Are you restless? Do you find yourself caught up in the constant desire to “keep up with the Joneses?” Or worse yet, have you looked in the mirror, and found that you are the Joneses? The world we live in is a very restless place. We are always on the lookout for the bigger, faster, and better. It seems like it was a million years ago when people did not demand a new version of a phone, car, or appliance every single year. Most companies demand that we throw out the old and get the new sooner and sooner – and all the while reap the profits for our discontent. Companies that do not market to our discontent can be left out in the cold, as if it were some kind of cosmic offense for us to be satisfied with something for more than a moment in time.

It may seem like this is linked to technological advances, but in reality, this feeling of discontent is rooted in a far older piece of technology: the human heart. It is bound up in our sinful natures to want something better, newer, and shinier in the hopes that it will make us happier. The Apostle Paul understood this, and that is why he advised the young pastor, Timothy, to flee from such thoughts and to seek rest in the Lord. This week, we will once again be challenged to stand against the pull of our culture. We will hear from God’s Word that we do not need things to make us happy, or to find fulfillment. We can be content with what the Lord provides! That does not mean we make a virtue of the old and beaten-up; but it does mean that we must repent of the constant churning within our hearts for more and better things to solve our problems.

I. The Satisfaction of Contentment (v.6-8)
A. Knowing the Lord is in Charge
B. Knowing the Lord Provides

II. The Pitfalls of Discontent (v.9-10)
A. Miserable Desires
B. Spiritual Destruction

III. The Practice of Contentment (v.11)
A. Flee the World’s Path
B. Pursue the Lord’s Path

Questions for consideration: (1) What causes you discontent with your life? What sorts of things do you think would make you happy if you only had them? (2) What practical ways can you cultivate contentment? Why is this important? (3) How can our contentment with life and circumstance be important to God’s Kingdom? To sharing the gospel of Christ?