In Touch Ministries

Dr. Charles Stanley: Contentment is the ability to cope with the circumstances of life. Contentment is the sense of sufficiency that you and I find in our sufficiency in Christ Jesus. Whereas anxiety is a fear. Anxiety is an unsettled emotion that we have. But contentment is a sense of inner peace, inner quietness, and inner rest.

Guest (Male): Do you wrestle with feelings of anxiety, restlessness, or worry? These emotions are thieves, stealing the joy God intends for His followers. Today on In Touch, the teaching minister of Dr. Charles Stanley, you'll discover the Bible's remedy for our desperate feelings in part one of "The Key to Contentment."

Dr. Charles Stanley: Would you say in a given day that most of your day you experience contentment, or would you say that most of your day you experience anxiety? Anxiety is not what God gives us to enjoy. Anxiety is what we bring upon ourselves, and it is an obstacle to our contentment. Now, there are two parts to this message, and today I want to deal with the obstacle to our contentment, and then I want to share with you the key to real contentment, the key to real peace in our life, which God has intended for all of us to enjoy.

I want you to turn, if you will, to Philippians chapter four, and there are two verses in this passage that oftentimes we've read, but so many times we miss the real key to what God is trying to say to us. And in this passage is that key. Paul says, for example, be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Now, contentment is the ability to cope with the circumstances of life. Contentment is the feeling that you can cope. Contentment is the sense of sufficiency that you and I find in our sufficiency in Christ Jesus. Whereas anxiety is a state of mind of uneasiness and uncertainty about future conditions. Anxiety says, I'm not in control. Anxiety says, I'm not sure about what is going to happen. Anxiety is that uneasy, restless feeling, that uptight feeling that comes as a result of feeling that we no longer control our circumstances.

Now, when you think of anxiety and its effect upon your life, probably all of us could come up with something that is an indication of what we feel when we suddenly get anxious. But let me say several things about anxiety as far as the nature of it, very practical things that you and I have to deal with. And the first is this: that anxiety is a thief in the life of the believer. That is, anxious moments steal from us moments of joy. Anxious moments steal from us the peace that God intends for us to have.

So no matter what you possess as far as material possessions are concerned, no matter how well things may be going with you today, no matter how well the future or how bright the future may look, if you are anxious, you cannot enjoy your possessions. You cannot enjoy your well-being, and you cannot enjoy the brightness of your future. You cannot enjoy the blessings of God and be anxious at the same time. So first of all, anxiety is a thief.

Secondly, anxiety can become a stronghold in a person's life. Now, a stronghold is an area within our life in which Satan is able to plant himself in such a fashion that this thing keeps cropping up in our life. And so a stronghold is something that keeps cropping up in our life that after a while becomes so strong we definitely have difficulty dealing with it. Friend, if you are living in the spirit of anxiety and you feel that a cloud of anxiety just continuously hovers over you, remember this: more than likely, Satan has so worked in your life to get a foothold and now a stronghold that he's clouded your life with these unsettled feelings, these uneasy feelings, these foreboding feelings, these feelings that you're not quite in control.

You see, contentment says, I'm able. Contentment says, I am sufficient in the sufficiency of Christ to deal with this circumstance and any and all circumstances that come my way. Contentment is an inner peace, an inner resting, an inner sense of quietness that is undisturbed by outward circumstances. God never intended for us to live on the basis of outward circumstances. For the believer, our contentment is based upon a person, not upon our circumstances. Anxiety is the result of looking outwardly for my sense of peace when you never find it without; you find it within.

So anxiety can be a thief in your life. It can become a stronghold. It is also a detriment to your decision-making process. You see, with anxiety, there's always fear. What does fear do? Unless it is dealt with properly, fear can paralyze. So a person who is anxious says, well, I know I should make a decision, and I think on the one hand I should do this. But then when I think about it, I probably should do this. But sometimes I think, no, I should do this. And so what happens is they can't make a decision. Anxiety paralyzes us from making wise decisions in our life. God never intended for us to live under a cloud of anxiety.

