Living on the Edge

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Is it possible to have peace, I mean, to be
content in the midst of adverse, challenging, and uncertain circumstances.
The Bible would say yes, The question is how, and
that's today.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Welcome to this edition of Living on the Edge with
Chip Ingram.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
The mission of this daily program is to intentionally disciple
Christians through the insightful Bible teaching of Chip Ingram. You know,
over the past few years, I'm sure we've all experienced
times when peace felt unrealistic or unreachable, whether that was
because of our chaotic world or personal anxiety. But today
Chip's going to challenge us to shift our perspective as

(00:52):
he continues a series I Choose Peace. In this program,
he'll share a few valuable principles that will help you
hang on to God's gift of peace even when our
world seems like it's falling apart. So if you're ready,
go to Philippians chapter four in your Bible as we
join Chip for his message in Difficult Circumstances.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Webster, if you're wondering exactly what contentment is, says that
contentment is happy enough with what one has, or is
not desiring something more or different. In other words, you're satisfied.
When you're content, it's not just you're happy with what
you have, you're happy with who you are. You wouldn't
want to be three inches taller or seven inches shorter,

(01:33):
or you know, you're content, you would say it's enough,
it's good. And I want you to think back to
what is it you believe would really help you be content.
And the clearer that you can get on that, I believe,
the more powerfully God is going to speak to you.
Because in human terms, the problem with contentment is that

(01:54):
the horizon is always moving. I mean, there's a time
in your life when you say, you know, if I
ever get a call any kind of car, a beat
up junker, just a car, then I'd be happy.

Speaker 3 (02:03):
You know.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Then you get that car, and you want one that
really runs, And then you get that car, and then
pretty soon you want one that it runs and looks nice,
and you get that car, and pretty soon now you
want two cars. And you know, it goes on and
on and on and on the horizon always keeps moving.
If I ever get married, God, I never asked for
another thing. Three years later, Oh God, if you could

(02:24):
ever work out this marriage, I'd never ask for another thing, God,
if you'd give me give us a child. Oh Lord,
how did you bring that last one? You know, the
horizon keeps moving, and so, being human nature what it is. Philosophically,
people over the ages have tried to solve this contentment

(02:44):
issue in two drastic ways. One group has taken that
contentment will be found by conquering, achieving, acquiring until satisfied.
But we kind of know from our personal experience that
that doesn't work. Or it's nice to have nice stuff,
it's nice to have a better job than the one
you used to have, et cetera, et cetera. But you

(03:05):
know that horizon keeps moving, and so in philosophic thought,
one group people thought, that's not the way to go.
It's not about getting, getting, acquiring, and having because there's
no end to it. A group called the Stoics turned
it around and said, we're going to desire less and
less until it doesn't matter. The only way to have
peace is get less and less and less. And then
when one of their children died or something happened, it

(03:26):
would be it can't impact me. I like the quote
of T. R. Glover said, the Stoics made the heart
a desert and called it peace. And I don't know
about you, but we got a little problem here. If
getting more and more and more and more can never
bring contentment, and if desiring less less less, then the

(03:50):
question is how can we be satisfied today? And the
answer to that is from the hostle Paul, inspired by
the Holy Spirit, and he's going to tell you, and
he's going to tell me how you actually can be content.
Not this that you can be content today, you can

(04:11):
actually live your life in a way empowered by the
spirit of God, so that when things are great or
when things are terrible, you can say and mean it,
it is well with my soul. And you're going to
learn it today. In fact, when I got thinking about this,
we should have charged people to come in. I mean,
it can have such a profound impact in terms of

(04:33):
the whole world's looking for happiness. And today God is
going to teach us his children how you can experience
a it is well with your soul twenty four seven,
three sixty five, twenty four hours a day. Now it's
a journey. It doesn't happen all at once. Well, let's
find out where that answer is found. Philippians, chapter four

(04:53):
ten to thirteen. If you have your Bible, you can
track along with me. But I put the text in
so we could be in the same translate. Here's the occasion.
The occasion is the apostle. Paul is in prison. So
you got to remember he's writing a letter and this church,
the Philippian Church, that've got this great relationship, and it's
the theme of this whole letter that he writes to

(05:14):
them is about joy. And it started in such a
way where they've there's not a lot of problems in
this church. One made a little relational problem toward the end,
but he's built this bond with him and things have
gone a little bit south for him. He's ended up
in jail. He's in a Roman prison, and I'm not
exactly sure what all that, but I know that every
four to six hours a new guard is chained to him.

