Contentment: Courses and Patterns
Overview
Three Sources of Discontentment
Discontentment rarely arrives without a cause. Alongside coveting, three particular roots tend to choke our peace: doubting the character of God, forgetting where our home is, and comparing our purpose with others.
Doubting God's character. Discontentment often hides beneath two whispered objections: "He can't be in control because of what has happened," and "He can't be good if this is part of His will for me." The first denies God's sovereignty; the second denies His goodness. Yet Scripture is unwavering on both. Paul declares that God "works all things according to the counsel of his will" Ephesians 1:11, and the psalmist proclaims, "his kingdom rules over all" Psalm 103:19. Nothing happens by chance—not one "maverick molecule" runs loose in the universe. God does not always approve of what occurs, but in His permissive will He allows it, and He promises that "all things work together for good, for those who love God who are called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28. When trouble comes, the believer's prayer becomes: You are in control and have allowed this; use it to shape me to be more like Your Son.
Forgetting where home is. Much discontent grows from treating this life as our final destination. Paul reminds us, "our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" Philippians 3:20. When we grasp tightly at the details of this passing world—as though it must yield the joy reserved for eternity—we will always come up short. Our true home is the place with no more tears, no more sin, no more grief, where joy cannot be taken away. Remembering we are travelers reorients our expectations and frees us from demanding what only heaven can give.
Comparing our purpose with others. Like a plate envying a teacup, we look at how God seems to be using someone else and minimize the calling He has placed on us. We will not appear in history books beside Paul, Peter, or Luther—but Scripture honors the quiet, faithful service of saints like Lois and Eunice, whose sincere faith was passed to Timothy 2 Timothy 1:5. Their purpose may have been simply to nurture faith in one young man—and that was enough. Comparison breeds discontent; faithfulness in our own God-given station brings freedom.
The Pattern: See, Covet, Take, Hide
Scripture reveals a recurring sequence in discontentment. In the garden, Eve saw that the tree was good, coveted it, took its fruit, and then hid with Adam from the presence of God Genesis 3:6-8. The same pattern repeats with Achan at Jericho: "When I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak… then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent" Joshua 7:20-21. The pattern needs to be interrupted at the first step—at the level of the eyes and the heart—before it cascades into action and concealment.
Pastoral Application
Ask yourself honestly: Am I discontent because I am doubting God's sovereignty or goodness? Have I forgotten that I am only passing through? Am I measuring my purpose against someone else's? When you recognize the pattern beginning—when you see and start to covet—bring it immediately to the Lord. Confess. Receive His absolution. Rest in the grace of a God who strengthens His people against the temptations that lead to discontent, and who has secured for you a home where contentment will at last be complete.
Transcript
Good morning. 0s
Let's pray together, please. 2s
We give you thanks for this opportunity to gather around your word. 5s
We thank you for the gift of contentment. 10s
And we ask, O Lord, for your continual washing of us in your word 13s
that, indeed, by your grace, we might live in your promises 19s
and in the assurability and confidence of who you are. 24s
In Jesus' name, amen. 28s
We talked last week about the characteristics of God 31s
and how the characteristics of God are our source of contentment. 34s
Specifically, we examine the omniscience of God, 41s
that He is wise, that He is omnipresent, that He is immutable, 45s
that He is a living, rational, and active being, that He is omnipotent, 49s
that He is good, and that He is just 52s
and how we can live each and every day in light of the characteristics of God. 55s
We examine then an enemy of contentment, which is coveting. 62s
The desire to get what belongs to another. 68s
That can involve relationships, seasons, circumstances, gifts, 73s
and abilities. 78s
The list can go on and on. 78s
We also examine how can we recognize when coveting is part of our life. 81s
