WEBVTT - The Secret of Contentment -- Part 1 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:04.640 Learning the secret of contentment today on Bold Steps with 0:00:04.640 --> 0:00:05.439 Mark Jobe. 0:00:06.720 --> 0:00:09.720 There's always going to be someone that's a little smarter, 0:00:10.520 --> 0:00:15.760 a little wealthier, a little brighter. There's always someone that's 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.480 ahead of the ball game. And when we live in 0:00:18.480 --> 0:00:23.480 this mentality of comparison, it breeds a spirit of discontentment. 0:00:36.120 --> 0:00:39.560 Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Mark is founding 0:00:39.560 --> 0:00:43.400 pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Sheppard. 0:00:43.920 --> 0:00:46.839 We're in a series titled Relentless Pressing on when the 0:00:46.840 --> 0:00:50.159 pressure is on, and we've been learning about hope and joy. 0:00:50.400 --> 0:00:53.680 Today we'll be looking at the secret of contentment. Now 0:00:53.680 --> 0:00:56.360 his contentment, something that just happens to us. Or are 0:00:56.360 --> 0:00:59.040 there things that we can do to cultivate happiness and joy? 0:00:59.440 --> 0:01:01.960 Pastor Mark will explore those questions right now as we 0:01:01.960 --> 0:01:04.240 get started. If you have your Bible, feel free to 0:01:04.280 --> 0:01:06.600 turn to the book of Philippians. Mark will be teaching 0:01:06.600 --> 0:01:08.959 from chapter four verse ten. 0:01:10.760 --> 0:01:13.320 A secret is something that only a few people know 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:18.800 and a whole lot of people don't understand. It's hidden 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:24.200 from most, but revealed to few. A secret is something that, well, 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:30.000 only a few people grass, but most people can't understand, 0:01:30.040 --> 0:01:33.679 don't know, haven't been explained or. It's a mystery to them. 0:01:34.600 --> 0:01:39.680 I believe by and large our world lives in deep discontentment. 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:43.360 In fact, I believe that we have a culture of 0:01:43.360 --> 0:01:48.440 discontentment in our society. Most people you talk to are, 0:01:48.440 --> 0:01:54.640 by and large, unhappy and discontent. In fact, I've discovered that, well, 0:01:54.640 --> 0:01:57.760 I've discovered that advertisers put a lot of money into 0:01:57.800 --> 0:02:03.170 trying to to take advantage of our discontentment. Have you 0:02:03.170 --> 0:02:08.530 ever watched commercials? They spend millions of dollars trying to 0:02:08.570 --> 0:02:12.450 tap into your spirit of discontentment. What they try to 0:02:12.450 --> 0:02:16.170 tell you is that you're going to be unhappy and 0:02:16.169 --> 0:02:22.210 continue to be unhappy until you buy their product. Let's 0:02:22.210 --> 0:02:27.330 take shampoo, for example. I don't watch very many shampoo 0:02:27.370 --> 0:02:32.850 commercials that much. But if you see a shampoo commercial, 0:02:32.889 --> 0:02:36.210 the the typical shampoo commercial, you'll watch it and there'll 0:02:36.250 --> 0:02:41.130 be some frumpy girl with a very unhappy face and 0:02:41.130 --> 0:02:43.929 her hair looks all tangled and she looks very discontent, 0:02:43.930 --> 0:02:47.769 very unhappy with life before she uses that particular shampoo. 0:02:47.889 --> 0:02:50.290 And they'll show a shot of her, and she just 0:02:50.290 --> 0:02:54.489 looks like she's miserable. And then she uses the shampoo 0:02:55.930 --> 0:02:58.369 and they'll show her washing her hair in shampoo and 0:02:58.370 --> 0:03:01.370 using the shampoo. And then on the other side. She's 0:03:01.370 --> 0:03:05.450 in a convertible. Her hair is blowing in the wind. 0:03:06.090 --> 0:03:10.130 She's got a young, handsome, strapping guy driving the car 0:03:10.530 --> 0:03:13.570 over her, and she looks happy and free in life. 0:03:13.570 --> 0:03:18.290 And the commercial says, by our shampoo. And you too 0:03:18.530 --> 0:03:23.010 can experience the brilliance of beautiful hair and wonderful life. 0:03:23.450 --> 0:03:26.450 And the message behind this shampoo commercial is that before 0:03:26.450 --> 0:03:29.850 you