Cultivating Contentment

Transcript

Cultivating Contentment Deb Terry--3/14/17 With Help from Joy and Peace
Contentment - key words
Content - satisfied, self-sufficient
Happy- personal circumstances cause cheerfulness and peace Joy - sense of well-being based on saving relationship with Jesus Christ, not personal circumstances
Principles of contentment
1. Be satisfied: God’s abiding presence
Be dissatisfied: our sin
2. Decide to want less - 1 John 2:15-16
3. Focus on spiritual change we need to make
4. Don’t seek to remove problems that are God’s will for your life
Gal 5:17 Rom 8:28-29
5. Believe God’s will is always the best
Skills concerning contentment
1. Grow in holiness
2. Repent of sinful desires that lead to discord and quarrels
3. Appreciate God’s blessings
4. Discipline ourselves to remember the source of blessings
5. Grow spiritually
6. Know God
7. Learn from our experiences
8. Depend on Christ to meet our needs Lam. 3:24
9. Anticipate the joy and happiness of heaven 2 Cor 4:16-18
10. Set our minds on eternal matters
An illustration/metaphor for growing in contentment: indigo quilts
Realize that contentment must be learned
Learn the necessary skills
Work toward the goal: living a life pleasing to God