Four different things. 87s
The object of desire is wrong. 89s
The means to obtain the good thing is wrong. 91s
A motivation for desire is wrong. 95s
We want because somebody else simply has, and then complaining when we don't have. 98s
Lastly, we took a look at how coveting is a sin pattern. 104s
In other words, it can continue that once something is, 107s
you get something, then the coveting can simply shift into another arena. 114s
It just takes new forms. 119s
Well, today I want to continue on the examination of causes and patterns of discontentment. 123s
Specifically, I want to look at three different areas this morning with you. 131s
We've already looked at how coveting can be a source of discontentment. 138s
I want to look at a little more closely, doubting the character of God, 143s
doubting the character of God, forgetting where our home is, 150s
and comparing our purpose with others. 162s
Three sources of discontentment I want to examine with you. 170s
Doubting the character of God, forgetting where our home is, 174s
and then also comparing our purpose with others. 178s
Let's focus in on two characteristics of God as we look at the two characteristics of God. 185s
As we take a look at the first, doubting the character of God, 188s
I'd like to hone in on sovereignty and goodness. 191s
Doubting the sovereignty of God can manifest itself in a statement like this. 199s
Quote, he can't be in control because of what has happened. 205s
He can't be in control because of what has happened. 211s
Doubting the goodness of God can manifest itself this way. 216s
He can't be good if this is part of His will for me. 222s
He can't be good if this is part of His will for me. 228s
So sovereignty can be doubted if we say He can't be in control because of what's happened. 234s
We can doubt His goodness if we say He can't be good if this is part of His will. 239s
When we look at the sovereignty of God, what we're talking about is that absolutely everything is under His rule and control. 247s
Nothing happens in the universe. 258s
Absolutely nothing without His direction or His permission. 261s
Nothing happens without His direction or permission. 268s
Let's look at Ephesians, please, the first chapter. 273s
A New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Axon, and Romans, 276s
1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, and then Ephesians. 283s
Ephesians chapter 1, verse 11, 288s
This contentment can come when we doubt the sovereignty of God. 295s
So Ephesians chapter 1, verse 11, 302s
In Christ, we have also obtained an inheritance, 306s
having been destined according to the purpose of Him who accomplishes all things according to His counsel and will. 312s
He accomplishes all things according to His counsel and will. 325s
That's the sovereignty of God. 330s
Let's go to Psalm 103, verse 19. 331s
The way to find Psalms, right in the middle of the Bible, 336s
Psalm 103, verse 19. 340s
The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, 357s
and His kingdom rules overall. 361s
That's the sovereignty of God. 365s
This is a characteristic of God that is so important to firmly, 368s
at biblically, theologically, have a grasp on. 375s
Because when bad things happen, and they will, 380s
when bad things happen, 384s
if there isn't an understanding of the sovereignty of God, 386s
people can turn away very quickly. 390s
That's why what you are doing, being in class, 394s
being in faithful in worship, attending the Academy, 398s
attending workshops on evangelism here. 402s
See, those are all equipping. 405s
So that we are ready to make a defense of the faith. 408s
And personally, when you understand the sovereignty of God, 412s
and when you understand where do bad things fit if God is indeed sovereign? 417s
If there is an immature understanding of the sovereignty of God, 425s
you can see people turn away from the faith, 429s
because they're not rooted in it. 431s
And so this is an incredibly important characteristic to grasp. 435s
God does not always approve of what happens, 439s
but sometimes he allows it. 445s
You hear the distinction there? 448s
There's a distinction between his perfect will and his permissive will. 450s
Sometimes God doesn't approve of what happens, 454s
but he yet allows it to happen. 457s
If things happened in the world outside of the sovereignty of God, 461s
then God would not be sovereign, and then God would not be God. 468s
To swipe a phrase again from R.C. Sproul, he said, 475s
there is not one maverick molecule in the entire universe doing its own thing. 480s