Then also, it is a health hazard. When a person is anxious, what happens? Their anxiety tenses up their muscles. Their muscles put pressure on their nerves and cut off the flow of energy. Before long, there's an energy drain in the life of that person. And you and I know that tension and stress built up as a result of anxiety can affect all the major organs of the body. So that anxiety is a health hazard to anyone. Living under the cloud of anxiety is a health hazard.

Not only that, it is a sin. Now listen to what Paul said. He said, stop being anxious about anything. The truth is, as a believer, you don't have any real grounds for being anxious. You see, anxiety is a sin. Anxiety is a sin against God and it is a sin against our own selves. But not only that, I think as you and I examine this passage here in Philippians, I think we'll understand something else Paul said. Don't be anxious about anything, but by everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

You see, something else about anxiety you and I need to remember: anxiety breeds self-centeredness. For example, here's a person who is very anxious. So what happens? Their anxiety they begin to share with others. As they begin to share with others their anxiety and the reasons for their anxiety, they get the pity of other people, the compassion of other people, the concern of other people. After a while, do you know what happens to a person who is continuously anxious? After a while, they enjoy the pity. They enjoy the self-pity. They enjoy the attention. They enjoy the visits. They enjoy the listening ear.

Listen, sometimes there are people who are anxious, who have a problem of anxiety, who do not want to be delivered because surely now, if they were delivered from their anxiety, who would pay them any attention? And so a person who is anxious, self-centered, what's happened is their whole life is wrapped up in themselves. How do I survive? God, how do I cope? The only way you're going to learn to cope is to get to the root of the problem. So I want to give you a three-pronged root. Let's say that there's one root but it has three prongs to it.

The first one is something that you and I could possibly guess rather easily, and that is fear. Because behind all anxiety is fear. That is, the fear of our inability to cope with circumstances, fear of the uncertainty of the unknown, fear of the future, fear of lack of control, fear that things are going to get out of your control and you're not going to know what to do next. You may not be able to handle it, and so fear paralyzes us and grips us. So most of us would understand that one. But I want to deal with the two major areas of the root cause of our anxiety. And the first one is unbelief.

Now, I'm not calling you an unbeliever, but I'm saying this: let's say, for example, that all of a sudden something happens in your life, a circumstance develops or erupts, and you suddenly are gripped by fear. What am I going to do about this? Maybe you've never dealt with a situation like that before. In our minds, every single one of us would confess that Almighty God is omnipotent. God is capable of doing all things. God can help me. But now watch this. When, even though we know the truth, when our emotions of anxiety overwhelm the truth of what we know, what happens is our anxiety level rises. And when it rises, no matter what you know, the anxiety throws you into a state of fear.

Now, what is it that causes that? Here's what causes it. Unbelief is a root cause of all anxiety. And what we're saying is, how are you going to handle this mess? How are you going to change my circumstances? God, what are you going to do? Let me ask you a question. Is there anything in the Bible that says He's got to give you the facts? You see, God doesn't have to tell us how He's going to deal with our circumstances. The truth is, if I'm really going to live in peace and contentment, there are two things I've got to leave to God. Two things I must absolutely leave to God. When, and what's the other one? How. That's exactly right. When and how I've got to leave to God.

Do you know what causes anxiety? Even when I know that God can, even when I know He will, the thing that causes anxiety is God, but are You going to do this at the right time? And are You going to do this the way I think it ought to be done? If I'm going to live in contentment, I must separate myself from God's whens and God's hows. He is smarter about the whens and the hows than we are. So a major root cause is fear, a major root cause is unbelief. Now, beneath that, there is a third root cause of our anxiety. And here's what it is. It is attempting to play God.

You say, what in the world do you mean by that? Haven't you said to the Lord at times in your life, Father, I want to thank You for taking care of that situation; now I think I can handle this one. Right? I think I can handle this one. What we are doing in those moments in our thinking is we're separating ourselves from God as far as all practical reality in dealing with circumstances. Because you see, when we say, well, God, I can handle this, from our viewpoint, it looks like we are capable within ourselves of taking care of the circumstance. So you see, playing God is feeling that we are capable and strong enough and able within ourselves to handle certain circumstances.

