welcome to real Christianity a weekly show designed to help Christians know their Bible defend their faith and truly understand what it means to follow Jesus the premise is simple the culture is getting louder the church is getting flash ear but few pastors are teaching on how to live a Biblical life my name is Dale Partridge along with my incredible wife Veronica join us as we start an important conversation about what it really means to be a Christian
 welcome to real Christianity to date we are talking about how to be content in a world of complainers before we start this episode Raonic was talking about my eyebrows
 saying that my eyebrow hairs are always has he's like five eyebrow hairs and each eyebrow that are like three times as long as your other eye for a liar and a sitting room podcast I feel like they're just like a waving at me you're the old people do guys like the nose hair care knows hair eyebrow hair trimmers well on that note about contentment for begin wanted to ask you guys if you guys haven't left a review to leave a review on the podcast you don't even need to write anything you can just tap the Stars if you're new to the show welcome if you're not going to the show and you've been here for you know 40 episodes and you have left a review yet we'd really appreciate that thing we talked about
 is the ultimate marriage program we set our last episode we're going to say it again if your marriage just needs a kind of tune-up that's a good word good also there's. Come with a six-week marriage Mentor program we we walk you guys through all the stuff about having a Biblical marriage and I'll tell you that you don't want to work on your marriage after it's already started taking a nosedive you want to be talked about it because one it otherwise the conversation about forwarded your marriage becomes like
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 stories from stay-at-home moms or just I mean I follow most women so I'm talking about them in this regard them just complaining about their children or their health or how tired they are or their current circumstances and why everything sucks and I mean if you're like me you know I'm no saint I'm sure I've had my fair share of being stuff like that I've struggled with contentment quite a bit and I've actually known for a while that it's something that I need to revisit and start working on in my spirit and my character in for most people that simply means struggling with coveting meaning we live in a comparison culture especially with social media today we're constantly measuring ourselves against the highlight reels of other people's lives that we see online little do you know you know that same person that supposed to have it
 of them like laughing and tickling their kid was that say mom is probably like sobbing and bawling her eyes out earlier that morning you know if we get caught up in the they have this and I don't or their marriage is good and mine is it how come my husband doesn't talk to talk about me that way or their house is nice and mine's not they they built their house we have to go build a house or in all these different comparison things that we see online their health is strong - weak things like that and so others learning contentment is a much deeper Duty I want you to think about those Brothers and Sisters in Christ who were learning to be content and having to learn to be content in the midst of suffering or disease or in death or the loss of a friend you know it's been recently sing on social media there is is
 to woman star I guess whose son just passed away suddenly and it it's it's devastating so contentment can be applied to things that are shallow and two things that are deep and so we're going to start the conversation today I'm going to use my friend Nancy Wilson's definition of contentment that she used her book titled learning contentment which states contentment is the ability to remain satisfied with God's will in all circumstances weather easy or difficult and I just I love that definition I know Dale and I have over the years I've had many conversations about contentment mostly me struggling with it and you worded it to me and walk me through that and I you know I've known her that you're says it for some reason her definition just like hit the nail on the head for me and I was like I was really going back to bed and so she wrote this book it's a book for women I actually looked at it quite a bit while I was
 notes for this podcast Nancy Wilson is yet stuck Wilson's wife we actually just got a chance to spend a little bit of time with them Veronica got to sit down with Nancy and just chat with her but gave her a copy of this book and you got a chance to go through it so we're doing this podcast shortcut so when I think about the opposite of contentment I think about the term stressed out or overwhelmed not so much over the last couple years but when I was in the business world for sure like that term stressed out was a identify her life was an identifier of how I thought and we've all been there but what I'm saying is that there's no valid reason for a Christian to be stressed out
 that's a really big statement but just stay along with me for a second I would say that every time you actually say the phrase stressed out you're basically advertising that God's God's inability to satisfy you that's what you're saying to to to whoever is listening to you like I'm stressed out right you're saying like I don't like we're God has me right now these circumstances are not what I deserve you know God is failing to meet my expectations that's basically was being displayed through through that phrase is over and over again hear your discontent with where you're at that's what's causing that stress and you know we think that being stressed out is some like a neutral territory to God but the Bible would call this posture sinful
 there's actually a lot about contentment more than you would think and I dive into the scriptures oh wow there is this podcast to be four times as long but we're going to try to keep it keep it short being stressed out is basically the manifestation of heart that's not satisfied with God's will their life it's like saying God you have me here but I want to be there