(05:35):
The food is not real good. He's got scars on
his body. He's had a very difficult life. This is
toward the latter parts of his life. So you got
bad food, it's cold, it's damp, there's rats, there's probably
the smell of excrements. I mean, his situation is really bad.
But a Paphrodite is one of the church guys found
out finally because they lost track of one another where

(05:56):
he was, and they came and brought him a gift.
And what you're going to read is his literal thank
you note. He's just writing a thank you note. So
listen to what he says. In verse ten, he says,
I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you
have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned,
but you had no opportunity to show it, and circle

(06:17):
if you were that word renewed. This word renewed is
used for when a flower or a plant that has
been dormant is now beginning to bloom. And the apostle
Paul is saying, you know, we had those great times
together and God birth the church, and we were that
band of brothers and sisters, and then I ended up
in prison. We lost track of one another. I knew

(06:38):
you cared about me, but now you have opportunity, and
it's like the relationship has bloomed again. And noticed the
phrase I greatly rejoice. I'm happy I'm sitting in this prison,
but I greatly rejoice in the Lord. And then notice
he's gonna clarify his motives because I don't know about you.
You know, sometimes if you've helped someone. This is the
only church we know of early on that financially supported Paul.

(07:01):
It was the first one. And so he wants them
to note, now, this is not like one of those
thank you letters. Thank you for this great contribution to
the ministry. Now let me tell you that how much
money I need. Next, he says, my motives are just
from the heart. Picking it up in verse eleven, he says,
I'm not saying this because I'm in need, for I
have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances. He goes

(07:23):
on to say, I know what it is to be
in need. I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content in any
in every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living
in plenty or in want. Now, would you go through
and take the word learned and put a box around
it and then skip down where he says, I've learned again,

(07:45):
It's very interesting. This isn't a tense of the verb.
It's not present tense. I am learning to be content.
This is a tense of the verb that's punctillier seeing something.
He basically is saying, in this journey with God, I've
had mountain peaks in low times. I remember when I
had a lot. I was a young man. He some
say he has made have been the most brilliant mind

(08:06):
of his time. He got his MBA and his doctorate
at Harvard Business School of his day and graduated number one.
He was a Pharisee. He came from an upper crust family.
He was a Roman citizen. He was from this place
called Tarsus, Barnabas. Early friend was very, very wealthy. He
knows what it's like to drive the nicest cars, have
the nicest clothes, be esteemed by people, live in a

(08:27):
nice house, go to any restaurant whenever, and have a
fat four ah one k. He knows what that life's like.
But he says I've had plenty. But he also says
the ups. I've also had downs night and a day
in the deep. I've been beat within an inch of
my life the thirty nine lashes three times. I've been

(08:48):
left for dead once. In this current situation, one of
his closest friend named Demus, betrayed him and left He's
by himself. His body is marked with the scars. He's
been times where he has had no food for days
at a time. He's lived as high as you can
live in his day, and he's lived as low as
you can live, and in the ups and downs. There's

(09:11):
a thread that connects all of them, and it's a
supernatural relationship with Jesus. And he says, he looks at
that whole thing, and he says, like he's taking a photograph. Snap.
I've learned now, this is what he's saying, Like, I
learned to ride a bike. Okay, I'm not learning to
ride a bike. If you put a bike up here,
trust me, I can get on it and I can