If there's one maverick molecule in the entire universe just doing its own thing, 488s
then God is not God. 495s
When I went to seminary, there was kind of a movement that was happening, 499s
and it was an understanding of God of a reactive nature to God. 506s
So there was a professor on staff there at the seminary who was teaching this, 511s
and what he was saying was God is reactive to the events of the world. 518s
That God is not sovereign over them, he's not control over them, 524s
but God is reactive to that. 528s
You understand how dangerous a statement that is. 530s
And then to teach future pastors that if they buy into that, 537s
then take that into the congregation. 541s
You just beludging the whole sovereignty of God, 542s
his absolute control over all things. 547s
To put it another way, the correct understanding of sovereignty is nothing happens by chance. 551s
Nothing happens by chance. 560s
Remember I had a sermon long, long, long time ago about there's no such thing as luck. 563s
Remember that. 569s
I love to hear when people will sometimes they'll say, 570s
oh, I'm so lucky. 574s
No, pastor, I'm not lucky. 575s
I'm not. 577s
I'm blessed. 578s
You know, because there is no such thing as luck. 579s
There's no such thing as chance in the world. 582s
It's all under the sovereignty of God. 585s
He can't be in control because of what has happened, 591s
and the end result of that is discontentment, 596s
because there's a loss of the sovereignty of God. 600s
Instead, say, you are in control and have allowed this to happen, 603s
you will use this to shape me to be more like your son. 609s
How can I glorify you? 613s
See, there's contentment. 615s
There's contentment. 616s
Or the phrase, God can't be good if this is part of His will for me. 619s
God can't be good if this is part of His will for me. 624s
Well, let's look at Romans the 8th chapter and analyze that statement. 629s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 633s
Romans chapter 8 verse 28. 645s
Paul writes, we know that all things work together for good, 659s
for those who love God who are called according to His purpose. 664s
All things work together for good, for those who love God who are called 668s
according to His purpose. 675s
We may not see. 678s
Indeed, we may not understand. 680s
But that's when we cling to the verse and say, 682s
that is the objective promise of God that then is to inform our assessment and our feelings. 685s
And so, when we say, or are tempted to say, God can't be good if this is part of His will for me. 693s
Then we go back and we ask ourselves the question, is God good? 700s
Indeed, it's one of His characteristics. 705s
Does God promise that all things will work together for good to those who love the Lord? 707s
He does. 712s
So in His identity, in His characteristics, and in His promises, we then rest. 713s
So then we can ask, am I discontent because I'm doubting the characteristics of God? 722s
Am I doubting His sovereignty? 732s
Am I doubting His goodness? 736s
Because when we doubt His sovereignty and doubt His goodness, the end result. 739s
It will be discontent. 746s
It will be discontent. 748s
Secondly, discontentment can come when we forget where our home is, when we forget where our home is. 752s
I remember as a boy, I had a stingray bicycle. 760s
Some of you may recall that. 765s
I can see by your smiles you do. 767s
It was a beautiful bike. 770s
Green with kind of like a little white stripe on it. 771s
It was gorgeous. 774s
And those were the days, of course, when you could just tell your parent I'm going out riding my bike, 777s
and they'd say, be home by dark or be home by dinner. 785s
Well, those days are gone. 790s
I mean, we'd be miles away from the house. 791s
I mean, miles away. 794s
And I had my emergency dime in my pocket to go to a pay phone if needed. 796s
I mean, days have changed, right? 805s
Anyway, we were playing in this kind of, it was kind of this gully that they had filled in. 807s
It was only maybe half a mile from our house. 815s
And they had put a bunch of dirt on the top. 820s
So they had totally filled in the gully. 824s
So there were sides to it, obviously, that you could then take your bike and ride down. 827s
So the house was going to sit on top of this dirt. 833s
And then, so there was this beautiful mound that they had built. 835s
So me and the boys, we headed there with our bikes. 841s
I was hesitant when I saw here that the length of the kind of the ride down that they were having. 848s