 and that's not a yielded heart to the Lord in his will and I think Nancy said it really good in her book she had to said this quote just because of my situation is stressful doesn't mean we need to be stressed out and I thought that was a really good stressful stressed out and then all types of stressful situations we have three kids people in stressful situations
 a deal Partridge here we hope this podcast been a blessing to your walk with God for those that don't know real Christianity is an audio ministry under our nonprofit relearn church.org I'm telling you this because we're listener-supported podcast it takes a small team a serious amount of equipment and several hours per week to keep the show going I share this because Veronica and I want to grow the reach of the show so that it might help even more Christians mature and their understanding of God's word so if you're a regular listener to this podcast would you consider supporting us and we're not asking for much maybe $10 or $20 or $25 per month I promise you that your support will help us continue to get God's truth out to strengthen the body of Christ and the further the gospel if you still lied to make a donation at simply go to relearn Church. Org forward slash donate again that's relearn Church. Org forward slash donate thank you so much for your consideration
 not to like make myself sound like really Incredible or anyting but the situation that I was I was a failure here in credibly stressed out but I was totally trying and I was sitting in the waiting room putting a puzzle together and you're like with how are you doing this right now with her and I'm just like it's out of my hands like there's nothing I can do is just a different situation there's definitely other situations where I get way more so than you would for sure anymore but I was a mess to
 okay Jesus was never stressed out
 and just let's just look at this for a second he was angry he was distraught he mourned experience anguish but he was never overwhelmed he was never worried he was never fear. You sweat blood
 but you might say he's overwhelmed know he's not overwhelm it just because of situation is stressful does it mean to be stressed out and in fact Hebrews 12:2 says look at a Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set for him endure the cross Jesus wasn't forced to go to the Cross he chose the cross with joy because he's God right he's God In the Flesh and other words Jesus was content with the father's will even to the point of death he was content with that will and you might also be thinking of the verse in Matthew 26:39 that reads he went a little farther and fell on his face and prayed saying oh my father if it is possible let this cup pass from me now the less not as I will but as you will
 you know some translations as your your will be done and that statement even to the point of death Jesus is content with the father's will in his life
 yeah I think of the evidence the evidence of a Content person means there is the absence of complaining imagine are complaining Jesus on his way to the Cross you can't because it's it's not true it didn't happen Jesus was completely content with God's will for his life and if we're going to follow Jesus then we need to hold the same posture towards our own circumstances around trials which are lighter than going to the cross and about to take on God's Wrath and I would suggest a good deal and I just walked through two years of trial after trial for trial trial and unfortunately it took at least for me going through those trials to learn contentment people also study suffering before you suffer
 because I promise you it's coming comes for all of us suffering trials issues here
 one thing I want to point out is
 a lot of contentment isn't just a solo sin this is a really nice this is going to go so much deeper as you're going to realize how gross this stuff is discontent is the birthplace of many other sins and you might even say that being discontent is like a Gateway sit it's the origin of of Sims like complaining which Philippians says do not complain and everything
 but in everything by prayer and supplication
 there you go. It has a first generation Veronica's initials are VIP so this is the VIP translation
 so yeah you might even say that it's a Gateway sin and what birth sign out of a discontent heart is complaining anger worry adultery pronography you think that guys are content with their sex life in today's world know that's why you know 90% of men and like 70% of Christian men look at pornography on a regular basis debt
 what you think that comes from well as this idea of not having what you think you need and I going to the debt striving fear this is a cesspool of gross nurse that comes out of a discount at heart and so it's his breeding ground for all these sinful desires and you know I think about Eve in the garden okay so she was perfect every way she had a perfect husband she had a perfect life the temperature was probably 81 degrees or 78° in the Garden of Eden
 I hope she lived in paradise and it was incomplete fellowship with God should access to God just awesome right and and she was in a world of 1000 yeses and one no
 you could do anything you want except this one thing in the enemy used discontentment what she didn't have you don't have the knowledge of Good and Evil right cuz you're going to be like God you know you know to cause her to initiate sin into our world and so the very beginning that you just think about this for a second if you want to trace back the very beginning of the fall of the human race and The Human Condition it all began with a discontent part that's amazing
 and to not talk about this I feel like I should have done twelve sermons on this by now in terms of just what this is the the kind of you know Kingpin of so many different issues Thomas Watson
 is a Puritan said a fantastic statement he said Satan loves to fish in the troubled waters if a discontented heart
