“The Secret of Being Content” (Exo 20:17 ;
Phil 4:10 -20)
- The 10 Commandments for Today X –
If Only…
The other day I had a chance to read one poem written by 14 years
old boy, named Jason Lehman. I was very impressed by the depth of his insight. The
title of the poem is “Present Tense”:
It was Spring, but it was Summer I wanted:
The warm days and the great outdoors.
It was Summer, but it was Fall I wanted:
The colorful leaves and the cool, dry air.
It was Fall, but it was Winter I wanted:
The beautiful snow and the joy of the holiday season.
It was Winter, but it was Spring I wanted:
The warmth and the blossoming of nature.
I was a child, and it was adulthood I wanted:
The freedom and the respect.
I was 20, but it was 30 I wanted:
To be mature and sophisticated.
I was middle-aged, but it was 20 I wanted:
The youth and the free spirit.
I was retired, but it was middle-aged I wanted:
The presence of mind without limitations.
My life was over,
and I never got what I wanted.
One day a reporter asked the billionaire Nelson Rockefeller, “How
much money does it take to be happy?” Rockefeller answered, “Just a little bit
more.” Sometimes we say the same thing. “If only I made a little more
money.” “If only I had a little bigger place to live.” Oftentimes we are
discontented with our situation in life. Singles are discontented with their
singleness: “If only I could find someone to marry, it would make all
the difference.” Then we get married, and we are discontented with that too. We
say, “If only my spouse would do a better job of meeting my needs.”
A “Heart” Commandment
Instead of being content, we covet.
Coveting is strictly forbidden by the tenth commandment: “You shall not covet
your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant
or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Ex
20:17 ). What does it mean to covet? Missionary John Mackay defines the
word “coveting” in this way: “a consuming desire to possess in a wrong
way something belonging to another.” The tenth commandment goes straight to
the heart. It is clearly a “heart” commandment. It focuses not on actions
but on attitudes. It speaks not just of what we do, but of what we want
to do. One rabbi compared the difference between Judaism and Christianity as
follows: “One of the greatest differences between the two religions is this
idea that you’ve committed a sin just by desiring or thinking it. We believe
you have to actually commit the physical act before it’s really sin. Otherwise,
we’d be sinning all the time!” The rabbi was right. This is exactly what
the tenth commandment is intended to teach. Martin Luther said, “This last
commandment, then, is addressed not to those whom the world considers wicked
rogues, but precisely to the most upright – to people who wish to be commended
as honest and virtuous, because they have not offended against the preceding
commandments.” The tenth commandment convinces us we are sinners. It tells
us that we are sinning all the time. And it graciously shows us that we need a
Savior.
The Secret of Being Content
Paul was a godly man, at least outwardly, for the first part of his
life. He was far ahead of his fellow Jews in his zeal for his ancestral
traditions. He thought he could measure up to the perfect standard of God’s
law. He did not murder. He did not commit adultery. He did not steal. He did
not lie. Not only did he keep the commandments, but also proactively he even
persecuted Christians in the name of God. And he thought he was offering
service to God. Outwardly he was an outstanding saint. Paul did everything with
conviction. But his conviction didn’t give peace, joy, and life to his heart. He
was discontented with his spiritual life. One day he was on the way to Damascus
Paul once was proud of the fact that he obeyed the law without
fault. He was proud of his education and background. But since Jesus came into
his heart, he considers them worthless because of what Christ has done. In
fact, he considers everything as loss, rubbish, dung, compared to the
surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus the Lord (Phil 3:8). After his
conversion, Paul’s nickname was “plague.” When the accusers presented their
case against Paul to the governor Felix, they said, “For we have found this man
a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world
and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5, ESV). Yes, wherever
he went, Paul was a contagious Christian. One time in Philippi , Paul and Silas were
severely beaten and put into prison after preaching the gospel. But they were
not discouraged. The Bible says, “About midnight Paul and Silas were
praying and singing hymns to God.” They did not pray to be released. They did
not pray to God to solve their problems. Their greatest concern was to
glorify Christ to the fullest where they were standing, whatever situation they
were in. Believe it or not, Paul and Silas were content with their
situation. To be more precise, they were rejoicing because they knew they
were on God’s side. They were singing praises of joy because Christ was
preached. And suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake. At once all
the prison doors flew open, and every prisoner’s chains came loose. But Paul
and Silas did not escape. They remained in prison because their greatest
concern was not to be free but to walk with Christ and preach his holy name.
The jailer was amazed and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And Paul
answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved”
(16:31 ). Paul found contentment in Christ Jesus. Have you found
contentment?
Learning to Be Content
Contentment is not something
that comes naturally. We have to learn contentment. Paul learned to be
content. He says in Philippians 4:12, “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” (NIV). By nature, we are naturally discontent. We do not have
contentment from ourselves. Contentment is something we have to learn. We
learn contentment in our personal relationship with Christ. As we get to
know Christ and have a closer relationship with him, we want more and more what
he wants for us rather than what we want for us. We begin to see
things from Jesus’ perspective and become content regardless of our
circumstances. That’s contentment. Paul says in verse 13, “I can do everything through
him who gives me strength.” We learn contentment in our relationship
with Christ.
Last week I shared the story
of Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand how he stood up for the truth. This
morning I would like to share how he could be content even in prison under the
communist regime. He wrote: “In the ensuing years, in
several different prisons, they broke four vertebrae in my back, and many other
bones. They carved me in a dozen places. They burned and cut eighteen holes in
my body… but alone in my cell, cold, hungry, and in rags, I danced for joy
every night… I rarely allowed a night to pass without dancing… I made up songs
and sang them softly to myself and danced to my own music.” How could it be
possible? How could he be content even in that extreme situation? It was
possible because through Christ Richard’s eyes were open and able to see things
above.
In Luke 10:23 Jesus said to his disciples, “Blessed are the eyes that see what
you see.” The disciples had just come back from a tour through Palestine Palestine Roman Empire . During the
mission trip the disciples met sickness, plagues, hunger, and sorrow. They
entered houses from which patriots had been taken to prison, leaving behind
weeping parents or wives. It was not a beautiful world to look upon. But still
Jesus said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.” That was because they
had not seen only the suffering. They had also seen the Savior. They had seen
the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised
in the name of Jesus Christ. When the disciples saw these things above, they
were able to be content. Do you see what the disciples see? Have you learned to
be content?
In Christ Alone
In his last days Scottish missionary David
Livingstone had been “lost” to the outside world. Henry Stanley was sent out to
find Livingstone. Finally, he found Livingstone who was suffering from tropical
disease in the small village in Zambia Stanley England Stanley March 19th, 1872 .
Birthday. Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me,
only sustain me. Sever any ties save the tie that binds me to Thy
heart. My Jesus, my King, my life, my all, I again dedicate my whole self
to Thee.” About a year later he died while kneeling in prayer at his bedside. Livingstone
was alone, but he was content because he saw the things of heaven and
heard Jesus’ voice. He found contentment in Christ alone. Have you found to be
content?
While I was meditating on today’s scriptures,
one song stayed in my mind. This song tells us the secret of being content in
any circumstances. Jesus is all we need. The more we trust in Jesus, the more
we become content. The more we trust in Jesus, we see the things of heaven more
clearly. My prayer is that all of us in this room will experience this mystery
and say, “I have found contentment in Christ!” Amen.
In
Christ alone I place my trust
And
find my glory in the power of the cross
In
every victory let it be said of me
My
source of strength, my source of hope
Is
Christ alone!
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