use their product, you're very unhappy and discontent. But 0:03:29.889 --> 0:03:33.690 if only you would use their shampoo, then you too 0:03:33.850 --> 0:03:37.490 could be fulfilled and happy and living the dream of 0:03:37.490 --> 0:03:42.770 your life. Advertisers know that by and large, most of 0:03:42.770 --> 0:03:45.610 us are discontent, and most of us are looking for 0:03:45.610 --> 0:03:49.010 something to make us happier. And so they tap into 0:03:49.010 --> 0:03:51.890 the spirit of discontentment to try to sell their product, 0:03:51.890 --> 0:03:53.810 to try to let you know that if only you 0:03:53.810 --> 0:03:59.170 had their product, then you would be happy and content 0:03:59.170 --> 0:04:05.980 as well. I believe that we live in a discontent world, 0:04:05.980 --> 0:04:09.460 by and large, because we practice habits that make us discontent. 0:04:09.900 --> 0:04:12.260 I was thinking about this whole thing of discontentment, and 0:04:12.260 --> 0:04:15.020 I was thinking about my own life. And when I 0:04:15.020 --> 0:04:18.940 get discontent in life and I realize that there's four 0:04:18.940 --> 0:04:21.219 common habits, and there may be more than this, but 0:04:21.220 --> 0:04:24.460 there's four common habits that most people that are discontent 0:04:24.460 --> 0:04:30.820 practice on a regular basis. Habit number one, we compare 0:04:30.820 --> 0:04:36.779 ourselves habitually to others. You know, one of the greatest 0:04:37.660 --> 0:04:41.060 bad habits that leads to discontentment is the habit of 0:04:41.060 --> 0:04:47.140 comparing ourselves to others. Many of us, while we're fairly 0:04:47.140 --> 0:04:50.580 happy until we start looking at what someone else has. 0:04:52.460 --> 0:04:56.140 You've all been at a birthday party and little six 0:04:56.180 --> 0:04:58.460 year old gets a piece of cake and they're cutting 0:04:58.460 --> 0:05:02.180 up the birthday cake and the. The party organizer cuts 0:05:02.220 --> 0:05:05.580 a slice of chocolate cake and puts it in his plate. 0:05:06.300 --> 0:05:08.340 And he looks at the piece of chocolate cake that 0:05:08.339 --> 0:05:10.500 he's got. And he smiles and he says, thank you. 0:05:10.540 --> 0:05:13.219 He's so happy. He gets his fork and he's ready 0:05:13.220 --> 0:05:15.900 to eat. He's a smile across his face. And then 0:05:15.900 --> 0:05:17.539 he looks at the next six year old next to 0:05:17.540 --> 0:05:19.300 him who's got a piece of cake, but it's a 0:05:19.300 --> 0:05:23.780 little bigger than his. Suddenly his smile turns into a frown, 0:05:24.220 --> 0:05:27.060 and he says his piece is bigger than mine. You see, 0:05:27.100 --> 0:05:30.099 he was very happy until he compared his slice of 0:05:30.100 --> 0:05:32.020 the cake to the other person's slice of the cake, 0:05:32.020 --> 0:05:38.060 and suddenly that happiness and contentment turns into comparison and discontentment. 0:05:39.900 --> 0:05:42.380 Some of you have lived so long with this comparative 0:05:42.380 --> 0:05:46.140 mentality that it's second nature to you. Some of you 0:05:46.140 --> 0:05:49.540 ladies walk into any setting you're in a church setting, 0:05:49.740 --> 0:05:52.659 a party setting, a house setting, and you look around 0:05:52.660 --> 0:05:54.620 the room and you try to you compare yourself to 0:05:54.660 --> 0:05:57.700 other people. If someone is dressed nicer than you, someone 0:05:57.700 --> 0:06:00.420 looks better than you. Immediately you become insecure. Or if 0:06:00.420 --> 0:06:03.349 they look worse than you, then immediately you become confident 0:06:03.350 --> 0:06:05.789 and happy that you're the best looking person in the room. 0:06:06.990 --> 0:06:11.029 There's this comparative mentality around us, and so if we're 0:06:11.029 --> 0:06:13.910 doing better than others, we're happy. If others are doing 0:06:13.910 --> 0:06:16.630 better than us, we're unhappy. And how many of you 0:06:16.670 --> 0:06:20.070 know there's always going to be someone that has more 0:06:20.110 --> 0:06:23.190 than we have? There's always going to be someone that's 0:06:23.230 --> 0:06:28.870 a little smarter, a little wealthier, a little brighter, someone 0:06:28.870 --> 0:06:30.789 that's always going to have something a little bigger than 0:06:30.790 --> 0:06:33.950 what we have. There's