Well, they saw it and they were delighted and they just kind of went right over the edge and down. 857s
It was all rocky and bumpy and you know, and all that. 862s
I didn't want to do it at all. 866s
Not at all. 868s
I was frankly terrified. 869s
But it kind of peer pressure, you know, and I'm the only one not doing it. 873s
So I start out, I'm about a quarter of the way down. 878s
And absolute wipe out. 885s
Absolute wipe out. 887s
I then wind up sliding down with the bike rolling on on the, on down to the very bottom of it. 889s
By that point, my face is, is bloody. 896s
I can taste the blood and I can taste the dirt. 901s
My, my pants have, have just ripped wide, wide open and I can see I am just bleeding all over the place. 905s
And so there's dirt and there's, and there's blood and, of course, met with the laughter of your supposed friends. 914s
Right? 921s
Right? 921s
Hardly, hardly the compassionate response there. 923s
Got up on my bike and I started to ride a home. 928s
Crying the whole way. 935s
It's a hurt. 936s
Well, not so much I was embarrassed anymore. 938s
I hurt. 940s
But as I rode the bike, I knew where home was. 942s
I knew where home was. 948s
And I knew once I got home, it was going to be okay. 950s
A source of discontentment in our life comes from the fact that we forget where home is. 956s
And this is not it. 965s
It's not it. 969s
So we try and get out of life this side of heaven, the understanding that this is our home. 970s
And it's not. 980s
We're just passing through. 981s
Literally. 983s
We are passing through. 984s
Paul writes this in, let's go to Philippians chapter 3, please. 987s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, 994s
and then Philippians. 1000s
Philippians chapter 3. 1001s
And we'll pick up in verse 20. 1012s
But our citizenship, sometimes translated homeland or commonwealth, our citizenship is in heaven. 1018s
And it is from there that we are expecting a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 1027s
When we live this side of heaven, trying to, with an understanding that this is home, 1037s
instead of we are passing through, that can be a recipe for discontentment. 1043s
Instead of the longing for our true home, where the scripture says, there is no more tears, there is no more hunger, there is no more thirst. 1050s
Where scripture tells us that indeed there are no more consequences of sin in heaven. 1062s
That means there is no more wars, fighting. 1069s
We're not going to be a sinner and we won't have to deal with sinners. 1074s
There's no more anxiety or nervousness, there's no more medicine because we're all going to be perfectly healthy. 1079s
There's no aging, there's no funerals, there's no sorrow, there's no grief. 1086s
That's home, this isn't home, you see. 1090s
When we come, the scripture says that we will have full knowledge of who God is. 1095s
In other words, we will not need the Bible to tell us about God, we will understand who God is, because we will be in His very presence. 1100s
We will be home where no one can take the joy away. 1112s
Jesus said in John 16, now is the time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice and no one will take away your joy. 1116s
The joys and pleasures are so unable to be articulated that when Paul gets a glimpse of it, he writes in 2 Corinthians 12, it is unspeakable, I cannot speak of it. 1127s
And we look and we cling to everything that happens this side of heaven, all of the details and we grasp so tightly and we forget. 1142s
We're not home, we're not home. 1154s
And it's difficult when you travel, right? 1159s
When you're just not home, when you're traveling. 1163s
So discontentment can come. 1167s
When we doubt the character of God, discontentment can come when we forget where our home is and discontentment can come when we compare our purpose with someone else's. 1170s
Let me give you a little mental picture here. 1186s
Let's imagine a conversation between a plate and a teacup. 1192s
The plate looks at the teacup and says, I sure wish I was like a teacup. 1199s
Look how beautiful the teacup is. 1207s
Look at how delicate the teacup is. 1212s
Fragile, lovely, has its own little saucer, it sits in. 1218s
So beautiful that I wish I was that teacup. 1224s
Because how special the teacup is to that family or this person because they only bring it out on special occasions. 1230s
The teacup. 1243s
The teacup looks at the plate and says, look at that plate. 1245s
That plate is just strong. 1252s