(09:32):
ride it. I can get better. But I have learned
to ride a bike. You know what he's saying here.
I've learned to be content means it's possible. I've learned
to have a ton of money in the bank, go
to the finest restaurants, have everything going my way. And

(09:53):
I've learned when my physical body didn't work, when my
closest friends betrayed me, when people walked out on my life,
and when it seemed like things could not be any worse,
I have learned already out of my relationship with Christ
to say and to actually experience it's well with my soul,
no fake, no artificial. And then in verse thirteen he

(10:18):
tells us how it occurs. He says, I actually can
do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. So this
is by way of an overview of what's happening, and
by way of conclusion, contentment is not a thing to
be achieved, but a secret to be discovered. As we're
here today, you can actually discover a secret. There is

(10:39):
a way. He said, I've learned the secret, and he says,
I've got it. I am content. It's not something to
be achieved. There is a pattern of things that you
can learn that you could walk out that door or
one of those doors out of this and you could
start a journey and you could come to the point
in this life that, regardless of your circumstances, you could

(11:01):
be fully satisfied content not want for anything else, and
be satisfied and content with who you are, where you are,
what you're doing.

Speaker 3 (11:11):
You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.
We'll get back to today's message in just a minute,
but first, if you're wanting to do a deeper study
of Philippians chapter four with Chip. Check out his popular
book I Choose Peace. You'll discover how to willfully and
purposely choose the piece that only God can offer. Stick
around after the broadcast to learn more. Well with that,

(11:33):
Here again is Chip.

Speaker 1 (11:35):
And this word means The word content means self sufficiency.
This is not the removal of I love what one
commentator says, he learned the secret of deep peace based
on detachment from his outward circum stances. And then he
goes on to say, this is not a fatalism which
cuts the nerve of ambition or smooth endeavors. No, it

(11:55):
is a detachment from anxious concern about the outward feature
of this life. This kind of contentment doesn't mean you well,
I'm going to lay back on the couch, and you
know this is pressing on being all you want to
be and in the midst of the ups and downs
of life, a veritable peace in your heart, a satisfaction
that's supernatural. And the question I want to ask is

(12:18):
how do you get that? I mean, Paul knew it
was a moving target. Paul knew from his experience that
getting more and more and more wouldn't do it. Paul knew,
I mean the philosophers of his day. There were multiple
stoics he knew pretending that relationships don't matter and saying
less and less isn't it? And the apostle Paul on
this morning, on this day in your life and mind,
isn't going to say I'm going to share the secret.

(12:40):
I will show you in this text, he saying to
us how you can be content. So let's dig in
four principles and four practices. Okay, this isn't idealistic, This
isn't like one of those messages Somewhere someday He's going
to walk you through and walk me through four specific

(13:01):
practices that there's a principle behind them that if you
understand the principle and start to progressively begin to practice it,
you can come to a day in your life where
you could say I've learned to be content, just like
you can say I can ride a bike, just like
you can say I've mastered this, or that you can

(13:22):
learn to be content. It's pretty exciting questions, how contrary
to the lie that I'll be content when my circumstances
aligned with my desires. The first secret of contentment is learning.
Our contentment principal number one, is not dependent on our circumstances.
See unconsciously, what you've been taught, what I've been taught,

(13:43):
what the world teaches us. What each commercial says is,
here's your circumstances over here, and here's your desires someday
some way through lots of things. When your circumstances and
desires align, then you can be happy. Then you can
be satisfied. I call it the win then syndrome, here's
the win. When I get married. Then I'll be happy

(14:08):
when I have a great job. Then I'll be happy
when my marriage is on all cylinders. Then I'll be
happy when we have a child, when we have more money,
when we have a second house, when we remodel the bathroom,
when I make the cheerleading squad, when I finally score
this on the SAT, when I get to this college,
when when, when? Then then then then it's a lie.

