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Welcome to our look at Philippians chapter 4 together in daily drive-time
devotions. This is our day 4 look at verses 10 to 13. We sort of changed
channels a little bit here today.

We've been talking about joy in our thoughts the last three days. These last
verses of Philippians chapter 4 talk about finances and how to experience joy in
your finances, an entirely different way of looking at finances and your
financial situations than you may have ever dreamed possible. The truth of the
matter is you and your money have a relationship.

Now some of you might be thinking immediately, "Yeah, separated or divorced,
that's the relationship I have with my money. " Sometimes we think I've got a
close relationship with my money, but sometimes I think it's a very distant
relationship. That's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about a three-way relationship, your money, your finances, and you,
and God. And Paul brings all three of those into the picture here. And as with
any relationship, if I get the relationship wrong, I feel frustrated and afraid.

If I get it right, I've got a refreshing experience of joy. Paul's reminder in
these verses we're going to see is that it's not about how much or how little
you have. It's about how you get that relationship right, your money, and you,
and God.

When it comes to God, God is obviously concerned about our money, our finances.
Sixteen of Jesus' 38 parables were about something financial, the stewardship of
our things. In the Gospels, one of ten verses are about something financial.

There's 500 verses on prayer in the New Testament, less than 500 on faith, and
2,000 on money and possessions. So, without a shadow of a doubt, God is
concerned about this because He knows us. And He knows that our finances are one
of the main areas in which we either gain or we lose joy.

And these verses, Philippians chapter 4, last half of the chapter, remind us
that joy does not come from a great accumulation of possessions. Anyone who's
read the stories of lottery winners knows that. Most of them end up without any
joy at all, lives more ruined by the more money rather than made better.

Joy does not come from a great accumulation of possessions. It comes from a
godly attitude towards possessions, getting that relationship of God and me and
my money right. Philippians 4, 19 is one of the most popular verses about
finances in all the Bible.

It reminds us there that God will supply all our needs according to His riches
and glory in Christ Jesus. We're going to get to that verse tomorrow, but I just
want to remind you that we often forget Philippians chapter 4, verses 10 to 18,
which tell people how to trust, tell us how to trust in God in such a way that
He does supply all our needs and riches and glory in Christ Jesus. It's the
how-to.

So, let me read for you Philippians chapter 4, verses 10 to 13, "I rejoice
greatly in the Lord, that at last you," he's writing to the Philippians here,
"have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had
no opportunity to show it. I'm not saying this because I'm in need, for I have
learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have
learned the secret of being content in every situation, whether well-fed or
hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who
gives me strength.

" I need this. You need this. Because these are the marks of financial maturity
that result in joy.

The first mark that he talks about here is contentment. Contentment with things.
Learn, he says, to be content.

Paul says, "I learned to be content. Learn to conduct every transaction with
contentment. " Larry Burkett, the financial manager, says, "One of the greatest
mysteries of Christianity is contentment.

At least one must presume it's a mystery because so few people have found it. "
Jesus said in Luke 12, verse 15, "Don't always be wishing for what you don't
have, for real life and real living are not related to how rich we are. " Paul
here talks about the truth about contentment.

Let's just walk through three simple truths. Truth number one, it must be
learned. In verse 10, he says, "I rejoice greatly in the Lord that you've
renewed your concern for me.

You were concerned before. You didn't have any opportunity to show it, but I
have learned to be content in all things," he says in verse 11. It's something
you learn.

It is not a personality trait like some people have it and some people don't.
You don't get it automatically. It is a learned behavior, and God is the
teacher.

The lesson is contentment. Contentment is not dependent on circumstances, Paul
tells us. Now, we think it is, and we want to be content, so we want to
refinance our houses or our cars or our bills.

What Paul is reminding us here, we need to begin by refinancing our minds,
refinancing our lives, having a new attitude towards possessions. Money really
does not buy happiness. The quality of life is not dependent on how much I have.

That's what Jesus said. Life is not what you own. There's good news here.

My income does not determine my joy. They are totally disconnected from one
another, Paul says. He says, "There were times when I didn't have anything,
still had joy.

There were times when I had a lot, still had joy. Having nothing doesn't steal
your joy from you. Having a lot doesn't steal your joy from you.

It's all about how you handle the relationship, God and you and money. " Most of
us don't think that way. Most polls out, when people are asked, "What do you
need to be content?

