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6/ Our struggle to be content with life… (The feeling that others have an unfair advantage, and that if we can just be MORE, and have more, then we will be happy.)

— To look further into this, let’s see what God has to say about contentment and envy…

Proverbs 14:30 A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.

Proverbs 23:17 Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.

It is interesting to see what the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:12-19 I want you to know, my friends, that the things that have happened to me have really helped the progress of the gospel.  (13)  As a result, the whole palace guard and all the others here know that I am in prison because I am a servant of Christ.  (14)  And my being in prison has given most of the believers more confidence in the Lord, so that they grow bolder all the time to preach the message fearlessly.

— Here we find the encouraged.

 (15)  Of course some of them preach Christ because they are jealous and quarrelsome, but others from genuine good will.  (16)  These do so from love, because they know that God has given me the work of defending the gospel.  (17)  The others do not proclaim Christ sincerely, but from a spirit of selfish ambition; they think that they will make more trouble for me while I am in prison.

— These are those who fall to envying. (Paul’s origins gave many people reasons to be angry with him.)

— However, Paul is not dissuaded… (18)  It does not matter! I am happy about it—just so Christ is preached in every way possible, whether from wrong or right motives. And I will continue to be happy,  (19)  because I know that by means of your prayers and the help which comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ I shall be set free.

SO FIRST, let’s look at envy, for it is a seed of discontentment…

Why do we look around at others, when we are walking with the Lord of this universe (Creator God)?

— Is it not enough to know that He is with us and calls us His friends?

— Surely if we follow faithfully, even with our human slip-ups, as His friends He will have compassion on us when we repent. Then He will choose to correct and bless us, not injure us. (Can your faith grasp the truth in this?)

— How often do we need to see the proud and arrogant humbled to understand that God is looking for proper humility from you and I?

As the Apostle Paul writes (without any competitive motive) to those in Philippi, “Just so Christ is preached in every way possible, whether from wrong or right motives. And I will continue to be happy…”

— So we must focus on Christ and not our egos. (For then we too can be happy.)

Now let’s move on to contentment…

1^st Timothy 6:6 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. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

— Again the matter of humility comes into play…

— It is arrogance and ego that tells us that we somehow deserve more than the necessities of life. (I can’t help but think of the children’s song ‘The BEAR necessities’)

— And here in verse 10, we are told that desiring riches and wealth can sprout into all sorts of evil self-centred thinking, with all the grief that it brings.

James 1:2-4  Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  (3)  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  (4)  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

…So what do we do when we are hurting in life’s struggles?

— We are told to look to the end results of strength, knowledge, and the power to stand, that these sorts of difficulties bring to our character. If we persevere do we not look more like Jesus, and don’t we understand better the common struggles of our fellows?

— Jesus set the example, from birth in a feed trough to His wrongful death on the cross where He cried out “Father forgive them for they know not what they do!”

— I suggest that this growth to be more like Jesus is exactly what James is writing about as he tells you and I, “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

If you follow Christ, that must surely be your goal… So be strong, and wait upon Him.
You will be fully rewarded in due time… May our God bless you and strengthen you! (KK)