The Art of Divine Contentment - Part 5

The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11

"I have learned, in whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content." Philippians 4:11

"Highlights" from Chapter 11 Divine Motives to Contentment...

1st Divine Motive: Consider the Excellency of it...
"There are two things in a contented spirit which make it like heaven: 1.God is there. 2. Rest is there."

"Contentment makes a man in tune to serve God."

"Contentment fits a man to bear burdens."

"Contentment prevents many sins and temptations...
SINS:
There are two sins in particular which contentment prevents: impatience & murmuring...
Impatience arises from a lack of faith; a lack of love for God; and a lack of humility.
Murmuring is quarrelling with God. The murmurer saith that God hath not dealt well with him and he deserves better... In Numbers 17:10 murmurers are likened to rebels; and is not rebellion as the sin of witchcraft? O Christian, be not as a witch, a sorcerer, or as one that deals with devil!
A contented Christian doth not murmur, but admire.
TEMPTATIONS:
"Satan takes great advantage of discontent because it eclipses reason and weakens faith which leads to atheism and apostasy."

"Contentment sweetens every condition...Do I meet with crosses? My comfort is, if they be heavy, I have not far to go."

"Contentment is the best commentator upon providence..."Love thinketh no evil" of God's providence, no matter how dark. God is wise; he hath done this either to prevent some sin or to exercise some grace."

2nd Divine Motive: Hath not God given thee Christ?
"A Christian hath "one thing needful"...Is there not enough inexhaustible treasure locked up in Jesus Christ to give the soul content?"

4th Divine Motive: God hath His end and Satan misses his end.
""The devil will cast some of you into prison" Rev.2:10...Why doth the devil throw us into prison? It is not so much the hurting of our body, as the molesting of our mind, that he aims at...O let us not gratify our enemy! for he loves to warm himself at the fire our passions...Repentance is the joy of angels, and discontent is the joy of the devils.

7th Divine Motive: Consider the evil of it.
"Discontent is unworthy of a Christian's profession. It was the saying of the heathen, bear thy condition quietly, "know thou art a man"; so I say, bear thy condition contentedly, "know thou art a Christian."

9th Divine Motive: The shortness of life. It is "but a vapor", saith James (Ja.4:14)
"We have but a short time here, and death calls us presently off the stage; therefore to thirst immoderately after the world, is an extreme folly."

"Death begins a wicked man's hell, but it puts an end to godly man's hell."