Then all of a sudden, this circumstance that I had so well packaged over here, so well confined and so well controlled, all of a sudden the whole thing breaks loose, and what happens? It's out of my control. Anxiety sets in. I can't understand what's going to happen, and I become fearful over my future. It's the little things that we think we can handle that suddenly come out of control and we cannot deal with them. Playing God is the attempt to order my life according to my desire rather than the desire and the will of Almighty God. Apart from Me, He says, you can do nothing.

So if you have a problem with anxiety, remember this: it stems from fear of the future that you may not be able to handle it, from unbelief, not only can you not handle it, but you're not sure that God either can or will the way you want Him to. And thirdly, that you're playing God in your life. You are dealing with an area over here that you think is one of those little nothings that you can handle. Well, I want to tell you, God isn't about to allow you to become self-sufficient within yourself. Your circumstances are going to go in all directions and you're going to feel yourself incapable of handling what you're faced and you're going to experience anxiety.

Now, that's the root cause. How do you deal with this anxiety? How do you deal with this obstruction to your peace and your contentment? What is the first step to true genuine contentment? The first step is this: we are born into a position of contentment. We are born into it. It isn't something you manufacture; we are born into it. Jesus says, except a man be born again, he cannot see nor can he enter the kingdom of God. The first step to contentment is what? It is a transformation of the inner man. That is, when a person is saved, here's what happens. Recognizing their inability to deal with their sin, recognizing their inability to deal with their guilt.

They recognize that the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, His all-sufficient, sacrificial, atoning death on the cross, was payment for our sin. And the moment I receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior for the forgiveness of my sin, He comes into my life and the Bible says that Christ becomes our life. So that what happens? We have a whole change of nature. Now, we have Christ living within us. Now, we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. The spirit of the living God is living in us and through us. Now we have the life of Christ. Now we have an entirely different new nature.

Now, my friend, listen to me carefully. If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your savior, I want you to listen to this verse. In the last verse of the 48th chapter of Isaiah, the Bible says there is no peace or contentment, there is no peace or contentment for the wicked, says the Lord. Well, you can just turn over to the 57th chapter of Isaiah and the last verse, and what does it say? There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked. Now somebody says, wicked, I can understand that, but I'm not wicked. Let me ask you a question. What does the word wicked mean?

Does the word wicked mean a person who murders, who lies, steals, cheats, commits adultery? Is that what a wicked person is? Not necessarily. A person may do all of those things indeed and be wicked at heart. But wickedness, my friend, is best described like this: when a person willfully and knowingly rejects, defies God's right to forgive him of his sins, God's right of lordship in his life and says no to Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ, God's only begotten son came, they put a thorn crown on his head, they drove spikes through his hands and his feet, they drove a spear in his side and crucified him, the greatest expression of love.

For man to say I want none of that, I want no part of that, I don't need that, I defy that, I reject that, is far greater wickedness than any of those other things I mentioned. And He says there is no peace for the wicked. Here's what He's saying: if you're not a believer, you will never be able to experience contentment. Now let me show you why. Contentment is the overflow of what God does in the human heart. You may have moments when you do not feel consternation. You may have moments when you do not feel conflict.

But you cannot enjoy that inner sense of peace and quiet and rest on an ongoing basis until Jesus Christ becomes your savior, and forgives you of your sins because otherwise, you're living under a lifetime of guilt. You're living under a load of sin. You're living under the threat of the judgment of God. You're living under the threat that the moment you die, you stand before Almighty God and give account for your life. Where in the world would you be? There is absolutely no possibility of genuine contentment for anyone who has deliberately and willfully rejected Jesus Christ as their savior, their Lord, and their life. That is the first step toward contentment.

So, here's what I'm asking you. If you've never trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior, I know that you're not contented. Oh, you're trying, and you keep amassing things and doing things and experiencing more, trying to fill up that empty void. Trying to do what? Trying to splinter out and to sift out and to spread out your anxiety so fine and so thin that after a while you think you won't have to deal with it. I want to tell you, my friend, you cannot, you cannot escape anxiety apart from the person of Jesus Christ. There's no way.

And until you're willing to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins, until you're willing to ask Him to come into your life, until you're willing to surrender yourself to Him, until you're willing to receive Him as your savior, your Lord, and your life, you may have moments of fleeting happiness, but you will never know what it means to live with wonderful, peaceful, restful contentment. And isn't that not really what you want? Don't you really want to know what it means to get up in the morning and say, thank You, Lord, You've got today under control? It's under absolute control and I want to thank You for everything that's going to happen.