" They usually say, "I need about twice what I'm making right now. " Whatever
their level of income, they need about twice what they're making right now. So a
practical step here, and this truth that contentment is not dependent on my
circumstances is the next time you want to buy something, before you just go out
and immediately buy it, write it down and turn it into a prayer request.

Turn it into a offering to God and say, "God, do you want me to have this? If
the resources aren't there yet, then you're going to have to supply the
resources. If I already have the resources, then please supply the direction.

" Now you don't do this with every stick of gum that you buy, but there are
financial decisions that you know are important to you. And it might be a stick
of gum. It might be a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

Somehow it's personally important to you. It's gotten its fingers into your
heart. When it comes to those kinds of financial decisions, whether it's a lot
of money or a little, present those to God and say, "God, is this a good use of
the things that you've put into my hands?

" And you realize then that you're not buying your joy. Your joy is not
dependent on your circumstances. There's a third truth that grows out of these
first two.

Contentment has to be learned. It's not dependent on circumstances. The third
truth is your contentment level is lower than you think.

Paul says in verse 12, "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 and every
situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want.

" Joy is not found in how much money you make. Joy is found in the fact that God
is your maker. He made you.

He created you. And in any and every situation, He will give you joy. As you
depend on Him.

First Timothy 6 verse 8 says this, "But if we have food and clothing, we will be
content with that. " What's the minimum daily requirement for contentment? Well,
First Timothy says it's food and clothing.

"If my needs for feeling content with life have in my mind become anything more
than that, that I am in dangerous peril," then you're in dangerous peril because
contentment is never a matter of more things. Once you start on that road, it's
a never-ending road. Contentment instead is a matter of applied faith.

We have an unhealthy tendency to hope that surrounding ourselves with things
will keep us content. And that tendency is cured. When we recognize the simple
truth, when we trust the simple truth, God can take care of me.

God can take care of me. Epicurus said, "To whom little is not enough, nothing
is enough. " So your contentment level, my contentment level, it's lower than I
think.

I said at the beginning I had three truths, but I just have to add a fourth
truth here about contentment. Truth number four is it is dependent upon Christ.
My contentment depends on Christ, not my circumstances.

Verse 13, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength. " You tell
yourself, "If only the situation would change, then I would be content. If only
I had a better job, a better salary.

If only we didn't have these expenses. " Happiness, contentment is not a matter
of what I have. It's a matter of whose I am.

I am not minimizing the struggles that come with finances in our lives. There
are tough struggles and you want to get out from under them. You talk to God
about them.

You want them to change. And if you're in an especially difficult financial
situation, you know what I'm talking about. You need a freedom of heart and
mind.

And you think it's only going to come in that moment when all the bills are paid
off. In that moment when I'm out from under this situation. And Paul says,
"Don't think that way.

" Realize God can give you joy even in the midst of the situation. In fact, it's
probably one of the keys to getting out from under that situation. As long as
you feel under, under a cloud, you're going to continue to make bad financial
decisions because the emotions that you're feeling drive you to make financial
decisions to try to feel better.

Finances aren't going to make you feel better. It starts with Christ. It ends
with Christ.

So you say to Jesus Christ, "Lord, I can do everything through you who gives me
strength. " Realize that this verse that's so often quoted in the Bible is in
the context of your finances. You want to get out from under the burden of
having to build the perfect situation to bring contentment and happiness for
yourself and your family.

These verses remind you and I that we can live with joy in any situation through
the Lord who loves you. That's where you start. Let's talk to him about our
finances.

God, we know that you care about the things that you put into our hands. You've
told us a lot of times that you put them into our hands as a stewardship to
handle wisely, handle in a way that honors you. And more than anything else, we
can honor you by trusting you instead of things, realizing that things are to be
used to serve others, but you're the one who's to be trusted in this world to
bring contentment, to bring joy.

And Lord, I pray right now, even as we pray together about this, that if we're
facing a difficult financial situation, some key would turn in our minds right
now and you would unlock joy instead of waiting some day for it to happen when
something happens to our bank account or something happens with our house or
something is sold or instead of waiting, that right now, Jesus, we would realize
I can be content in whatever circumstance I am in and that that contentment
would become the hallmark of our financial lives, that we'd honor you by being
content in whatever circumstance we're in because we can do all things through
Christ who strengthens us. We thank you, Jesus, for the hope that you give. In
your name, amen.

Well, tomorrow, we'll be looking at the end of this chapter, Philippians chapter
4, verses 14 to 23.