You know all kinds of stuff can be piled on that plate that is just heavy and the plate just bears it and that plate must be really special because they use that plate every single day. 1255s
That plate has got to be special. 1270s
We look at ourselves and we look at others and we say. 1275s
That person is really being used by God. 1282s
Not me. 1289s
Now pull back the lens a little bit and think. 1293s
We hear about Paul and Peter and Moses and the apostles and we hear about Luther and all of that. 1297s
And you look at that. 1309s
None of us will be in a history book. 1310s
None of us. 1314s
They're not going to write about us. 1316s
They're not going to be books analyzing our lives. 1319s
The day will come and the Lord will take us home. 1324s
And who knows at that point how many people will even remember? 1330s
Because that can happen, right? 1338s
Where one says, you know, I've lost all of my family and I've lost most of my friends. 1341s
There'll probably be just a few here. 1348s
A family member will say, for my love one, they lost them. 1350s
You know, we look at the Luther's and the Calvin's and the Paul's and the Peters and say, they were really used by God. 1357s
But when we compare our purpose to somebody else's purpose, what's birthed? 1367s
Discontentment. 1376s
Discontentment. 1378s
Instead of saying, what is the purpose whereby God has placed me in this locale with this people? 1380s
What is the purpose God that you have for me? 1389s
I think, for example, of... 1395s
Let's go to 2 Timothy, chapter 1. 1398s
2 Timothy, chapter 1, verse 5. 1401s
You hit the T-books, it's 1st, 2nd, Thessalonians, and you hit 1st, 2 Timothy, Titus, is too far. 1410s
2 Timothy, chapter 1. 1418s
Paul is writing to Timothy. 1423s
Here's another one of these big figures in church at Timothy, big figure. 1425s
And Paul writes in verse 5, as you write to Timothy, he says, 1433s
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother, Lois, 1440s
and your mother, Eunice, and now I'm sure lives in you. 1448s
So you got Timothy, right? 1457s
Then you got Lois and Eunice. 1462s
Right? 1468s
There isn't a book called Lois or Eunice in the Bible, is there? 1470s
There isn't a first Lois or a second Eunice. 1475s
There's none of that. 1479s
But what is mentioned here? 1481s
Well, here's the purpose, right? 1483s
And what Paul sees is the faith that resided in the grandmother and the mother, 1485s
that was then you see proclaimed, and by God's grace it was passed on. 1494s
And maybe that was just, that was it. 1503s
Maybe that was it for these two, that's their purpose. 1507s
So that the word would be proclaimed to Timothy and by God's grace Timothy brought to faith 1510s
and then Timothy exercised the purpose that God had planned for him. 1515s
See, when we compare our purpose with somebody else, we will become discontent. 1524s
Because everybody else will look as if God is using them in greater ways. 1531s
And we will start to minimize our gifts. 1538s
We will be filled with discontent instead of saying, Lord, how can I glorify you today? 1541s
And I'm convinced that as we just faithfully go through life, God uses us to touch people, 1550s
that we don't even know that we touch them. 1558s
No, we touch them. 1561s
But when you just kind of faithfully go through life and you say, 1564s
I just want to glorify you today, Lord, use me to that purpose, forgive me where I fall short. 1568s
Continue to raise me up with your grace. 1574s
There's freedom, right? 1580s
We become discontent when we doubt as character, we become discontent when we forget our home. 1584s
We become discontent when we compare our purpose, our God given reason for being, 1589s
which is of course to glorify him. 1596s
And then the specifics of how we are to glorify him is in the unique purpose that he is given to each of us. 1599s
And we live into that. 1610s
And there is freedom. And there is contentment. 1614s
Well, if those are the sources of discontentment, there's also a pattern of discontentment. 1619s
And the pattern that we see from Scripture is this. 1628s
See, covet, take, and hide. 1637s
There is a pattern here of discontentment. 1647s
See, covet, take, and hide. 1650s
Let me give you an example. 1654s
Let's go to Genesis, the very first book, Genesis chapter 3. 1656s
Genesis chapter 3, and we'll pick up in verse 6. 1674s
Remember, God had placed our first parents, Adam and Eve in the garden. 1679s
You said you can eat freely of any tree in the garden, save one, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 1683s
What God was saying when he said that is, you don't determine for yourself right or wrong. 1689s
