Cultivating Contentment in the Home | Part 2

Can a covetous person ever truly be content?

Listen to this. You don't love those people. You can not be covetous and love people.

And you can not love people and be covetous. Chapter 48 describes a family that's content. If you have your Bible, turn there now as Adrian Rogers shares Part 2 of Cultivating Contentment in the Home.

Did you know that? God gave the Ten Commandments and He said, Now dads, teach these to your sons and grandsons that you'll have a happy family. And God gives all of these nine laws for living. And then God sums it up with the last one, Thou shalt not covet.

Now why did God put that last? Because it sums up all of the others. All of the other Commandments deal with actions. But this last one deals with attitudes. All of the others deal with deeds. But this last one deals with desire.

What's in your heart? Covetousness. What is covetousness? Covetousness is unlawful desire that comes out of discontent.

Listen to me and don't forget this. A discontented man is never rich and a contented man is always rich. A discontented man, I don't care how much he has, he's never rich.

A contented man is always rich. And somebody who is not content with what he has will not be content with what he would have and to whom little is not enough, nothing is enough. Covetousness is wrong. Now I'm not saying that it is wrong to have godly ambition. I'm not saying it's wrong to have things. But covetousness is so deceptive that it's wrong to have things. It is so divisive.

It is so debasing. And friend it is so destructive. Now this verse I really would like for you to turn to. First Timothy chapter 6. Classic passage on family contentment. First Timothy chapter 6.

And let's begin to read in verse 6. But godliness with contentment is great gain. That's really the bottom line of all that I have to say today. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. Somebody said you never saw a hearse with a U-Haul behind it. And having food and raiment as just something to eat and something to wear, let us therewith be content.

That's all you have to have. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown in the destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, there's our word, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Now that doesn't say that they are rich.

The Bible is not against word, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Now that doesn't say that they that are rich. The Bible is not against riches. Abraham was rich. David was rich. Solomon was rich. Joseph of Arimathea was rich. But it says they that will be rich.

What does that mean? They're putting things first. And when you put things first, you know what that is? It's idolatry. Anything you love more, serve more, desire more, fear more, value more than God is an idol. Now folks, when you are guilty of idolatry, you are guilty of something terrible. Listen, Jesus said in Luke 16 and verse 13, no servant can serve two masters.

Well, that's wrong. No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. And if you're wondering what two masters He's talking about, He said, you cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon is just another word for things. And then Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 33, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. God will not work in second place. When you put God in second place, that is idolatry. And that's the reason the Bible calls covetousness idolatry.

We have in God we trust on our money, but we have me first written in the hearts. I heard about a man who loved gold. I mean he just loved it. He had an inordinate affection for gold. Finally he got a lot of gold, and he loved it. And so he put down a golden colored carpet, painted the walls parchment colored, got yellow drapes, got a gold colored bed spread, he bought him some yellow pajamas, everything. He just loved gold.

Everything was gold all around. But then he got sick, he came down with, would you believe, yellow jaundice. You know what yellow jaundice is?

It turns you yellow. And there he was up in his bedroom, his wife called the doctor and said, doctor he's upstairs. The doctor went up to examine him and came back down with a bewildered look. His wife said, well how is he?

He said, I don't know I couldn't find him. People who get lost in these things can't find themselves. Now, folks this is what destroys family contentment, and that is covetousness, unlawful desire. Not wrong to have things, but unlawful desire, a spirit of dissatisfaction. Number two, let's think about what defines family contentment.

We've talked about what destroys it. What defines family contentment? Well look in Psalm 128, there are three things. Number one, faith for the family.

Faith for the family. Look in verse 1, blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord, that walketh in His ways. The secret of satisfaction of true contentment is God Himself. To tell the man on the street that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the secret of satisfaction, he would laugh at you.

That is the last thing he would believe would give him satisfaction. But let me give you some verses and jot them down because hey folks these are great for your children, family worship, these are great for you to put on your refrigerator door. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 5, now remember we are talking about contentment. Listen to this, let your conversation be without covetousness.

This is Hebrews 13 5, the word conversation literally means behavior. Let your behavior be without covetousness, and be content, listen, be content with such things as ye have, for He hath said, that's God now, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. All right, I'm telling you the first secret of family contentment is God Himself. The psalmist said in Psalm 73 verses 25 and 26, whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

And then remember the scripture we read in 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 6, godliness with contentment is great gain. I was reading about Ernest Hemingway. Ernest Hemingway was a brilliant man, a great great writer, a literary genius.