(14:32):
The people that have the then are not happy. And
yet we like cats chasing their tail, just increase the
speed of the win. Then fatality Paul says, the answer
is to break the power of this lie, and he
gives us the practice be grateful, be grateful. Be thankful

(15:00):
another way, develop the discipline of thanking God for what
you do have instead of focusing on what you don't have.
You understand that billions of dollars each year coming across
the screen in every magazine ad are designed specifically to

(15:20):
make you what discontent. In other words, that set of
clothes will make you, so I gotta go get that.
This food will make you, This drink will make you,
This job will make you, This surgery will make you,
this diet will make you. When then when? Then? Paul says,
human nature is we focus on what we don't have,

(15:42):
don't have, don't have. He says, Here's what I've learned.
I habitually, relentlessly, obediently thank God moment for moment for
what I do have. And this is not like a
sort of a nice suggestion, you know, power of positive thinking.
Jot down if you will one Thessalonians five verses sixteen

(16:03):
through eighteen. Sixteen says rejoice always, seventeen says pray without ceasing.
Eighteen says for giving thanks in all things, for this
is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
The giving of thanks in all things and for all things.
It's God's will. What's your situation, what relationship? What issue

(16:28):
in your life? Are you constantly focusing on what you
don't have instead of thanking God for what you do have?
The Apostle Paul says, if you want to experience contentment,
it is well with your soul. Practice number one, be grateful.
Second secret to contentment dispels the myth that contentment is
a future event. Notice what the Apostle Paul says. Principle

(16:52):
number two. Contentment is an attitude we learn, not a
thing that we achieve. You say, but where do you
get that? We'll look at vers eleven I have learned.
Look at verse twelve I have learned. You might circle
those if you have it. Contentment is not out there.
External contentment is God doing something in you through you.

(17:14):
So it's in here. Epicurius said to him who little
is not enough, Nothing is enough. The practice be teachable,
Be teachable, you know, if you really want to learn
to ride the bicycle of contentment as a way of life,

(17:34):
you learn to practice gratefulness, thankfulness, and then be teachable.
Ask God what he wants you to learn in your
present circumstance. Instead of telling God what you want him
to change. Wouldn't it be interesting if we put a
little recorder under your pillow or some ways where you pray,
if you pray out loud, or we could record your

(17:54):
mind and we could listen to your prayers, my prayers.
I wonder how many of our prayers are totally about God.
I want you to change my boss. I want you
to change my wife. I want you to actually I
like to change something because I don't have a wife.
I want you to change this. I want you change that.
I want you to change this about me. I want
you to change this about that. God, here's your agenda.
I know you're the great self help genie, and your

(18:16):
whole goal of being the creator of all that there
is is to make me happy, fulfilled, warm and fuzzy
every day in every way. So here's my list. Take
care of it, will you see? Unconsciously, that's the lie
we've believed. People that are content first say thank you Lord,
not pie in the sky, thank you God. It's hard,

(18:37):
it's difficult, I don't like it, but I choose to
say thank you, and then they're teachable God. Because of
these circumstances, what do you want to teach me instead
of asking you to do something out there? What is
it you want me to learn?

Speaker 3 (18:57):
This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and
you've been listening to part one of Chip's message in
Difficult Circumstances from our series I Choose Peace. Chip will
be back shortly to share some helpful application for us
to think about. What does it mean to be at peace?
Is it having a thriving career, happy household, financial security.

(19:17):
While many strive for these goals, they often bring only
short term satisfaction, leaving us seeking more. In this twelve
part study in Philippians, chapter four, Chip explains where this
attitude of discontentment comes from and the ways it steals
our peace. Stay with us to learn how to move
beyond temporary calmness and develop a lasting, peace centered life

(19:38):
that comes from God. If you've missed any part of
this series, catch up any time at Living on theeedge
dot org or wherever you listen to podcasts. Well before
we go any further in this program, here's Chip.

Speaker 1 (19:50):
I'll be right back in just a minute to give
some final application to today's message. But I just want
you to know that peace is possible, and I don't
mean just circumstance get better or some of your dreams
come true. The peace of God is a part of
the spirit of God living inside of you. And I
think we're settling for far too little instead of gaining

(20:14):
all God wants us to have. We tend to redefine
peace as I finally meet the right person, or I
have enough money, or I got a new car, or
my life's working right now, and we go from sort
of circumstance to circumstance, and things are kind of hard
and I lose my peace, and then things are great
and I feel peace. Here's what I want you to know.

