Unflappable and Unmoved...

A sound heart is life to the body,

But envy is rottenness to the bones.—Prov 14:30

“An upright, contented, and benevolent mind, tends to health.”—Matthew Henry

But godliness with contentment is great gain, (1 Timothy 6:6, ESV)

John MacArthur says that the Greek word for contentment in this verse means “self-sufficiency,” and was used by Stoic philosophers to describe a person who was unflappable and unmoved by external circumstances.  I love that picture.  I want that to describe my own heart...to be satisfied and sufficient seeking no more than what my God has given me. He is my true source of peace and contentment.  

“Faith dispels all undue anxiety and needless care about what shall be eaten, what shall be drunk, what shall he worn. Faith lives in the present, and regards the day as being sufficient unto the evil thereof. It lives day by day, and dispels all fears for the morrow. Faith brings great ease of mind and perfect peace of heart. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusted in thee.—E M Bounds

Do not let your heart envy sinners,

But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day;

For surely there is a hereafter,

And your hope will not be cut off.—Prov 23:17-18

Be aware of what you are meditating on...for as a man thinks in his heart so is he.  Envy destroys...it is rottenness...literally decay to the bones.  Place your hope in God. Focus your mind and your heart on wholly following and obeying Him. 

Delight yourself also in the LORD,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.—Psalm 37:4

What does Psalm 37:4 really mean?  Here is what it doesn’t mean.  It doesn’t mean that if you spend time with the Lord He will give you whatever you are longing for. He will not.  However, what He will give You is much better.  

As you spend more and more time with the Lord and His word, His desires for you will become your own desires for yourself.   You will begin to not want anything else but His presence and His will in your life.  You will, in fact, fear going your own way.  The more we get to know the Lord, the more we will delight in His presence.  The better we know the Lord the more we will rely on Him because our eyes will be opened to our own fleshly weaknesses and sin. Gladly will we relinquish the control and direction of our life to Him who does all things well!   Gladly will we commit it all to Him!  His desires for us are from His heart of love for us.  Trust Him to do it all well in your life.  He can see around corners...He sees the end from the beginning.  You do not!

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, (2 Corinthians 3:4-5, ESV)

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8, ESV)

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13, ESV)

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19, ESV)

 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.—James 3:14-18