king, but God did not tell me which one; can you bring your sons out?" David was forgotten; where was he? Why was David in the wilderness among so many sons? When it came to being king, his father even said it could not be this son. Let's look at a passage of scripture.
1 Samuel 16:10-13
10 Jesse had his seven sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The Lord has not chosen these." 11 So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." 12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; this is the one." 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.
If you were David, what would you think? His father did not even think of this son; he did not even think to call this son back for dinner. He was alone in the wilderness. Could David rely on his father? Could he rely on his brothers? No, but David did not complain in the wilderness. He could write Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Because he did not receive a pampered environment at home.
Brothers and sisters, perhaps your current environment is very bad; please do not complain. God knows your situation. David could completely think: "God, You are so unfair! So many brothers and sisters in my family, why is it me? My father has forgotten me; he cannot even remember me at dinner, and he has never thought of anointing me as king." But God remembered him. Even if everyone in this world forgets you, God will not forget you! Have you ever thought about another question: After Samuel anointed David, did David know he was going to be king? But he was still in the wilderness; the gap between God's promise and reality was too great. After Samuel anointed him, he was still in the wilderness tending sheep. His father did not treat him as a king after Samuel anointed him; he was still a poor child tending sheep!
David could completely say: "Lord, why am I still tending sheep in the wilderness? I have grand dreams; You said I would be king; when will You fulfill this?" David did not complain like this. David understood God's principles of working; he did not live under pressure, discouragement, doubt, and disappointment. He did not doubt that God made a mistake; he knew that God was in control of everything. So what he did was to take good care of this flock of sheep.
He had a grateful mindset, thankful for everything he had. Finally, there was an opportunity when his father sent him to serve his brothers. His brothers went to war, and his father said: "David, go bring some food to your brothers!" David was sent; in this situation, David did not complain, saying: "I am the king! Why should I bring them things?" He could completely complain, saying: "Lord, I am Your precious prince; why do You make me do this?" David did not complain; he listened to his father's words and went to bring things to his brothers. When he saw his brothers, how did his brother speak to him? "Who is watching those few sheep of yours? Who let you come here?" They looked down on him. At that time, King Saul looked down on him; his brothers looked down on him, but his focus was not on these people.
Brothers and sisters, if you focus on people, you will always fall! At that time, David thought: "My opportunity has come." He defeated Goliath, and at that time, David's fame soared. Saul said to David: "Stay and serve me!" Did David say: "I cannot serve; I am the king!" Did he say that? God's promise was for him to be king, but he did not say that; he only became a soldier.
Look at the scripture, 1 Samuel 18:14, "In everything he did, he had great success, because the Lord was with him."
Brothers and sisters, David did not suddenly become king from a shepherd; there was a process. He was faithful in small matters, and later, he was also faithful in larger matters. Saul sent him to do things, and he accomplished them, and he did everything wisely. He did it earnestly and then entrusted the results to God.
1 Samuel 18:30, "Whenever the Philistine commanders came out to fight, David was more successful than the rest of Saul's officers, and his name became well known."
You are the son of a king, the son of the heavenly Father, but do you want to work? You should be wise in doing things in front of people. Your identity and status will naturally be elevated. Hallelujah! This is David. While tending sheep in the wilderness, he was content. Later, he fought in Saul's army, and then he became a commander. Even the soldiers said: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." Shouldn't he be very happy, thinking: "I will be king; Saul is finished"? Did he think like that? No, he entrusted the results to God.
When the people supported him, disaster struck. Saul wanted to kill him because of this song, and he had to flee abroad, pretending to be mad. Should he say to the king: "I am the king! How can you treat me like this? You will die!" No, David knew that God's time had not yet come, so he pretended to be mad in a city. Some said: "How can we let a madman into our country? Get him out!" David then left and became a king of the mountains. Was he a king? Yes, he was the king of Israel; he was the one anointed by Samuel, the one who would be king in the future. David might have said: "God made a mistake; Samuel made a mistake; he is old. I am also a king now, a king of the mountains!" No, David did not doubt God because the time came, and David truly ascended to the throne. Have you noticed that when David was the king of the mountains, he was also deeply loved by the people?
