Today I listened to a wonderful sermon by Andy Stanley on the upcoming holiday season. The sermon focused on contentment. I wanted to start out by giving you some verses and quotes from the sermon:
The Christmas season is often a season that brings discontent. We are discontent with that we have. In this season we are often overcome with the awareness of what we don’t have. – Andy Stanley
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8
Our value as god’s children was determined long before we possessed material things.- Andy Stanley
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:11
Contentment is found by redirecting your pursuit. – Andy Stanley
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19
The value of a life is always determined by how much was given away. – Andy Stanley
I have a firm belief that it is important to know the origin of verses when you read them. Just as a sentence from a story is of little good without the context. So these verses all come from 1 Timothy. Timothy is a collection of letters that, you guessed it, Timothy wrote to people and churches. So Timothy was giving life advice here.
I think that Timothy hit the nail on the head here when he talked about a “life that is truly life”. I think this is what we are all searching for. Life that is true! Timothy says here that the key to finding that life is being generous and rich in good deeds. That if we do this we will lay a firm foundation for ourselves. If we pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness we can hold tight to this true life.
I know that this is what I have been searching for. I would be lying if I did not say this is part of why I decided to go on the world race. I am searching for a true life. So for me, I am going to attempt to apply this principle in the upcoming season. I am going to try to remember how truly rich I am, literally wealthier than the majority of the world’s population. And that my contentment comes from setting my eyes on a prize better than any material items. I want to serve God and serve other people.
So here is my prayer for this season: Lord, please allow me to fix my eyes on your will. Please allow me to give my life to whatever you will have for me. Lord, I pray that everyone understand how wealthy they truly are and what to do with that wealth in order to live a true life. Allow each person to be consumed by what breaks your heart and give to something greater than materialism this Christmas season. God, fix my eyes to doing good, to being rich in good deeds and to being generous and willing to share so that I may take hold of the life that is truly life. Amen.