always someone that's ahead of the 0:06:33.950 --> 0:06:38.150 ball game. And when we live in this mentality of comparison, 0:06:38.150 --> 0:06:42.590 it breeds a spirit of discontentment. The second habit that 0:06:42.589 --> 0:06:47.229 causes us to be become discontent is devaluating what we 0:06:47.270 --> 0:06:51.790 currently possess. We look at what we have and we say, 0:06:51.790 --> 0:06:57.550 this is nothing. Then we become discontent. What I've discovered 0:06:57.710 --> 0:07:01.390 is that many of us. We strive to get something, 0:07:01.390 --> 0:07:05.710 but once we have it, we start devaluating it. We. 0:07:05.750 --> 0:07:09.070 We no longer appreciate it. Many of us strive. You 0:07:09.070 --> 0:07:11.310 work and work and work to get something, and once 0:07:11.310 --> 0:07:13.310 you get it, you don't appreciate it. You get it. 0:07:13.310 --> 0:07:16.190 And you say, I don't like it. Some of your 0:07:16.190 --> 0:07:19.710 wives were shocked and surprised because while you were dating them, 0:07:20.910 --> 0:07:25.230 your husband was Mr. Romantic and the flowers would come, 0:07:25.230 --> 0:07:29.270 the doors were open, the poetry was written, songs were 0:07:29.390 --> 0:07:33.670 invoked and sweet words were whispered. And you thought, he's 0:07:33.670 --> 0:07:37.790 such a romantic. He's such a nice guy. Oh, this guy, 0:07:37.910 --> 0:07:41.230 he buys me gifts all the time. I'm just married. 0:07:41.270 --> 0:07:43.230 And then he got married. Put a ring on your 0:07:43.230 --> 0:07:47.350 finger and suddenly he changed. And you say, what happened 0:07:47.350 --> 0:07:52.150 to Mr. Romance? Well, he got you. Now his attention 0:07:52.150 --> 0:07:54.550 is focused on other things. He's already got you. So 0:07:54.550 --> 0:07:56.950 now he's focused on other things. And you say, hey, 0:07:56.990 --> 0:07:59.150 I thought he was always going to be that way. 0:07:59.190 --> 0:08:02.920 But oftentimes, once we get something, we stop valuing what 0:08:02.920 --> 0:08:05.880 it is. We value what we don't have. But once 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:10.440 we possess it, we no longer value it. The third 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:12.560 habit that I've seen in a lot of people that 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:16.240 have a spirit of discontentment is focusing on what they 0:08:16.240 --> 0:08:19.520 don't have. I run into so many people that live 0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:25.040 their life either bemoaning what they've lost or wishing for 0:08:25.040 --> 0:08:29.400 what they don't have. You live constantly in this place 0:08:29.400 --> 0:08:33.360 of being sad over the youth that you've lost, the 0:08:33.360 --> 0:08:36.320 friends that are no longer there, your health that's not 0:08:36.320 --> 0:08:39.040 as good as it used to be. The place that 0:08:39.040 --> 0:08:41.200 you used to live in the high school you attended, 0:08:41.200 --> 0:08:45.040 the college you were at. You bemoan what you've lost, 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:48.560 and you can't wait to something that you don't have, 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:52.360 but you constantly live in that place of looking at 0:08:52.400 --> 0:08:55.559 what you either lost or you don't have, and you're 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:59.840 never content with what you do have. There are some 0:08:59.840 --> 0:09:04.160 people that are constantly living that way, constantly bemoaning what 0:09:04.160 --> 0:09:06.800 they don't have. You don't look at it's the proverbial 0:09:06.800 --> 0:09:09.439 we don't look at the glass that's half full. We 0:09:09.440 --> 0:09:12.480 look at the glass that's half empty. We don't look 0:09:12.520 --> 0:09:14.320 at the things that we possess. We look at the 0:09:14.320 --> 0:09:17.280 things that we don't possess. We look at our surroundings 0:09:17.280 --> 0:09:22.120 and we say, I'm lacking something. When we habitually compare 0:09:22.120 --> 0:09:25.880 ourselves to others, when we devalue what we currently possess, 0:09:25.880 --> 0:09:28.240 when we focus on what we don't have, and when 0:09:28.240 --> 0:09:31.760 we're not living in the present and enjoying the present. 