Brothers and sisters, what needs to change is David. God wants to change David through each of these environments, making him a servant after God's own heart! You are the same; if your heart is narrow, how can you receive greater blessings? Therefore, we need to change ourselves so that we can bless the enemies around us; they are shaping you, brothers and sisters! They are shaping your character, Hallelujah! What David did was to do his best in the present, expressing gratitude to God! If you are not content in your current situation, if you do not have a grateful heart while shepherding, and if you do not have a heart willing to lay down your life for the sheep, even if David ascends to the throne and his dreams are fulfilled, he will still not understand contentment; he will merely be the second King Saul.
Here I want to share about the second character, King Saul. What was King Saul's problem? He was not content and did not give thanks to God. Was God good to Saul? Among all the tribes, he was the smallest tribe. When God made him king, he felt unworthy! "What is my family?" you made me king? At first, he was quite humble, but that humility did not go through the environment. Brothers and sisters, many times we complain about the cold of winter, but if crops do not go through the winter's baptism, the food that comes out will not taste good. Similarly, many times we do not want to encounter these environments, do not want to face these problems and persecutions, but after going through these environments, your inner self becomes strong, and your life matures. Saul did not go through this.
1 Samuel 15:12, "Early in the morning, Samuel got up and went to meet Saul. But he was told, 'Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.'"
At first, Saul was very humble, but later, after every victory, he set up a monument for himself: "Saul defeated the enemy in a certain place." Was it his achievement? Because he did not have a content heart, he did not realize that all this was given to him by God. Gradually, his pride grew, and he became arrogant, even disregarding the prophet Samuel! Once, when offering sacrifices, because Samuel was late, he offered sacrifices himself and no longer wanted to listen to Samuel's teachings. If a person does not have a content heart and is not satisfied with what God has given him, even if God gives him more, he will still not be content; this is a fact. Therefore, we must learn to be content in the current environment that God has given us. Even when God gives you more, you can still be content.
After Saul did this, Samuel spoke to him because he no longer listened to the words of the prophet Samuel.
1 Samuel 15:22, "But Samuel replied: 'Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.'"
What does this mean? Does God not like sacrifices? Does God not like the fat of rams? Yes, but God prefers us to listen to His words and obey His words. Why is Saul like this? Perhaps this blessing came too suddenly, this happiness was too great, and he was not prepared. Perhaps God's grace was too great, and he forgot the God who gives grace. But ultimately, King Saul became arrogant and ended in failure. He could have governed the Israelites from the throne, but after he met David, his later life was spent doing one thing: using all his strength to chase David. Don't you think this king is a failure?
Without a content heart, even if God gives you more grace, you will not see it; you will only pick at the slightest flaw. Why did David appear? Because he would take my throne in the future! Now his fame is greater than mine! He forgot that this was God's matter. God did not say, "David, when you rise, I will depose Saul."
Did God say this? This is what Saul thought; this is the heart of discontent, always jealous, proud, and boasting, feeling that others will take everything from him. David never thought of killing Saul. He had many opportunities to kill Saul directly, but he did not. He said: "How can I lay my hand on the Lord's anointed?" I dare not. He is God's anointed king; how can I? Unless he dies." David knew in his heart: This is God's matter, not mine. Many times, King Saul lived in jealousy and insecurity, and he had no joy because he did not know how to enjoy the joy of the present.
Brothers and sisters, may each of you have a content heart. Be content with your current environment, and you will have joy, and then God will give you greater joy. God blesses us; if we are promoted, if you do not have a content heart, you may only be happy for a while, and then you start to be discontent again, complaining about why work is so hard and not wanting to take on responsibilities.