(20:34):
Life will always have its ups and downs. But God
is teaching us in this series that His peace can
be yours, a calm, a serenity, regardless of circumstance. And
the book that I wrote from this series, I Choose Peace,
is how you can have calm in the midst of
stress and anxiety and the demands of this world. I

(20:57):
want to encourage you to get a copy of this
book and read through it slowly or better yet, at
the end of each chapter there's some questions. You could
discuss it with a friend or with your mate or
get four or five people together and say, hey, let's
go through this together. Your piece matters to God. It's
not elusive, it's not out there. God has provided it,

(21:20):
but you need to learn how to access it. And
I Choose Peace is the doorway for you to experience
it on a regular basis.

Speaker 2 (21:29):
Good wordship well.

Speaker 3 (21:30):
To learn more about this practical and insightful resource, visit
Livingontheedge dot org or call Triple eight three three.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
Three six zero zero three. If you're desperate to quiet
the worries of your heart and the anxieties of this
world and experience genuine piece, you got to check out
this book, So go to Living on the Edge dot
org or called Triple eight three three three six zero
zero three to get your copy of I Choose Piece,
app listeners tab special offers. With that, here's Chip to

(22:01):
share a few final words for us to think about.

Speaker 1 (22:04):
As we wrap up today's teaching. I want to begin
practicing with you the process where you'll learn to be
content in every circumstance. There's two practices that I've learned
over the years. In fact, I learned them from the
Apostle Paul, and number one is to be grateful. I mean,
this isn't something that I learned once. And I put

(22:24):
in a message this morning. The Lord awakened me very early.
I have a lot of my plate, you know, all
that jumbling in your mind demands right. And I opened
my journal and I just started thinking, Okay, God, I
want to thank you for. And then I listed a
moment my wife and I had yesterday. Then I listed
a little time with my son and my granddaughter, and

(22:46):
then some staff members who were just so gracious, and
then but it was just thank you, thank you, thank you,
thank you. And I put a little star by each
one of them. And what I want you to know
is the jumbled emotions began to settle as I'm grateful
for what I have. As I'm grateful and look at
that through the lens of gratitude, It's amazing what God

(23:08):
does in your heart. The second step that we learned
is be teachable. In other words, when you're going through
difficulty and when you don't understand things, or when you're frustrated,
or even when you're angry at someone. Here's the question, Lord,
what do you want to teach me in this Show
me how you want me to respond? Instead of God,

(23:30):
I want you to do this. God, I want you
to do that. God, I want you to do this.
And if you don't do that, if you can surrender
that demanding spirit and ask him for help. As we
learn to choose peace, we do some positive things, gratefulness, teachability,
then we eliminate some negative things too much TV, Netflix

(23:51):
and social media. See if the spirit of God doesn't
use that starting today to bring you peace.

Speaker 2 (23:58):
Really timely advice and show Chip thanks.

Speaker 3 (24:01):
Just before we close, I quickly want to thank those
of you who regularly give to Living on the Edge.

Speaker 2 (24:06):
You're making a big difference in helping Christians live like Christians.
But if you're benefiting from our ministry and have it
started giving yet, let me encourage you to join the
Living on the Edge team. You can do that by
setting up a recurring donation at Living on the Edge
dot org or by calling us at triple eight three
three three six zero zero three again that's Triple eight

(24:28):
three three three six zero zero three, or visit Living
on the Edge dot org. App Listeners tap donate and
thanks for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do.

Speaker 3 (24:39):
Well. Thanks for listening to this edition of Living on
the Edge with Chip Ingram. Next time, we'll continue CHIP series.

Speaker 2 (24:45):
I choose Peace. I'm Dave Drewye, and I hope you'll
join us then