0:09:31.760 --> 0:09:35.040 Let me talk about that last habit. I run into 0:09:35.040 --> 0:09:37.400 a lot of people as well, encounter a lot of 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:42.120 people that never enjoy the present. They're either fixated on 0:09:42.120 --> 0:09:46.360 the future. I'm not happy right now because I don't 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:49.000 have a man, but once I have a man, I'm 0:09:49.000 --> 0:09:52.360 going to be happy. I'm waiting for my knight in 0:09:52.360 --> 0:09:55.439 shining armor, and once I have a man, I'll be happy. 0:09:55.440 --> 0:09:58.920 And so you live continually thinking once I have a man. 0:09:59.200 --> 0:10:01.290 You walked into church this morning and said, Lord, he 0:10:01.290 --> 0:10:05.210 may be here. Oh, Jesus, guide the usher to have 0:10:05.210 --> 0:10:08.329 me sit beside the man that may be that man. 0:10:08.530 --> 0:10:10.090 You look to your right, you look to your left. 0:10:10.090 --> 0:10:16.250 You said, no, definitely not, Lord. And you're wondering when 0:10:16.250 --> 0:10:18.570 you have. And then you get that man and you say, Lord, 0:10:18.570 --> 0:10:21.329 when he gets a job that I really like. And Lord, 0:10:21.330 --> 0:10:23.250 now that he has the job, when we get the 0:10:23.250 --> 0:10:25.930 house that we really want, Lord, then I will be happy. 0:10:25.929 --> 0:10:27.410 And then you have the house and you say, well, 0:10:27.410 --> 0:10:29.770 what's a house without kids in it? Only when we 0:10:29.770 --> 0:10:31.569 have kids and I'll be happy. Then you have your 0:10:31.570 --> 0:10:33.890 first pregnancy and you have a kid and you say, 0:10:33.929 --> 0:10:36.010 Praise God for this. This is great. But once this 0:10:36.010 --> 0:10:38.050 kid gets out of diapers, then I'll be very happy 0:10:38.050 --> 0:10:40.330 because I can't stand this diaper phase. And then they 0:10:40.330 --> 0:10:42.330 got diapers and you say, I don't have any free time. 0:10:42.330 --> 0:10:44.370 Once they go to school, then I'll be happy and 0:10:44.370 --> 0:10:46.090 then they start going to school and you say, well, 0:10:46.090 --> 0:10:47.890 they really need a little brother and sister. Once I 0:10:47.890 --> 0:10:49.770 have a little brother or sister, then I'll be happy. 0:10:49.809 --> 0:10:54.250 You're continually saying you'll be happy when something happens in 0:10:54.250 --> 0:10:57.530 the future, but when it happens, you're still not happy. 0:10:57.530 --> 0:11:03.490 You haven't paused to say thank you. I'm enjoying the 0:11:03.490 --> 0:11:06.770 current and blessing you for the season that I'm living. 0:11:08.610 --> 0:11:12.210 And when you practice these four habits of discontentment, it 0:11:12.250 --> 0:11:21.770 leads to envy, jealousy, greed, resentment, and overall, it takes 0:11:21.770 --> 0:11:23.410 away your contentment. 0:11:32.090 --> 0:11:34.730 You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, and we're 0:11:34.730 --> 0:11:37.810 going to continue with this message in just a moment. First, 0:11:37.809 --> 0:11:39.370 I want to let you know about a great way 0:11:39.370 --> 0:11:41.770 to stay in God's Word every single day and take 0:11:41.770 --> 0:11:45.130 these powerful messages with you wherever life leads. If you 0:11:45.130 --> 0:11:47.530 haven't already, we encourage you to subscribe to the Bold 0:11:47.530 --> 0:11:51.210 Steps podcast. Every daily message is available right on your 0:11:51.210 --> 0:11:55.010 phone or mobile device. So whether you're commuting, exercising, or 0:11:55.010 --> 0:11:57.210 just finding a quiet moment in the middle of your day, 0:11:57.490 --> 0:11:59.890 you can pick up right where we left off. Just 0:11:59.890 --> 0:12:04.260 open up your favorite podcast app, whether that's Spotify, Apple Podcasts, 0:12:04.260 --> 0:12:07.420 or any other platform, and search for bold steps with 0:12:07.420 --> 0:12:10.220 doctor Mark Jobe. And when you're there, go ahead and 0:12:10.220 --> 0:12:12.339 leave a comment and a five star review to let 0:12:12.340 --> 0:12:15.179 us know you're tuning in. Finally, if you're looking for 0:12:15.179 --> 0:12:17.660 a way to start your week with purpose and encouragement, 0:12:17.660 --> 0:12:21.140 don't miss the Bold Stepper Weekly. Every Monday, you'll receive 0:12:21.140 --> 0:12:24.059 a devotional from pastor Mark designed to help you draw 0:12:24.059 --> 0:12:26.940 closer to God, stay grounded in His Word, and take 0:12:26.940 --> 0:12:29.980 bold steps of faith throughout the week. Sign up for 0:12:29.980 --> 0:12:34.540 free at bold steps.org and join our community of Bold Steppers. 0:12:35.179 --> 0:12:38.740 Now back to today's message the secret of contentment. Here 0:12:38.740 --> 0:12:40.059 again is Mark Jobe. 0:12:44.700 --> 0:12:49.140 What is contentment? Contentment is the quality or state of 0:12:49.140 --> 0:12:54.699 being contented. It's the inner sense of well-being that defies 0:12:54.700 --> 0:12:59.220 your circumstances. Contentment is finding rest in God and the 0:12:59.220 --> 0:13:02.660 resources for his life. Contentment doesn't mean that everything is 0:13:02.660 --> 0:13:05.660 going well. It doesn't mean passivity. It doesn't mean lack 0:13:05.660 --> 0:13:09.500 of ambition. Contentment simply means that you, right now, as 0:13:09.500 --> 0:13:12.540 you stand, as you sit that right now, you have 0:13:12.540 --> 0:13:18.980 an inner sense of well-being. Like I'm at peace resting. 0:13:19.380 --> 0:13:23.179 I'm content with who God is, where I am, and 0:13:23.179 --> 0:13:26.179 what's God doing in my life. The Apostle Paul is 0:13:26.179 --> 0:13:31.220 writing this letter from a jail. He's not in a fancy, 0:13:31.220 --> 0:13:35.700 luxurious home. He's not kicking back in Cancun with his 0:13:35.700 --> 0:13:43.580 sandals up on some lawn chair. There's no little umbrella 0:13:43.580 --> 0:13:50.980 in his drink. He's in a jail. Prison guards. His 0:13:50.980 --> 0:13:55.140 freedom is taken away from him. He's in a dirty, 0:13:55.340 --> 0:14:01.630 dark dungeon. Writing this letter And the purpose of his letter. 0:14:01.630 --> 0:14:04.070 The focus of his letter is I want you to 0:14:04.110 --> 0:14:09.110 experience joy even when your circumstances can stress you out. 0:14:09.950 --> 0:14:16.470 And so he gives them really three important lessons they 0:14:16.470 --> 0:14:18.990 need to learn about contentment. That I'm going to rehearse 0:14:18.990 --> 0:14:21.510 for you today, and I hope you're taking notes because 0:14:21.510 --> 0:14:24.310 you need to grasp this because I believe in the 0:14:24.310 --> 0:14:28.430 lessons are found the secret of contentment. Number one, he says, 0:14:30.430 --> 0:14:32.830 and I want you to jot this down. Contentment is 0:14:32.830 --> 0:14:39.950 an attitude that you can learn regardless of your circumstances. 0:14:40.230 --> 0:14:44.950 Key word learn. In verse ten, the apostle Paul says, 0:14:44.950 --> 0:14:49.229 I rejoice greatly in the Lord. Notice he's not rejoicing 0:14:49.230 --> 0:14:52.790 in his circumstance. Is he rejoicing in the Lord? The 0:14:52.790 --> 0:14:58.630 Apostle Paul is saying, I'm putting into practice rejoicing even 0:14:58.630 --> 0:15:02.480 in my bad circumstances that at last you renewed your 0:15:02.480 --> 0:15:06.040 concern for me. Paul is saying, I'm glad that you're 0:15:06.040 --> 0:15:08.880 concerned for me. I started the church. I invested seeds 0:15:08.880 --> 0:15:12.480 in there. And he said, indeed, you were concerned, but 0:15:12.480 --> 0:15:18.440 you had no opportunity to show it. There was no email, Twitter, Facebook, telephone, 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:22.120 cell phone, smartphone in those times. So Paul was in prison. 0:15:22.440 --> 0:15:25.120 He knew that the congregation was concerned about him, but 0:15:25.120 --> 0:15:29.000 they hadn't had an opportunity to demonstrate concern for him. 0:15:29.000 --> 0:15:30.880 And he says, I knew you were concerned, but you 0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:33.720 didn't have an opportunity to show your concern. And then 0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:37.040 he says in verse 11, I'm not saying this because 0:15:37.040 --> 0:15:40.840 I'm in need. He says, I'm not needy. I may 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:45.920 have needs, I'm not needy. But then he says, I'm 0:15:45.960 --> 0:15:49.560 not saying this because I'm in need, for I have learned. 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:54.760 Say that with me together, learned to be content whatever 0:15:54.760 --> 0:15:59.440 the circumstances. Paul is saying that the attitude of of 0:15:59.440 --> 0:16:06.160 contentment is a learned attitude. It's not subject to your circumstances. 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:10.520 Many of us believe that we are content or not 0:16:10.520 --> 0:16:17.320 content completely based on whether our circumstances are good or 0:16:17.320 --> 0:16:21.280 our circumstances are bad. Paul says that regardless of what 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:25.200 your circumstances are, you can learn to be content. It's 0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:27.760 a learned attitude. In fact, the word that he uses 0:16:27.760 --> 0:16:30.960 in the Greek and the Bible, the New Testament was 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:34.120 written in ancient Greek. And so when we look at 0:16:34.120 --> 0:16:37.360 the original Greek, sometimes we can understand those words a 0:16:37.360 --> 0:16:39.680 little bit more clearly what he's saying. And so he 0:16:39.680 --> 0:16:43.160 says the word that's used in the Greek is the 0:16:43.160 --> 0:16:46.400 same word that's used of a city that doesn't need 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:53.480 any imports. Therefore a self-contained. Paul is saying, I don't 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:57.800 need anything from the outside to make me content. I 0:16:57.800 --> 0:17:02.880 don't need any Imports to make me content, because what 0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:07.320 I have already in my city makes me content. Let 0:17:07.320 --> 0:17:12.040 me translate that. Paul is saying I don't need anything 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:14.800 to come from the outside to make me have a 0:17:14.800 --> 0:17:18.879 sense of well-being in the middle of a prison sentence, 0:17:19.200 --> 0:17:24.000 in the middle of stress. I still have contentment because 0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:29.320 my contentment isn't based on whether I have something from 0:17:29.320 --> 0:17:32.200 the outside that comes to me or not. My contentment 0:17:32.200 --> 0:17:36.680 is based on an inner quality, not an external stimulus 0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:41.160 in my life. You don't need any imports to make 0:17:41.160 --> 0:17:45.960 you content. Some of you are still waiting for that import. 0:17:46.640 --> 0:17:50.119 Some of you are saying, well, I would be a 0:17:50.119 --> 0:17:53.440 much more content and happy person if my husband would 0:17:53.440 --> 0:17:58.480 change his attitude. So once my husband changes his attitude, 0:17:58.680 --> 0:18:02.690 then I will be content until he changes his attitude. 0:18:02.690 --> 0:18:06.970 I'm going to be a bitter, angry, unhappy woman because 0:18:06.970 --> 0:18:12.090 I'm a victim of my husband's bad attitude. Hello? In essence, 0:18:12.090 --> 0:18:14.290 you're saying if I get an import of a good attitude, 0:18:14.290 --> 0:18:16.490 then I'll be content. But as long as I don't 0:18:16.490 --> 0:18:19.250 have a good attitude for my husband, I'll be miserable. 0:18:20.130 --> 0:18:25.729 That makes you a what? A victim. Say that together. 0:18:25.730 --> 0:18:31.050 That makes you a what a victim? Victims are powerless. 0:18:31.570 --> 0:18:35.970 Victims say I can't be content until someone else makes 0:18:35.970 --> 0:18:40.969 me content. Victims look to their circumstances to change and 0:18:40.970 --> 0:18:45.290 act like they have no power over their own attitude 0:18:45.290 --> 0:18:50.490 unless their circumstances change. The single girl says, I won't 0:18:50.490 --> 0:18:54.050 be happy until I find Mr. Right. Once I find 0:18:54.050 --> 0:18:58.970 a man, finally I feel happy. Someone that loves me unconditionally. 0:18:59.010 --> 0:19:02.500 A godly man. Until I find him, I'll be unhappy. 0:19:02.500 --> 0:19:06.940 Then I finally can be content. I need Mr. Right. 0:19:07.740 --> 0:19:11.340 The married woman says I married Mr. Wrong. As long 0:19:11.340 --> 0:19:13.619 as I have this guy, I'm going to be unhappy. 0:19:13.619 --> 0:19:15.379 Once I get rid of this guy, then I'll be 0:19:15.380 --> 0:19:19.220 finally happy. One guy, one woman thinks she needs a man. 0:19:19.220 --> 0:19:21.420 One woman thinks she needs to get rid of a man. 0:19:21.420 --> 0:19:24.820 And they're both thinking I'm a victim of my circumstances 0:19:24.820 --> 0:19:30.619 and I can't be happy until my circumstances change. As 0:19:30.619 --> 0:19:33.060 long as I work at my current job, I can't 0:19:33.060 --> 0:19:37.940 be happy because it's a toxic environment. Only when I 0:19:37.980 --> 0:19:41.060 switch jobs can I be content. So as long as 0:19:41.060 --> 0:19:44.540 I'm at this job, I have to be unhappy. I'm 0:19:44.540 --> 0:19:50.460 a victim of my circumstances and someone says, I can't 0:19:50.460 --> 0:19:54.460 be happy when we're living paycheck to paycheck because it 0:19:54.460 --> 0:19:57.659 puts stress on me. I look at my sister, she's 0:19:57.660 --> 0:20:00.899 living a good life. She goes on vacation, has a 0:20:00.900 --> 0:20:03.820 nice car, lives in a nice neighborhood. If I live 0:20:03.820 --> 0:20:05.820 like my sister, I would be happy. But as long 0:20:05.820 --> 0:20:09.860 as my my, my financial circumstances are like this, I 0:20:09.900 --> 0:20:13.859 can't be happy. Once my husband or I get a 0:20:13.859 --> 0:20:17.940 better job, then suddenly I can be happy and content 0:20:17.940 --> 0:20:21.979 when my circumstances change. That makes you a victim. I 0:20:21.980 --> 0:20:24.260 want you to tell. I want you to understand something. 0:20:24.540 --> 0:20:31.699 You are not a victim of your circumstances. Turn to 0:20:31.740 --> 0:20:34.180 three people and say, I'm not a victim of my circumstances. 0:20:36.500 --> 0:20:38.739 Come on, I said three. I'm not a victim of 0:20:38.740 --> 0:20:46.380 my circumstances. I am not a victim of my circumstances. Oh, 0:20:46.380 --> 0:20:48.980 I may not have the best circumstances in life. My 0:20:48.980 --> 0:20:51.980 circumstances not may may not be ideal, but I am 0:20:51.980 --> 0:20:56.220 not a victim. I have power over my attitude in 0:20:56.220 --> 0:20:59.139 the middle of my bad circumstances. AM I preaching to 0:20:59.220 --> 0:21:05.540 myself today or not? I need to hear this message. 0:21:07.580 --> 0:21:12.820 Paul is saying, I have learned, learned to be content. 0:21:13.660 --> 0:21:15.939 The second thing that Paul goes on to tell us 0:21:16.619 --> 0:21:18.820 in the following verses is not only that he has 0:21:18.820 --> 0:21:21.780 learned to be content, but look at what it says 0:21:23.700 --> 0:21:27.140 in verse 12. I know what it is to be 0:21:27.140 --> 0:21:30.060 in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. 0:21:30.700 --> 0:21:33.620 I have learned the secret of being content in any 0:21:33.619 --> 0:21:37.659 and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living 0:21:37.660 --> 0:21:40.820 in plenty or living in one. The second thing I 0:21:40.820 --> 0:21:43.740 want you to write down about contentment is this contentment 0:21:43.740 --> 0:21:47.580 is an attitude that you can keep in the midst 0:21:47.580 --> 0:21:54.180 of changing situations. Paul says, I have learned to be 0:21:54.180 --> 0:21:58.300 content when I'm at the bottom of the barrel scraping, 0:21:58.420 --> 0:22:01.869 or when my barrel is overflowing. He says this word. 0:22:01.869 --> 0:22:07.430 I have learned the secret of being content in every situation. 0:22:08.790 --> 0:22:11.830 I don't believe that people are happier when they're wealthier 0:22:11.830 --> 0:22:15.190 or sadder when they're poor. I believe that our contentment 0:22:15.990 --> 0:22:20.710 lies on our inner disposition and the choices that we make. 0:22:28.590 --> 0:22:30.990 You're listening to Bold Steps and a message from Mark 0:22:30.990 --> 0:22:34.629 Jobe titled The Secret of Contentment. And remember, if you 0:22:34.630 --> 0:22:36.950 ever miss one of these programs on the radio, you 0:22:36.950 --> 0:22:41.270 can always catch up online at bold steps.org. Mark, let's 0:22:41.270 --> 0:22:43.310 talk about our bold step gift. One of the biggest 0:22:43.310 --> 0:22:45.629 barriers people face when it comes to faith is the 0:22:45.630 --> 0:22:48.430 problem of suffering. If God is good, why is there 0:22:48.430 --> 0:22:50.669 so much pain in the world? You encounter this question, 0:22:50.670 --> 0:22:51.190 don't you? 0:22:51.390 --> 0:22:56.590 So many times, and sometimes in a very intense way, 0:22:56.590 --> 0:23:01.310 with tears coming down someone's face. They asked something like, 0:23:01.950 --> 0:23:05.030 how could this happen? Why did God allow this? If 0:23:05.030 --> 0:23:08.270 God is good, why did he allow this to happen? 0:23:08.990 --> 0:23:14.429 And those are tough, tough questions, especially when we're suffering loss. 0:23:14.910 --> 0:23:17.710 But Lee Strobel tackles that head on. 0:23:17.750 --> 0:23:19.550 Yeah. He's done us a good favor here hasn't he? 0:23:19.590 --> 0:23:21.629 Yeah. In his book A case for Faith, he talks 0:23:21.630 --> 0:23:26.510 about since evil and suffering exist, how can God be loving? 0:23:26.710 --> 0:23:29.790 But he tackles a lot of tough issues like that. 0:23:29.790 --> 0:23:33.550 That may be holding you back from talking to people. 0:23:33.550 --> 0:23:36.030 Or maybe as you've talked to people you've encountered these 0:23:36.030 --> 0:23:40.830 questions don't know how to answer. Like, do miracles contradict science? 0:23:40.830 --> 0:23:44.870 Can they be true? What about evolution versus creation? How 0:23:44.869 --> 0:23:47.830 does that work together? Is it offensive to claim that 0:23:47.830 --> 0:23:51.190 Jesus is the only way? Would a loving God really 0:23:51.190 --> 0:23:54.830 send people to hell? A lot of things like that 0:23:54.830 --> 0:23:58.510 that sometimes people get stuck on. Or maybe people have 0:23:58.510 --> 0:24:00.840 asked you as a believer and you're like, oh, let 0:24:00.840 --> 0:24:04.040 me get back to you. This is a great book 0:24:04.040 --> 0:24:05.840 that we would love to put in your hands. 0:24:05.840 --> 0:24:09.760 Yes. And Lee was a man without faith, did not 0:24:09.760 --> 0:24:12.359 believe in God. He was an investigative journalist and decided 0:24:12.359 --> 0:24:15.199 to tackle the topic. And lo and behold, he's a 0:24:15.200 --> 0:24:17.280 preeminent apologist for the Christian faith now. 0:24:17.600 --> 0:24:20.920 So he was in Chicago, and it was his own 0:24:20.920 --> 0:24:26.120 journey exploring Christianity that he realized, wow, this is true 0:24:26.119 --> 0:24:28.879 as he dug more into it. And he's been a 0:24:28.960 --> 0:24:30.720 great apologist for the faith. 0:24:30.720 --> 0:24:33.240 Yes, indeed. And to request your copy of The Case 0:24:33.240 --> 0:24:35.560 for Faith, give a donation of any amount to support 0:24:35.560 --> 0:24:38.600 the Bold Steps Ministry. You can give online at bold 0:24:38.600 --> 0:24:47.399 steps.org/give or call us at 800 D.L. Moody, that's (800) 356-6639. 0:24:47.800 --> 0:24:50.120 You can also send your donation and request the book. 0:24:50.119 --> 0:24:52.760 When you write to us, just address your envelope to 0:24:52.800 --> 0:24:59.560 bold steps. 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois. 606 ten Now, 0:24:59.560 --> 0:25:01.560 one more thing before we go. If you'd like to 0:25:01.560 --> 0:25:03.720 become a regular part of what God is doing through 0:25:03.720 --> 0:25:06.520 this ministry, we would love to have you join our 0:25:06.520 --> 0:25:10.040 Bold Partners team. Through the faithful monthly gift of our 0:25:10.040 --> 0:25:12.679 bold partners, we're able to bring the Bible teaching of 0:25:12.680 --> 0:25:15.440 bold steps to new listeners across the country and around 0:25:15.440 --> 0:25:20.320 the world, including communities in Singapore and Malawi, Africa. Sign 0:25:20.359 --> 0:25:23.959 up today at bold steps.org. And when you commit to 0:25:23.960 --> 0:25:26.719 a monthly gift of $30 or more, we'll thank you 0:25:26.720 --> 0:25:30.040 with a signed copy of Mark's book unstuck. Some major 0:25:30.040 --> 0:25:33.679 discounts at Moody Publishers and the exclusive Bold Partner post 0:25:33.680 --> 0:25:36.680 for Mark job. But that's all the time we have today. 0:25:36.720 --> 0:25:39.200 Be sure to come back tomorrow when Mark explains what 0:25:39.240 --> 0:25:43.080 true contentment looks like. That's coming up Tuesday on bold 0:25:43.080 --> 0:25:47.280 Steps with Mark job. Bold steps is a production of 0:25:47.320 --> 0:25:50.480 Moody Radio, a Ministry of Moody Bible Institute.