But have you thought about it? When the boss gives you a higher salary, you need to put in more effort because your responsibilities are greater. Many people want to stand in this position but do not want to shepherd the flock. What are you doing here? You say: "Why do I have to do so many things?" You do not have this sense of responsibility; why do you want to stand here? You need to have a content heart; never envy others' positions; their place comes with their responsibilities. Hallelujah! You need to be content with your current environment.
The problem is not the environment but ourselves. If a person does not have a content heart, it is easy to pick faults and complain. Paul said, "I have learned how to be content." Contentment requires training and learning. May you start learning to be content in your environment from this moment on. You see the environment as it is; you know that God wants to use this environment and this person to shape you, and you bless this person.
It is not that we should not change the environment; rights need to be fought for, but it is not about complaining about the problem. We have worked hard, and if the environment still does not change, you say: "Lord, I entrust this to You, but I still rejoice and give thanks to You." Contentment requires training; we need to train ourselves to see God's goodness and thank God for everything we have. Hallelujah!
In every stage of your life, learn to be content, whether you have a child who needs diaper changes at night or a child who is already in college; you must learn to be content. Whether you are working or in management, you need to learn to be content because you carry God's grace. You can enjoy God's grace in every stage He gives you. Can you, like David, look to God in any environment? So he said, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
What was said earlier is very good: You are my shepherd; you lead me to green pastures and still waters, allowing me to lie down in that place; it is a beautiful time. Do you have this in your life? Yes, you do. When you go through the valley of the shadow of death, do you have low points in life? You do. Can you, like David, say: "Your rod and your staff, they comfort me?" Therefore, your soul needs to awaken; you need to see the grace God has given you. Do not complain when you encounter environments. Sometimes you may think: "When will this environment change? I have been praying for two years." No, perhaps you need to change.
I once had a friend who asked me: "Teacher Ren, is God really a God of blessings?"
I said: "Yes."
He said: "I have been praying for my finances for nine years, but my finances have not changed. Why doesn't God bless me?"
I asked him: "Are you working now?"
He said: "No, I haven't worked for nine years."
I said: "Let me give you some advice; go out and find a job."
He said: "I can't find a job!"
I said: "Have you gone out to look?"
He said: "There is nothing suitable for me."
I said: "Have you gone out to look?"
He said: "No."
Brothers and sisters, is it that God does not bless him? What needs to change is not this environment; it is not about saying: "Lord, how can I change my finances?" What needs to change is you. Once you change, your finances will no longer be a problem. Hallelujah!
Do not keep complaining about the environment. Once you overcome this environment, it will never appear again. You need to be satisfied with the arrangements God has for you. Perhaps there are still some characters in you that have not been shaped (sickness is not included in this range, do not say that). Many times, we may look at the environment and see that it has not changed, and we stagnate: I no longer expect good things to happen to me, and I start to complain, feel discouraged, and restless, always hoping this environment can change.
Some say they need more money to be joyful; some say they need a better job, a bigger house, and when their children do better, they will be joyful. Brothers and sisters, without a grateful and content heart, even if all these change, you will still not be joyful. Do you understand? If you do not know how to be grateful and joyful now, even if the environment changes, you will still not be grateful and joyful.
There are many examples of this in the world! When you just get married and have nothing, having your own house makes you joyful every day. Later, when the two of you work hard and buy a house, are you joyful? No, many people are not joyful; they find they need a car. After buying a car, will they be joyful? No; they will say, "This car is too ugly; I need a better car, a Ferrari." When they really have a Ferrari, will they be joyful? No, they will complain: "Why is this road so congested? My car cannot even run!" Were they joyful? No. It is not these problems; what needs to change is ourselves. Hallelujah!
We need to learn to be content in various environments. You can have goals, you can have dreams, you can pursue your dreams, but you need to do your best in what you are doing now. Hallelujah! You need to have a content heart; otherwise, even if you give God a list of things, even if all these are completed, you will still not be content.
