What does it mean to be content? It means you live with the unflappable joy of knowing you have what you need.

What is the result of fleeting contentment? It leads to unwise decisions: buying cars we don’t need, getting into bad relationships, buying houses that are bigger, changing jobs because maybe that one will be better.

Ultimately it leads to the undue pressures and stresses of one bad decision after another. Because you just can’t find the right combination to keep you happy.

4:1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? [2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Listen to yourself and learn from how you speak. We say we need a new house, we need a new car, we need new clothes. Why do we need, need, need? Because we have set our hearts on the friendship of the world, or the comforts of the world and we cannot live without them.

When you stop caring what the world thinks of your appearance, or your person then you will approach contentment. But how do you do that? You have to love something more. You have to have a new affection.

Paul says he has learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger with contentment. He can do all things through Christ.

True contentment is not getting what you want. It is not getting enough – how much is enough?

Not Buddhist contentment – others would love to have what you have, stop wanting so much. Or as your mother used to say, the starving children in China would be happy to have what you have. What? Since other people have it worse, I should be happy with no job, a bad marriage, etc. etc.

What then is the key? Remember what you have received

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Jesus describes the kingdom of God by saying it is like a man who sells all he has and buys a pearl. He then goes rejoicing because he has this pearl. If you have Jesus you have everything.

What are you going to get for Christmas. I want you to get it all.

Once at a party for the billionaire ********, ****** was asked how much he thought this man had. He responded, I have one thing he will never have – enough.

What if you could have enough? You can, it is a free gift. God has given you His son, will you receive it?

You must believe you need it.

You must come and receive it.

Do you want Peace? Do you want contentment? Then look at what you have, you have Christ, you have everything.