 think about that don't allow Satan to go fishing in your discontent hard to pull out a whale right because this is what happened Satan loves to fish in the troubled waters of a discontented heart
 spicy discontentment is not wanting what we do have and desire but we don't have but when we're content we were moved both of these positions in our hearts are satisfied in all circumstances at all times I think Paul gives the best example is this in Philippians 4 verse 11 through 13 and it says speak in regard to need for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content I know how to be a base I know how to abound everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry. Abound and to suffer need I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Keyword he said there is I haven't learned
 I've learned in whatever state I am to be content so the Lord's patient with us in this
 after two years I finally learned and we've learned I have not mastered it is not saying that I've mastered it up to get onto the step one of the hundred run ladder and so yeah basically it's something we need to be constantly working on so I want to talk about one more scripture on the matter and then will close on some point about the keishin here in a second so I want to look at 1st Timothy 6:6 through 10-minute read it to you real quick. Timothy and he says now godliness with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out and having food and clothing with these we shall be content basically he's saying everything else is an extra blessing Beyond food and clothing first 9 but those who desire to be rich in flying that their discontent because of desire to be rich isn't compatible with a Content heart
 basically what he saying fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful us which drowned men in destruction and Perdition so he's confirming hear that the supports are statement of discontentment being a Gateway sending you just said that right it says that fall into temptation in a snare and it too many foolish and harmful less which drowned man and destruction in Perdition first 10 For the Love of Money Is the Love of Money is the root of all kinds of evil for which some have straight from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many Sorrows Philip Ricon made a really great quote I'm going to read it says our trouble is that is that so often we come to God with our greed rather than our needs already have everything we need we pray for what we want this becomes the source of our discontent we desire things that God has not promised
 and so guys we don't have a ton of time going to try to keep these podcasts like ideally under 30 minutes I'm just going to teach on this first sentence
 absurd now godliness with contentment is great gain
 don't you guys just got to have an understanding what this means you're so godliness when you when you think about being Godly that's a desire to see God's character reproduced in you and so you ask yourself the question are you Godly
 do you are you trying to have God's character reproduced in to you is that that that's the process of sanctification making you more like Christ are you resisting that or you embracing that are you looking for that man I'll tell you what I'm running at that that's my hope and desire deep down inside I just become more like Christ now contentment as we talked about before is the acceptance of God's will in your life regardless of the circumstances until Paul is telling us that our priority as Christians should not be to become rich or famous or healthy or smart that's not the priority our priority is to be Godly and when you combine that objective with content or accepting God's will in your life you will be
 in my opinion the most joyful person that you possibly could be is it godliness with contentment is great gain in comparison to like you think being rich is great gain you think having famous Greg ain't no it's not godliness
 what is reggae
 okay so let's look at some practical points of application first we have to recognize that discontentment is ugly and it never delivers it will not make you happier it will not make you cool your healthier more likeable or definitely not more at peace it's a trap of absent absence of gratitude a pond filled with poison a place where God cannot co-exist this place it's just a gross place I think about whenever you've been discontent
 like you just you should kind of go I think about those times in my life and I go I just feel gross and I wouldn't want the Lord next to me right now she refers to it as dumpster diving your mind is like a dumpster full of these discontentment sand thoughts and if you're sitting on them doing on this trash or sitting on them and stewing on the in meditating on them instead of meditating on with the word of God tells you to meditate your dumpster diving she referred to it as you're just focusing so much
 and you're just forgetting the fact that oh you know what your breathing and your heart still beating and you laughed today and you're not naked in your belly is full at the Wynn and Broncos never once number to it without Christ there's no contentment
 there can be no content without Christ he is the source of contentment and in him we have more than we deserve so just the gospel in itself is sufficient to meet all your needs of contentment
 like if you even if you didn't have food or or clothing but you had the gospel and you died with the gospel you are still
 more Rich than when you came in the only thing you can take out with you is the gospel is this idea that you're saved and you have eternity with with Christ and so is through God's truth in the conviction of the Holy Spirit contentment is possible so I'm letting you know Christian you can be content you can learn contentment like Paul did and but if you're not pursuing Christ in his word
 I don't expect him to learn to be content and I'll tell you it man it's so it's so last couple years we got in the ministry of the business world and we had a lot more money when we were in the business world and now we're living on a lot less and
