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Bible Studies for Life Lesson for June 19: How Much Is Enough?
Jim Grieme, pastor, Watkins Chapel Baptist Church
June 06, 2011
3 MIN READ TIME

Bible Studies for Life Lesson for June 19: How Much Is Enough?

Bible Studies for Life Lesson for June 19: How Much Is Enough?
Jim Grieme, pastor, Watkins Chapel Baptist Church
June 06, 2011

Focal Passages: Philippians 4:10-20; 1 Timothy 6:1-19

In our culture, contentment is not only underrated, but it
is ridiculed. We are told we have little appeal if we do not wear the right
designers, if we don’t drink the right soda, have on the newest cologne or live
in the best neighborhoods. Manufacturers place “new” and “improved” labels on
all of their products to routinely boost sales. Our society thrives on
“anti-contentment.”

The Apostle Paul in both of our passages this week reminds
his readers true wealth is best demonstrated through giving, that success is
found in contented dependence on the Lord, and a mark of maturity is when
“wanting” is understood as being separate from “need.” Unfortunately, we live
in a world where we are told to “get all we can and can all we get!”

Paul is merely expanding on the theme Jesus taught in
Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount.
Every parable and example Jesus gave — in addition to what
Paul is teaching us in these passages — is an illustration of the Beattitudes
found in Matthew 5:3-12.

According to the commercials and advertisements and those
people who coat you in a mist of sweetness near the cosmetic departments, you
are what you eat, what you wear and what you smell like. Yet according to the
Bible, you are what you worship! When we begin to worship “stuff,” we start
down a road of worshiping anything other than our Creator.

The problem is, when we are deceived into doing this, we
will realize we will never find satisfaction.
A new car will only make you happy until you see next year’s
model.

The outfit or suit you bought that makes you look so good,
does so until you see a different one (or until the Krispy Kremes start poking
out).

When I was at Clemson studying history, most of my graduate
assistant friends loved to party on Thursday nights. They would get “blasted,”
but then they would go back and do it again the next week.
One time I asked: “If getting drunk is so great, why do you
have to do it again?

Better yet, why do you do something you rarely remember?”

What makes believers radically different isn’t having,
wanting or experiencing things; it’s what we love and worship.

When we as humans seek to find fulfillment and contentment
in anything other than Christ, we will find ourselves hungering for more.

No matter the allure or the advertising campaign, nothing in
this world will be enough.
It is only when we have “much Jesus” that we will have
enough.