1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: have you listening. Today's topic is about finding contentment. Will 3 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: return with the devotional after a brief message from one 4 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: of our sponsors. A Great Gain of Godly Contentment written 5 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 1: and read by Emily Rose Massey. Now godliness with contentment 6 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, 7 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: and it is certain we can carry nothing out, and 8 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: having food and clothing with these we shall be content. 9 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: First Timothy, Chapter six, verses six through eight. Has interaction 10 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 1: on social media ever created a heaviness in your heart, 11 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 1: perhaps leading you to compare yourself to others? In my life, 12 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: I seem to get this cloud that forms over me 13 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: when I scroll certain social media influencers profiles, you know 14 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: the ones from somewhere in the Midwest with a thriving business. 15 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: Beautiful children, magnolia inspired farmhouse decor covering the pristine photos 16 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: of their adorable home. And the lighting, the gliding in 17 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: these pictures, every single one of them. Absolutely stunning natural 18 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: light in these posts, and I want to imitate it, 19 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: but not because I am inspired, but because, quite frankly, 20 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: I am jealous of these strangers on the internet. The 21 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: cloud that looms over my head. Is this heaviness that 22 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: I need to make my life look like this? I 23 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: start to think I need what they have, and a 24 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: feeling of not enough starts to creep up in my heart. Recently, 25 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: the Lord has been showing me through this restlessness, how 26 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: discontented I've become through social media, and that is something 27 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: I'm working through with the Holy Spirit on how I 28 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: can guard my heart from these types of entanglements that 29 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: bring distraction. In discontentment, my eyes have drifted upon lesser things, 30 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: and it has affected my heart in a great way. 31 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 1: Comparison that leads to envy and jealousy has been a 32 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: trap of the enemy since creation. 33 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 2: The motive behind Adam and Eve's disobedience was comparison, which 34 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 2: led to covetousness, which led to pride, which led to selfishness, 35 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 2: which led to ungratefulness for what God had already provided. 36 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 2: All rooted in fear. Are you in fear, then you 37 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 2: are not in faith, believing God at his word and 38 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 2: fully trusting him that He has given you exactly what 39 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 2: you need. Anything that is not of faith is sin. 40 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 2: Romans chapter fourteen, verse twenty three. When we compare ourselves 41 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 2: with another. We're saying we would do a better job 42 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 2: planning out our lives than our creator, the sovereign most high, 43 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 2: acting like Satan who fell and caused Adam and Eve 44 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 2: to fall. WHOA, that's a dangerous place to be When 45 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 2: we're wrestling with these heart issues in sin, we often 46 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 2: need a perspective shift, and this won't come from social media. 47 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 2: But the word of God is what will bring clarity 48 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 2: when our mind and hearts become clouded with worldliness that 49 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 2: causes us to become jealous of others. The apostle Paul 50 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 2: reminds his spiritual son Timothy in his first letter to 51 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 2: him to keep his mind on eternal and spiritual matters. Now, 52 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:24,280 Speaker 2: godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing 53 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 2: into this world, and it is certain we can carry 54 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 2: nothing out, and having food and clothing with these we 55 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 2: shall be content. First Timothy Chapter six, verses six through eight, 56 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 2: intersecting faith and life. Our heavenly father ensures that birds 57 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 2: are fed. Surely he will take care of us. If 58 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 2: we have food and clothing, we don't need anything else. 59 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:58,479 Speaker 2: All else is comfort and gifts from our Father. Any 60 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 2: material blessing beyond un food and clothing that the Lord 61 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 2: graces us with should cause us to worship him and 62 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 2: rejoice and thankfulness for his rich mercy and love towards 63 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 2: us as his children. We are all guilty of comparing 64 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 2: our lives to someone else's life at one point or another, 65 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 2: and allowing it to cause some form of jealousy. Where 66 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 2: have your eyes wandered that may be creating jealousy? The 67 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,039 Speaker 2: only way out is to repent and renew your mind 68 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 2: with the Word of God. Instead of fixating on others' lives, 69 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 2: we must keep our eyes on Jesus and his word. 70 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 2: If you cling to him and abide in him, you 71 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 2: will remain full of his love, joy, and peace, the 72 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 2: only things that will bring true fulfillment and contentment. You 73 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 2: won't want anything else than what He has given you. 74 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 2: Eternal promises and tender fatherly care for you will be 75 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 2: more than enough. Let's lift our gaze and thank Him 76 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,679 Speaker 2: for what he has already so richly provided for us. 77 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 2: In Christ Jesus. Further reading Philippians chapter four, verses eleven 78 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 2: through thirteen, Matthew chapter six, verses twenty five through thirty four. 79 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. 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