 we have learned even in our own journey to be content with what we have I feel like just stopping striving for like the next think of the business world is like a machine to make you a trained you to be discontent it's been such a joy to rest and do you have a lot with way more than we deserve
 yeah and Emma isn't being complacent in killing off all of your desires just want to mention that to him it is being thankful with where God has you and patient for what vaping said true contentment is maintaining a thankful heart even if your desires and prayers aren't answered according to your desires still have the desire for this you can still have hopes have hopes have dreams have a goal or whatever it is to be praying about those things but being content even if God's answer is no and being content while you're waiting is the key you know so you can or not saying to go
 kill off all your desires and dreams you know because I already have too much you can still have those things I have all types of dreams but I'm just sitting going our Lord you have me here today next next best move you know right foot Left Foot Right Foot left foot
 hey Dale Partridge here if you don't know our mission on this podcast is to bring the church back to the Bible and basically we want to make sure that you're experiencing biblical Christianity and not the cultures counterfeit inside the western church is filled with Christians who accepted Christ without really understanding what that means and the modern Church hasn't done the best job in helping Believers understand the deeper doctrines of the Bible for that reason I really short and fold book called real Christianity the subtitle is how to be bold for Christ in a culture of Darkness the question is book answers is what does it really mean to be a Christian according to scripture No guys this is an easy 75-minute read that aims to lay down the theological building blocks of the Christian faith and for those who want more I created a printed companion study guide as well and you could buy both in our store at shop. Relearn church.org or pick them up on Amazon and print
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 and so another thing I want to point out is that we kind of clothes in these points here taking turns here contentment doesn't necessarily mean that you're happy in the moment and mini that you can be content
 and not necessarily in that moment be happy what it does mean is that your yielded and your faithful
 and in that yielded State and through your trust in God you can find joy
 and so is the difference between happiness and joy and so you know it's hard to be happy about your cancer diagnosis you can be joyful in the midst of a cancer diagnosis and you can be content in those things then so these are really important distinctions and I wish we could type deeper to them but I wanted to make that quick point
 fifth gratitude is the greatest weapon against discontentment start your day off in your prayers with gratitude Psalm 104 says enter his gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise give thanks to him bless his name again reminds me of people in persecuted countries like America if you're listening to this and you live in America has any country that you don't have to hide you know
 yeah and just I would say another thing I we didn't add in here is there's things that if the internet really makes you stumble
 you don't it's okay to take a break from the internet get your heart. Now you do need to go to get back on the internet and still not simple you know I'm not saying like I'm talking to people have like pornography software I'm going to I'm going to the sophomores going to fix me no not going to fix you you need to take make a change in your heart but there's nothing wrong with staying off the computer a little bit when you're when you're dealing with that issue and so if if Instagram is making you discontent take a week off work on your heart with Lord get rid of the things that maybe make you discontent until last but not least
 I may be at the prisoner anyways this is kind of an idea of it is subtract this is from her book I thought it was just a point that you want to you got to put in there minimize your desires
 you know we have we in the west and in the modern culture we had we want so many things there's things in this world that we want that we absolutely don't need we confuse our needs and our wants together and you know what I'm saying here don't minimize your Zeal for Christ or for godliness or for his kingdom but but minimize your desires for your kingdom recognized it you have more than you need your listening this podcast like trust me you have more than you need the homeless and in the west have more than they need you know they have food and clothing in America at least you know and so just we have to recognize that and that posture that God has richly blessed us with a gospel alone the fact that we have food and clothing and everything else is just amazing it's a super for Lord and gratitude and
 heart of contentment learning contentment as Paul did
 I'm so we hope this episode was helpful for you you could find a 10-minute guard against dissatisfaction with Lord's will
 license before it closes yeah if you guys haven't left a review we just keep reminding to guess so many of you have I think we have
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 thank you for joining us on this episode of real Christianity real Christianity is an audio Ministry of relearn church.org if you'd like more information on how to live out a Biblical life relearn church.org of Articles podcast sermons and videos to support your journey real Christianity is 100% listener-supported Ministry and if you'd like to support our efforts simply click to donate have at relearn church.org you can also connect with both Veronica and I on Instagram Facebook and Twitter for daily lessons and Bible teaching thank you for being with us today we hope to see you next Wednesday for another episode of real Christianity