Because the minute you determine for yourself right or wrong, it is death for you. 1696s
That's the death sentence. And God says every other tree, that one you don't touch. 1701s
He's also drawing the distinction between himself as the creator and us as the create head. 1707s
So he's drawing that line of distinction. 1714s
The devil is tempting here. 1717s
Chapter 3, verse 6. 1723s
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, 1728s
and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, 1741s
what is it for start with, it starts with seed. 1745s
Next thing is coveting. 1750s
So all of a sudden, you see, instead of living in God's promises, Adam and Eve are launching out on their own and the rationalization for sin. 1753s
Second part of verse 6. 1767s
She took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate. 1770s
So see, covet, take. 1780s
What's the very next thing they do? 1783s
Verse 7, then the eyes of both were open. 1786s
They knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made loin quads for themselves. 1788s
That's the biblical way of saying that they had taken their eyes off of God and now they noticed their nakedness. 1795s
The biblical way of communicating that. 1801s
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze 1807s
and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 1812s
In other words, they tried to cover their sin by hiding themselves from God, hiding their sin. 1821s
There's the pattern here. 1831s
See, covet, take and hide. 1835s
It is the pattern of discontentment. 1841s
For the sake of time, let's do it. 1845s
Let's go to Joshua chapter 6. 1853s
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua. 1855s
Joshua chapter 6, verse 15. 1865s
Here you see the same pattern. 1872s
On the seventh day, they rose early at dawn and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. 1882s
It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 1888s
At the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, 1893s
shout, for the Lord has given you the city. 1897s
The city and all that is in it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. 1901s
Only Rahab, the prostitute, and all who are with her in her house shall live because she hid the messengers we sent as for you. 1907s
Keep away from the things devoted to destruction so as not to covet and take any of the devoted things 1918s
and make the camp of Israel an object for destruction, bringing trouble upon it. 1925s
But all silver and gold and vessels of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord. 1933s
They shall go into the treasury of the Lord. 1938s
Now down to chapter 7, verse 1. 1943s
But the Israelites broke faith in regard to the devoted things. 1949s
Akin, son of Karmie, son of Zabdi, son of Zera, of the tribe of Judah took some of the devoted things 1956s
and the anger of the Lord burned against the Israelites. 1967s
Okay, now jump over, please, to verse 19 of the same chapter. 1973s
Then Joshua said to Akin, 1981s
My son give glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession to him. 1985s
Tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me. 1991s
And Akin answered Joshua, it is true. 1997s
I am the one who sinned against the Lord God of Israel. 2001s
This is what I did. 2007s
When I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and 200 shekels of silver 2009s
and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. 2017s
They now lie hidden in the ground inside my tent with the silver underneath. 2026s
It is the same pattern, isn't it? 2034s
The same pattern of Genesis. 2035s
See, covet, take, hide. 2038s
This is the first aspect of this and this is where it obviously needs to stop. 2048s
It is in the site. 2055s
Where you see something, right? 2059s
And you covet that and it can lead to this pattern of discontentment. 2061s
Discontentment can result from doubting his character, forgetting our home, 2072s
and comparing our purpose with other people. 2079s
And that pattern of discontentment can manifest itself in seeing, coveting, 2083s
taking and hiding. 2089s
It is here where we ask for the strengthening of the Lord. 2092s
It is here when we confess. 2097s
It is here where we receive absolution and we rest in the grace of a God who will strengthen us 2100s
as we are tempted to follow the pattern of discontentment. 2109s
Next week, I want to look with you at an example of contentment. 2116s
I want to look with you at the cultivation of contentment in our life. 2121s
We will continue next week. 2127s