New problems will continue to arise; our lives are not perfect, and our dreams may not be fulfilled, but do not live in discouragement and complaints. Thank God for everything you have now! You can live in joy every day. It is not good to have no goals; this is also an extreme. So whether business is good or bad, can you give thanks to God?
Many people today have good business and say, "Lord, I thank You!" The next day, when no one is there, they say, "Lord, why do You treat me like this?" Even if there is no one, you can take a break! Do you want to work like a machine without stopping? No, taking a break is better. God did not say to let you starve or die poor; God did not promise you that. God promises you that you will be rich in everything. No matter what problems you encounter, I wish every brother and sister to learn to thank God in such environments, to have a joyful heart, and to thank God in both mountains and valleys. Your contentment and joy are not based on what you have but on who you have. Once you have Jesus, you should be joyful. If you do not have Jesus, even if you have everything, you will still not be content.
So Paul said, "I know how to be in need and how to have plenty." It is hard to rejoice when we are in need; when some environments come, it is hard to rejoice. We choose to complain and be bitter; can this solve our problems? It can only make things worse and make our mood worse.
Do you know what Psalm 23 says later? "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." David did not say: "Lord, get rid of my enemies; I do not want to see them; I hate them!" Lord, I want to change the environment." This is not a problem with the environment. So David said, "In the presence of my enemies, You prepare a table for me." This strength comes from God. Did he see the enemies? Yes, but what did he see more? The abundant feast that God prepared for him. Hallelujah! This is what we need to see. After going through all these environments, David understood that God loved him like this! So he said, "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." He knew that without God, he would have been dead long ago.
Some say Psalm 23 was written by David in the wilderness; that may be true. Some say it was written by David after he became king; that is also true. But no matter which it is, after going through a series of hardships, looking back at his life, he found that every step had God's good intentions. I also believe that these environments, these persecutions, and these problems are not problems because Jesus also encountered them; He never complained because He knew that His God's power was greater. He knew that these problems would ultimately bring Him greater benefits and shape His character; we should think like this.
In Hebrews 11, our Lord Jesus saw the glory that God had for Him ahead and disregarded the shame. Because He saw the joy set before Him, you need to see the joy set before you. These problems will one day disappear, but you will not disappear, brothers and sisters! In the future, when we are in the kingdom of heaven, these problems you have overcome will be rewarded by God. Those who attacked you, you bless them, and God rewards you; all these will ultimately become your rewards. So every time you see these, you should rejoice and thank these enemies for shaping you. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord!
So here it says, "whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, in every situation." Paul encountered hunger, fullness, abundance, and lack. When we have everything, we rejoice in God. But Paul was not like this; even when he had nothing, he still rejoiced in God. He said, "I have learned the secret." What is the secret?
Finally, he said: "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Do you know what Paul meant? Some people take away the first half and say: "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. I can do whatever I want; I can say whatever I want; after all, God does not hold me accountable." Is that the meaning? Paul's meaning is that whether in hunger, fullness, or lack, he can be content with God and give thanks to God. This is what Paul wanted to say. No matter what I encounter, through Him who gives me strength, I can rejoice; I can always rejoice. This is what Paul meant. It is not about doing whatever you want; that is not joy; that is simply wasting your life!
Paul learned to be content at every stage of life; he learned this secret of contentment in any environment. Otherwise, think about it: When Paul was young, did he do great works? Wherever he went, he was comparable to Jesus of that time, right? There were many followers behind him; his power was great. When he laid hands on the sick, they were healed. During busy times, Paul would say, "Bring me my cloak," and he could be healed. You think his life was great! It was very meaningful! A very good life. But when he was old, who was beside him in the Roman prison? There were not many people, except for Luke and Mark; the others did not know where they went. He was a lonely preacher.