He had fame, he had notoriety, he had money, he had everything at his fingertips that many people striving after. And he wrote some words and then committed suicide. You know what he wrote? He said this about life. He said, life is just a dirty trick, a short journey from nothingness to nothingness. Pah! Isn't it a shame he didn't know Jesus?

Isn't it a shame? You see the first thing is the family faith, faith for the family. Second thing, look at this psalm again, not only faith for the family but fellowship for the family. Look in verses 2 and 3, thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands, happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house, and thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Now folks, that's where it's at. Your wife, your children, the family fellowship right there.

There she is clinging to you like a vine, fruitful, luxuriant. There you are providing for the family, eating the labor of your hands. There are your children like olive plants which are very valuable in the Middle East, having that fellowship. Folks, if people today who are foregoing having children so they can have things would wake up and understand that children don't make a rich man poor, they make a poor man rich. You can't take your riches to heaven, I'm taking my children to heaven. A very wise man, a gifted man looked back upon his life and asked himself if I could do it all over again, what would I do with my family?

Let me read what he said to you. He said, I would love my wife more in front of my children. I would laugh with my children more at our mistakes and our joys. I would listen more even to the youngest child. I would be more honest about my own weaknesses and stop pretending perfection. I would pray differently for my family. Instead of focusing on them and their faults, I would focus more on me. I would do more things with my children. I would be encouraging and bestow more praise. I would pay more attention to little things, deeds and words of love and kindness. And finally if I had it to do all over again, I would share God more intimately with my family. I would use every ordinary thing that happened in every ordinary day to point them to God. That's the family fellowship.

Folks, that is where it's at. Many times we envy the wealthy. Now, J. Paul Getty, one of the wealthiest men that lived in his day, of course he's not Bill Gates or somebody else, but he's in another generation, had a tragic life. J. Paul Getty wrote, he said, I've not been given envy, but he said, the person that I envy is the person that has a happy home. And those who know how to make marriage work.

He's married five times and all of them were failures. No family contentment. Now here's the third thing you need.

Watch. You need faith for the family. You need fellowship for the family. And you need food for the family. Look again at verse 2, thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands, and happy shalt thou be, and shall be well with thee.

It's amazing, isn't it? He's speaking here of the most simple things of life. He's talking not about luxuries, he's talking about necessities. Philippians 4 verse 9, my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Not all you grieve, but all you need.

If you would be content, learn to enjoy the simple things of life which are the best things. We try to read when our grandchildren are present a proverb in the morning. That's one of the best family worships I know. And Proverbs chapter 15 verses 16 and 17 says this, better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with trouble therewith.

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, just plain vegetables, than a stalled ox, filet mignon, and hatred therewith. Learn folks to let your home ring with love, and laughter, conversation and fun, and be content with the simpler things of life. I'm telling you these gadgets will not make you happy. You take these kids, their closet is crammed full of the latest styles. They've got a computer.

They've got every electronic gadgetry. And what do they say? They say, I haven't got anything to wear. I'm bored.

Why? They have not learned to enjoy the very basic things. You say, well I want my kids to have things I never had. That's okay. I want my kids to have things my dad never gave me.

Okay. But are you giving them the things your dad did give you? I mean the desire to work, honesty, decency, learning to get along with these things. Teach your kids that the necessities are all it takes. Having food and clothing. Let's be content. And I would to God, we'd get this in our hearts.

Now here's the third and final thing. I've talked about what destroys family contentment. I've talked about what defines family contentment. The family faith, the family fellowship, and the family food. It's just so simple.

So simple. Now here is friend what develops family contentment. Now in this psalm we can find the same thing. Remember that Paul said that contentment must be learned.

He said in Philippians 4 verse 11, I have learned, I have learned in whatsoever state I am there with to be content. And again let me remind you of the definition of contentment. It is an inner sufficiency that keeps us at peace in spite of outward circumstances. Now four simple things, here they are.

Four things you can learn. Number one, learn to trust God. Look again in verse 1, blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord. If you don't do that you are never going to be content. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Learn to trust the Lord.

Have you done that? Do you have faith for your family? Is your family a God centered family? No wonder you are discontent. You are like a square peg in a round hole.

Number two, not only learn to trust, but number two, learn to think. Don't be grumbly, hateful, be humbly, grateful. God has been so good to you. Look in verse 3 and 4, look at it again. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house. Thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold that thus shall the man be blessed.

That's it. Thank you Lord for this food. Thank you Lord for my wife. Thank you Lord for my children.