I'm asking you to lay down your imitation, fake, useless, wasteful deity, which will get you nothing but judgment, and to pick up what? Pick up the love and the forgiveness and the joy and the peace that God has to give to anyone and everyone who is willing to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior. That's the first step. Now, it's only the first step. Don't dare miss this next message when we deal with the details of having trusted Christ as your savior. How do I grasp this contentment on an ongoing, continuous basis in my life? And the message, my friend, will clear it up. And if you will trust what you're going to hear, God will free you and release you from the tension, anxiety, and the stress that you live under day by day, and it is yours for the asking.

Guest (Male): Thanks for joining us today for In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. Are you searching for peace and contentment? When you approach life from God's perspective, calm assurance replaces anxiety and allows you to experience His peace. To learn more about how different the peace of God is from the world's definition of peace, stop by intouch.org, or to hear this message again, look for the link to "Today on Radio."

And if you go to the bookstore page, you can order a copy of Dr. Stanley's complete two-part teaching set. The title is "The Key to Contentment." That's at intouch.org. To call or text, it's 1-800-IN-TOUCH. You can write to us at In Touch, Post Office Box 7900, Atlanta, Georgia, 30357. Learn how to make the most of those quiet moments you spend alone. Coming up in today's "Moment with Charles Stanley."

Guest (Female): Does your prayer life need a jump start? With the In Touch praying with purpose cards, the time you spend talking with God will take on a whole new level of energy and intimacy. Beautifully designed and easy to use, or to share with a friend, there are prayers to lift up each day of the month, along with corresponding Bible verses and more. For your set of praying with purpose cards, call 1-800-IN-TOUCH or go to intouch.org/store.

Guest (Male): We're not the first to seek a life of purpose. The Bible tells of many who followed a specific path, step by step, with courage, with surrender, for a deeper purpose, a stronger passion, a lasting peace. Introducing your path to purpose, passion, and peace, a new 90-day devotional inspired by the timeless teaching of Dr. Charles Stanley. Available now at intouch.org/store.

You're listening to In Touch. You can be alone without being lonely. With encouragement for believers, here's a "Moment with Charles Stanley."

Dr. Charles Stanley: Well, loneliness is sort of a, shall I say, an anxiety moment that we have, a feeling detached and distracted and separated. Whereas solitude, for example, is a deliberate, willful choice to be alone, to be in the presence of God, to concentrate my thoughts on Him and Him alone. Whereas when it comes to being lonely, oftentimes our thoughts about why we're lonely and who we'd like to be with and they're not there, and it's more a self-interest; in fact, our minds turn inward. If it's solitude, my mind turns Godward that I want to hear from Him, I'm in His presence, I'm grateful, and everything changes between the two when you understand solitude is something I choose, loneliness is something I despise and hate and don't want it in my life.

But I can tell you that no matter how lonely you may feel, if you understand that God takes advantage of those lonely times. And whereas I used to complain about it, I suddenly began to realize one day when I was complaining about being alone and this, that, and the other, it's like God reminded me, do you realize how blessed you are that you and I can fellowship without any distractions? And once you begin to understand, what happens is it opens the door for God to have more of you. When there's solitude, it's just God in me, and there's just awesome sense of fulfillment and contentment and satisfaction, and a person can listen to that, but until they try it.

And oftentimes, it takes a person being in a situation of loneliness that they don't want, that they didn't ask for, and out of desperation they cry out to God, and crying out to God and His promises. In fact, I think I can honestly say this: when you understand what genuine solitude's about, no human person in their physical presence can do in your heart and life what the awareness of the presence of God undisturbed and undistracted can do for you.

Guest (Male): Those whose trust is in Jesus enjoy the presence of God now and for eternity. Learn about becoming a Christian when you visit us at intouch.org. And if you have a story about what you learned through this program, please share it with us. Tomorrow on In Touch: when we apply God's word consistently, we can overcome anxiety. Discover how to find contentment in Jesus Christ on In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. This program is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia, and remains on this station through the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts.