Pastor Rick's Daily Hope

Pastor Rick Warren: Hey everybody, welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. Well, we're talking about your money. That's right. We're continuing a powerful series called Financial Fitness. Rick is opening God's Word and showing us how to manage what we've been given with wisdom, faith, and purpose. And I know if you apply these biblical principles, you'll start to experience true financial freedom and lasting peace.

What do you say we join Rick for the final part of a message called The Law of Contentment?

Pastor Rick Warren: You know, one of my things favorite things to do is I put this ratty old chair, uh deck chair on on our slope. We'd had this deck chair, I don't know, 10, 15 years, maybe 20 years. Uh I think I bought it at Target. So it's not an expensive thing, and it's sat in the sun and it's kind of a couple of the slats are broken on it. And I I put it over on the slope. And what I like to do is climb over my fence and and sit in that ratty chair and watch the sun come up.

This gives me great pleasure when I do this, to watch the sun come up, and just sit there in that ratty chair. Now, would I have any more joy if it were a diamond encrusted Barka Lounger instead of a ratty Target chair? No. No. It would it would not increase my joy one bit. In fact, there's an advantage to not having a diamond encrusted Barka Lounger. It's better to have a ratty chair on the slope. Why? Nobody steals it.

I mean, if it were something fancy, you know, people people pick it up, but, you know, workers and gardeners walk by and who wants that thing? You know? So they just they just leave it there. What I'm saying is you need to ask yourself, what do I enjoy that I never think about, and I should take advantage of it, and I should be grateful for what I've got.

Now, one of the benefits of having sent about 15,000 of you overseas on peace trips is you got to see how the rest of the world lives. And that makes you a whole lot more grateful. Because when you've been to the places where I've been, into the favelas of Brazil and the slums of of Africa, and the barrios and the ghettos in the major cities of the world, you see real poverty. And it makes me grateful for stuff that we take for granted. You know, I'm, you know what I'm grateful for? What I what I enjoy? I enjoy hot water. Hot water.

I mean, for me, a shower is a spiritual experience. I'm in there singing and Kay's going, "Shut up." No. No, she's not. She doesn't. She's never once said that. She sings harmony with me. And and I just I love hot water. But I told I got a friend in in Rwanda who told me that during the war, he went nine months without a shower.

You know what I what I appreciate, what I'm grateful for? Ice. Because if you've traveled anywhere in the world, you know, most of the world doesn't have ice and they serve you drinks at room temperature. I like my drinks cold. I don't want to drink a room temperature Coke or a room temperature water. I like ice. I'm grateful for ice.

You know what I enjoy? Internet access. You know, when I travel, I don't need a fancy hotel. I mean, you can put me up in the No Tell Motel, for all I care. It doesn't really matter what I but you better have internet access, because that's my connection. You think about these things, and you start being grateful, you start enjoying the stuff you take for granted. You know what I'm grateful for? Toilet paper.

You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. And I have been a few places in the world where it was gone. And it made me really grateful to have it when I got back home. You need to ask yourself, what am I not enjoying right now? You see, most of us get into this what I call when and then thinking. When and then. When this happens, then I'll be happy. When I get a boyfriend, then I'll be happy.

When I get married, then I'll be happy. When I have kids, then I'll be happy. When my kids go off to school, then I'll be happy. When I get married again, then I'll be happy. And and on and on and on. And you it's the when and then thinking. Listen, you are as happy as you choose to be.

Happiness is a choice. And if you're not happy now, you're not going to be happy later. You are as happy as you choose to be. I could take you to some of the worst places in the world, and show you two people living right next door to each other, and one is miserable and one's happy. Why? Happiness has nothing to do with your circumstances. It has everything to do with your attitude. You are as happy as you choose to be. And if you're not happy living on what you're living on right now, I can guarantee you, you're not going to be happy with any more.

'Cause you're always going to want a little bit more. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is something you choose to do. And it doesn't cost anything to be happy. Friday was uh Grandparents Day. So uh Kay and I went to Grandparents Day. And you know, you go in and you sit down at these little tables with these little chairs where you got one cheek on the chair, you know?

And and you color and you play and we had a lot of fun. And then we came to my favorite part of school, which was recess. And so, Kaylee and Cassidy and I went out onto the field at recess, and we started playing, you know, Red Light, Green Light, where you know, there's a fence which is safe, and and you turn around and you say, you know, Green Light, Green Light, Green Light and you're walking, and as you further get away, they're coming to see how close you can get. And then you say, "Red Light!" And you turn around and they've got to get back to the fence before you could tag them.

So I'm playing this with with my my granddaughters, and after about three times, I got 50 to 100 kids out there playing Red Light, Green Light with Pastor Rick. And so I'm walking across the field going, "Green Light, Green Light, Green Light, Red Light!" And 100 kids are screaming running back, and I'm chasing them back. And we're having a good time. We're doing this, and then I turn them into a Conga line. And we got 100 kids, the Conga line. You know, they're "Red Light!" And they all go running back. And everybody's having fun. I'm having fun, my granddaughters are having fun, the kids are having fun. All of the parents are having fun, videotaping Pastor Rick look like an idiot. You know. Uh the the teachers are having fun because they're there you know, the kids are having a great time. You know how much that cost me? Zero.

And I didn't need a video game. I didn't need to take them to Disneyland. I was just having fun with them. Kaylee turns around to all the classmates and says, "Wherever Papa goes, he starts a party." Just being grateful in the situation you're in, enjoying the day you've got. I mean, really, would doubling your income double your joy? Absolutely not.

I probably know a dozen billionaires. Maybe maybe more, maybe 20. I could bring any one of them in here and they'd tell you this: money is a tool. Money can make your life easier, but money will ultimately not satisfy your life. Because no matter how much you've got, when you can finally afford to buy everything you want, that still won't make you happy, because happiness is not found. It's not life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Happiness cannot be bought.

It's internal. Happiness is a choice. Now, we always think, I don't have enough. I don't have enough. I don't have enough. There's two ways to have enough. One's hard, and one's easy. Here's how you have enough: work more or want less. That's your choice. You can work more, or you can want less. That's how you're going to have enough. Well, I don't have enough. Well, here, you got two choices: work more or want less.

The law of contentment. I can't teach you these other principles that we're going to look at in the weeks ahead until you get this one down. Now, first Timothy 6 says this, verse 17, "Command those who are rich in this present world." Now, let me just stop right there. That's you. You're rich. You say, "No, not me, I'm not rich." Oh, yeah, you are. If you live in America, you're rich. Let me put this in perspective. If you have any coins in your pocket, any, a few pennies, nickels, any coins in your pocket or your purse. If you have any coins in a little tray in your car. If you have any coins in a uh in a in a saucer at home, you're already wealthier than about 78% of of the world.

If you have a refrigerator, you're like in the top 5%. You're wealthy. So get over it. You're wealthy. You're rich. Now, he says this, "Command those who are rich in this present world, to to not be arrogant, nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our," notice, "enjoyment." Now, I didn't have time to put this other verse on your outline, so look up here on the screen. The next verse, verse 18 says this, "Tell them to use their money to do good." He's talking about to rich people. "They should be rich in good works, and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them." Question. Is it possible to be wealthy and not materialistic? Yes. Yes, it is. It is possible to be wealthy and not materialistic. As long as you meet these four preconditions in in Second Timothy, excuse me, First Timothy 6:17 and 18.

He says, as long as you don't become proud of your wealth. You don't flaunt it. You know, you don't think you're better than anybody else. You know, we always laugh about how I I wear this watch that I paid 17 bucks for at at Walmart. You know what? It ticks just as fast as your Rolex. I I buy watches to tell time. Not to go Okay? He says, "Don't don't show off. Don't become proud of your wealth. Don't think you're better than somebody. Don't put your hope in money, 'cause you can lose it." Says, "Use your money to do good," and then he says, "Share it with others." Giving is the antidote to materialism. People say, "Oh, I'm not materialistic." Well, how how how generous are you?

You know one of the signs of materialism? It's not the only sign, but one of the signs that I'm materialistic, I get irritated anybody somebody starts talking about tithing. That's a sign I'm materialistic. 'Cause the reason I don't tithe is there's just things I don't I'm not willing to do without. There's a word for that: materialism. I'm not willing to do without these things. In fact, God doesn't need my money. The reason he asked me to tithe is to teach me to break the grip of materialism in my life. God doesn't need my money. He does it for me to break the grip of materialism.

Now, number three. Third way to learn the secret of contentment: Remember, life is not about things. Life is not about things. I got to maintain the right perspective about possessions, or I'll be possessed by my possessions. I got to realize none of it's going to last. Otherwise, I'm going to be dissatisfied and discontent. Jesus says this in Luke 12, verse 15, "Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed. Because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be."

I've said this so many times, never judge your self-worth by your net worth. Never think your value is related to your valuables. Realize that the greatest things in life aren't things. It says, "Life is not about the acquisition of things. I didn't bring anything into the world, I'm not taking anything out of the world. And the stupidest use of my life is to spend it building a pile." That's dumb. To acquire life is not about acquisition, life is not about achievement, life is about relationship. It's learning how to love, learning how to love God, learning how to love other people.

Everybody knows the prayer of Jabez, "God, enlarge my borders." But the prayer of Agur is just as important. A-G-U-R. That's his name. Prayer of Agur, Proverbs 30 says this, "Oh God, I ask you for two things, two things from you before I die. First, help me to never tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches. Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I I might deny you and say, you know, 'Who needs the Lord? Who's the Lord?' And if I'm too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name." Now, this is what I call a healthy balanced perspective on wealth.

Most people are willing to pray the first half of this prayer, "God, don't make me too poor." We'll all pray that one. "God, don't make me too poor." Are you willing to pray the other half, "God, don't make me too rich?" Because either extreme can cause you to forget God. Wealth can make you prideful, say, "Who needs God?" And poverty can make you bitter. I need to to remember that my life is not about things. Finally, number four, I focus on what will last forever.

I give my attention to permanent values. I build my life on eternal priorities. I focus on what will last forever. And nothing you see is going to last forever. It's going to rust out, wear out, decay. Every possession is temporary. So don't build your life on possessing possessions. This building will one day decay, rust, and fall over. The the trees out here will one day die and shrivel. Everything is going to vanish. In fact, the Bible says, one day, there'll be a new heaven and a new earth. It's all going away. There are only two things that are going to last forever: the Word of God and people.

The Word of God is going to last forever. The Bible says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my word will never pass away." The Bible says, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God abides forever." This is why you need to read this book, because if it's true, it was a true 1,000 years ago, and it'll be true a million years from today. Truth does not change. Now, if I asked how many of you believe everything you read in the newspaper, nobody'd raise your hand, or watch on TV or the internet or in a magazine. But if I asked, "How many believe what's in the Bible's true?" You'd raise your hand. Why do we spend more time reading what we don't believe than what we do?

Oh, and there's one other thing that's going to last forever: people. One of two places: heaven or hell. You say, "Rick, you believe in heaven and hell?" Of course, I do. Why? 'Cause Jesus said it's real, and Jesus is not a liar. And he knows more about it than you or me. And if there is no heaven or hell, then Jesus coming and dying on the cross so you could go there is a total waste. There is a real heaven, there is a real hell. And we are to invest our lives in people and building relationships and building love with them.

Look at this verse, Second Corinthians 4, "We fix our attention," circle that. That means focus. Focus on what's going to last forever. "We fix our attention, not on the things that are seen, but the things that are unseen, because what can be seen only lasts for a little while, a time, but what can't be seen will last forever." So you got to decide, am I going to build my life on acquisition of things or relationships with people? Am I going to focus on people or am I going to focus on possessions? Am I going to focus on riches or am I going to focus on relationships?

See, you got a choice to make. And that is where you're going to get your lifestyle? Because the world is telling you the exact opposite of everything I've taught you today. Everything in the world, in fact, the entire advertising industry is built on the idea of, you got to get more to be more happy, more successful, more important, more valuable, more secure. So you got to decide, am I going to listen to Madison Avenue or am I going to listen to the Master? Am I going to listen to culture or am I going to listen to Christ? Am I going to listen to the world or am I going to listen to the Word? One will make you dissatisfied the rest of your life. One will make you happy.

Before we can move to these other laws of financial freedom, you got to settle this issue of the law of contentment in your life. And you have to ask yourself, what is the primary purpose of my life? To just get more? You got to be kidding me. I'm leaving it all here anyway. What do I think about, talk about, give my most to? What am I living my life for? Just to get more?

There was a very famous woman millionaire in Orange County who died many years ago, and at the funeral somebody said, I don't she took her life, she committed suicide. Somebody at the funeral said, "I don't understand it, she had so much to live for." And I thought, no, wrong. She had so much to live on, she had nothing to live for. You may have a lot to live on. Do you have anything to live for? Do you have a relationship with God? You see, I I invite you to get off the treadmill today and adopt God's value system. You see, the myth of the world is you can have it all. The truth is, you can't have it all, and more important, you don't need it all to be happy.

You don't. You are as happy as you choose to be. And the secret of contentment, if you don't get anything else, get this: the secret of contentment is finding my security and my self and my satisfaction, not in what I have, but in whose I am, who I belong to. You find it in Christ. Closing verse on the screen, Psalm 17.

"But as for me," in other words, as opposed to all those who are buying into the Madison Avenue shtick, "but as for me, my contentment is not in wealth, but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us, you and me, God." That's that's where my satisfaction. That's where my contentment comes from, being in tune with my Creator. "And when I awake in heaven," one day, "I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face to face." Let's bow our heads.

Are you suffering from the effects of always wanting more? You say, "What are those effects, Ken?" Well, you're tired all the time. You're in debt. You have added expenses. You worry about your finances. You have conflict over money. You are dissatisfied, and you are envious of what others have. These are the signs that you have not learned the law of contentment.

Would you pray this prayer in your heart? Dear God, I have been fooled into thinking that having more would make me more happy. And God, I've been so busy trying to get more that I've had no time to be grateful and enjoy what I already have. And you have given me so much. Forgive me for comparing myself to others. Forgive me for coveting and comparing.

Help me to find my security in you, not in possessions and not in what other people think about me. I don't want to be materialistic. I want to be generous with others. And to help me remember that life is not about things, I want to develop the habit of tithing to you. Most of all, Lord, I I want to find my security and my self and my satisfaction in you, Jesus.

My finances are out of control, and I need a life manager. Jesus Christ, become the manager of my life. Guide me in this area and in every other area. I want to learn to love and trust you in your name. Amen.

Guest (Male): Did you just pray with Pastor Rick to accept Jesus? Well, if you did, congratulations. And if you email Rick at pastorrick.com and let us know that you prayed that prayer, we're going to send you some free materials to help you on your spiritual journey. All right, if you're looking for daily encouragement from God's Word, I'd like to invite you to download the Daily Hope app. It's designed to help you grow in your faith every day. It has easy access to devotionals, audio messages you can listen to anywhere, and video teaching right at your fingertips. You can even search for topics that matter to you and set a daily reminder so you never miss time with God. Just search Daily Hope in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and I hope it's a real blessing to you. Be sure to join us next time as we look into God's Word for our daily hope. This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and your generous financial support.