I am a blessed man. Families need to learn how to thank God. It would be good for you to get a family diary and write into the blessings of God.

It would be good for you to sit down and rehearse with your children day after day after day the things that God has done for them. Number one, learn to trust. Number two, learn to think.

Number three, learn to love. Look in verses 5 and 6 of this son. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion and thou shall see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

It's not just simply for your own family. Lift up your eyes. Look at others.

Look at this city. Look at people who are in need and learn to love. Do you know what a covetous person is? A covetous person is a person who loves things rather than people. Do you know what a contented person is?

A contented person is a person who loves people rather than things. Have you ever had something that you were satisfied with? Maybe you had a Honda until you met somebody who had a BMW? And then you meet somebody with a BMW and you're satisfied that you meet somebody who has a Porsche or Jaguar? Or have you ever thought, boy we sure do have a nice house until you visit somebody else.

Good night. Where did they get all this stuff? How do they do this? Where did all this come from? And all of a sudden your house that you were so happy with, you're not happy with it anymore.

Do you know why? You don't love those people. I make it a habit.

Nobody hears me do it. But I walk into a lovely, gracious home. I bow my head and I thank God for His blessings on those people. I say, thank you Lord for blessing those people.

Thank you that you've been this good to them. Teach your children that somebody else's blessing is not their loss. You cannot be covetous and love people. And you cannot love people and be covetous. Learn to trust.

Learn to think. Learn to love. And learn to give. Learn to give.

If you want family contentment, let your family learn to give. A congressman told this story. He told it to his pastor. He said, I took my son to McDonald's. We're going to have some father-son fellowship.

You know how we all dream of that? And he said, my son wanted a large order of fries. And he got this large order of fries. And we sat down, father and son, to have some fellowship. And I sat there across from him and looked at that large order of fries and they smelled so good.

I thought I'd have a couple. He said, I reached out in my hand to get a couple of french fries. And my son put his hand on my hand and said, hey, those are mine. He said, I thought to myself, my son has a problem, a real problem.

And it just flew all over me. And I got to thinking, number one, doesn't he know who bought those fries and gave them to him? And doesn't he know that if I wanted to, I could buy him more fries? I could go up there and order 20 orders of fries and bury him in french fries. And doesn't he know if I wanted to, I could take those away from him that he already has if I wanted to? And doesn't he know that if I wanted some french fries for myself, I could go buy them for myself? I've got the money to do that.

And I could go over to another table and eat them all by myself. Doesn't he know that I'm trying to have fellowship with him? And he said, before I could tell the story more time than I could think, God spoke to my heart and said, my son, that's the way you are sometimes. I have given you blessings. And when I asked for a part of that blessing he said, hey, that's mine. And God said, son, don't you know that I could take that whole thing from you if I wanted to? And don't you know if I wanted to, I could give you more? And don't you know that I don't need that? Am God anything I want? The earth is mine in the fullness thereof.

And don't you know that I was wanting to have some fellowship with you? Oh, friend, may God have mercy upon the spirit of greed that's in our hearts, understanding that all that we have has come from God, and families need to learn to trust, to think, to love, and to give. And if you have a contented home, I'm telling you, you are blessed indeed.

And if you don't, I don't care what else you have. Father, I pray now that you would cultivate and inculcate in my heart a spirit of gratefulness and root out any covetousness. Lord, help me in us to be content with little if you've given little or much if you've given much. Thank you, Lord, for your goodness to the sons and daughters of men. In your name, I pray.

Amen. Well, today, if you prayed and put your faith fully in Jesus Christ, we want to celebrate with you and invite you to our Find God's Love page on the website. There you'll find answers you may need about your newfound faith. Simply go to lwf.org forward slash radio and click on the tab that says Find God's Love.

Welcome to his forever family. We can't wait to hear from you today. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety, you can call us at 1-877-LOVEGOD. Mention the title Cultivating Contentment in the Home.

You can also order online at lwf.org slash radio or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. Are you cultivating contentment in your home, in your life? Pray and ask God to give you a spirit of gratefulness and root out any covetousness from your heart. And we hope you'll join us next time for more profound truth Simply Stated by Adrienne Rogers right here on Love Worth Finding. We were so humbled to receive this message from a listener not long ago. They write, to the staff at Love Worth Finding, it is my joy to pray for all of you who worked so hard to share Dr. Rogers' straightforward anointed teaching. Your dedication is a brilliant beacon of light in a darkening world. Thank you for your ministry.

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