When Paul said these words, he was not standing on a grand stage of life with thousands of spectators witnessing him. He was at the end of his life, saying: "In the past, I was glorious; now they all do not know where they are; XXX has left me; XXX has left me (2 Timothy 4)." Did they all leave Paul? But Paul said: "I know that even in such an environment, I am still content because everything I do is not for people; it is for the Lord."
So, brothers and sisters, your contributions to others may not be understood by others, but when you do it for the Lord, you will have a joyful heart. If you do it for people, you do a little, and others not only do not appreciate it but also ridicule you; you will feel hurt and say: "I do not want to see this person again." But when you do it for the Lord, it is not like this. In everything, relying on Him who gives you strength, you look to Him, not to people; at that time, you will be able to rejoice always.
Look at the last passage of scripture, 1 Timothy 6:3-8
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Is this similar to what Jesus said? Jesus said, "You have a coat, and that is enough; do not think about taking more." If someone teaches otherwise, what does it mean? It is different from what we are talking about, not obeying the pure words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teachings that are godly.
What are the characteristics of those who teach otherwise? They are conceited and understand nothing; they think they know a lot, but in reality, they know nothing. Moreover, these people have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words. Generally speaking, people who think they are great like to nitpick. What does it mean to have an unhealthy interest? It means, "What does this mean?" They keep asking questions; they argue about words that are clearly correct, insisting on arguing that it is wrong to show off their greatness. From this, envy, strife, slander, and evil suspicions arise. Is this good? No. It takes away joy and leads to more frustration and conflict because of discontent, which is why they act like this.
They think that godliness is a means to financial gain. This is the teaching of false doctrine; their purpose is to gain wealth and riches.
1 Timothy 6:6, "But godliness with contentment is great gain."
You say you want to get more; have a heart of godliness, which is towards God; contentment is everything God gives you. When you see everything God gives you, you will be content. Is it not great gain to have a content heart? Brothers and sisters, cherish everything God gives you now! Do not always say, "I have not received..."; do not worry about this every day, do not be sad about this, do not be disappointed about this. Thank God for everything you have now, and you can live in joy like this every day. When you encounter things, then pray to God. Hallelujah!
Verse 7, "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it."
What does this mean? What did you bring when you were born? People have a characteristic; when babies are born, they are born with clenched fists, and when people die, they stretch out their hands. When people come, they want to grab something; can they take anything when they leave? They can take nothing. Brothers and sisters, but you are different; you know that in this world, everything you thank God for is great gain; you can be content in the environment, and God will reward you; this is your future great gain!
You have overcome this environment, and God will give you more blessings, just like Joseph in the Old Testament. He overcame dangers, environments, persecutions, and injustices repeatedly. His capacity had grown to such an extent that he could forgive all his enemies; otherwise, if he were petty, how many people would he have to kill to become a prime minister? Now we need to learn to thank God in everything, to be grateful to God! Hallelujah! We brought nothing into the world and can take nothing out.
We can meet Jesus, which is the best thing! Through Jesus, you are not taking anything from this world to the kingdom of heaven, nor are you earning God's rewards in this world; you can enjoy the abundant blessings God gives you every day! Hallelujah!
Verse 8, "But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."
At least now, you all should be satisfied, right? No problem, right? If you say you have food for one meal but not the next, tell me, and I will help you; we can all help together, okay? If this is already fulfilled, thank God for other things. You can have goals; you can have dreams, but do not complain. Be content and thank God for what you have now. After overcoming one exam after another, God will give you greater blessings and let you receive His abundant grace.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. You have given us a content heart through such words. Contentment needs to be learned. Lord, we are willing to look to You in everything, in every environment, to have a content heart, and thus a joyful heart. Lord, it is not that my current problems are unresolved, and my goals are not achieved, so I become discouraged and disappointed. I believe You are still working; You will give me the best blessings at the right time and place. I look to You for this, thank and praise You, Hallelujah! All glory be to my Father in heaven. I pray in the name of Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!