Title: Self-sufficient Faith
Contents
▒▒ Bible : Philippians 4:11~13
Where in the world is the best place to live? According to the Bible, the best place for us to live is the Garden of Eden. That is why we call the Garden of Eden Paradise. The problem, however, is that Adam and Eve were not satisfied with living while enjoying all these things. This dissatisfaction problem is a very serious problem. How can a dissatisfied human being in the Garden of Eden be able to live contentedly in this world?
With dissatisfaction, everything we have today seems trivial. Because Adam and Eve were dissatisfied, everything they enjoyed in the Garden of Eden seemed trivial. As a result, our relationship with God was broken and we lost all of God's grace, the Garden of Eden.
The Apostle Paul said, “I never say that I am in need. I have learned to be content no matter what my circumstances.” “I was full and I was hungry, I was in abundance and I was in need. In any case, I have learned to be content. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” You said. We live only one life, and if we try to live right, we learn to be content today as the apostle Paul confessed.
For us to live a self-sufficient life of faith, we must be satisfied with the soul, not the body. I believe that then, whether we are there or not, we will live with gratitude and contentment. What we have to deal with is the satisfaction of our souls. The satisfaction of the soul is a gift given to us when we live according to God's will.
Gentlemen, material can never satisfy us. That is why 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” The reason is that money never gives satisfaction.
Ladies and gentlemen, there is absolutely no satisfaction in a life that only pursues material greed. There is only one life, but if we want to find satisfaction in material things, we live in endless dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction makes our lives worthless today, and furthermore, a life that breaks our relationship with God and takes away even what we have now is a life of dissatisfaction. is. Brothers and sisters, please bear in mind once again that we cannot be satisfied with material things.
In order for us to live a self-sufficient life, at least three things must be engraved in our hearts. First, in Matthew 6:24, it says, “We cannot serve two masters.” It is impossible to serve both God and money. The Apostle Paul said, “I am not saying these things because I am in need, but I have learned that I can be content in any situation. As for how I learned it, I came to understand it while serving God.
Philippians is a prison epistle. While he was in prison, he was able to lead a self-sufficient life. The reason is one, because they believed in God. In John 14, it is said that Jesus is leaving, so the disciples are all shouting with anxiety and worry. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not be troubled. Believe in God, believe in me again. What is the only weapon that can break your worries and dissatisfaction? The only weapon you have is faith in God. You have given me something very important. Ultimately, it is only our complete faith in God that can lead us to a self-sufficient life. Dear brothers and sisters, I hope you will keep in mind the fact that there is only Jesus in your heart to lead a self-sufficient life.
The second important thing is what we think of what we have lost. Director Ambrose is a very famous director who remains in Christian history, and he did a very good job. But what made him so successful was that there was a very smart young man named Hitarus under this man, and he devoted his whole body to helping Ambrose. So Ambrose was able to get the job done flawlessly. But young Hitarus died early. After that, Ambrose's work was messed up. Even in such difficult circumstances, Ambrose said: “I never complain that Hitarus died quickly. I am grateful that God has such a famous Hitarus with me.”
What do you think about what we lose? This is the second key to our self-sufficient life. The more we live, the more we lose, and when we lose like this, our mindset is to be thankful for what we bought with those good things. Instead of constantly complaining about what we lost, just like Ambrose's belief that Hitarus is grateful for working with me, we should live in gratitude for what we have.
The third important key to being self-sufficient is to never compare yourself to others. Comparison is unfortunate. In Numbers 16, the Levites and the children of Korah were against Moses and Aaron. The descendants of Korah who come to the sanctuary and worship, can freely go to live in 48 cities across the country, and live safely in the rear even after war. is. So when the earth went out, all the descendants of Korah were judged to be buried in the ground and died.
Everyone, please be grateful for what we are enjoying. That is the secret to a self-sufficient life. I bless you in the name of the Lord that each and every day of your life will be a blessing through your faith and self-sufficient life like the Apostle Paul, to all the saints who live a life that you only have once, a very precious life.
2007-11-09 21:51:05