Content Yet Still Wanting - Lesson 6 - Found Wanting

Introduction

It is not from nature, but from education and habits that our wants are chiefly derived. -Fielding

How well do you balance being content and still desiring more?
Have you ever really gone without?

Do you trust Him to provide all your wants?
All of your needs?
All that you deserve?

Let’s search the scriptures together as God teaches us
to bear prosperity with meekness,
and adversity with contentment.

Philippians 4:12, ‘I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.’

To paraphrase the beginning of that verse…
I know how to be humble and I know how to behave when I have plenty

How would you rate yourself with that statement?





Now my question to you is,
How would the Lord rate you?
As He is a discerner of our hearts
He knows who we really are.

Daniel 5:27, ‘Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.’

Found wanting, meaning:
Deficient, inadequate, imperfect, not good enough,
Not up to standard, not up to scratch & defective.

If the Lord were to rate us right now, at this moment,
How would you rate on the found wanting / adequate scale?





Ecc. 1:15, ‘[That which is] crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.’

I’m sorry but you’re not what we are looking for at this…
You didn’t make the cut…
Quite possibly you can convince yourself and tell others
That you are over qualified.

That which is crooked can be used,
It is not garbage.
Don’t read into the verse what it doesn’t say.

If you have some slight imperfections you can be used for greatness.
If you are found wanting, or deficient,
You cannot.

Your thoughts…





Psalm 23:1, ‘The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.’

Your thoughts…





James 1:2-4, ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.’

Sounds like we have found the answer in patience.
Now is the time when you all state why you don’t have patience.
You’re working on patience,
You’re praying for patience.

Now that we have found the answer let’s stop making excuses.
Let’s stop calling disobedience to the Lord a character flaw.

What commitments are you prepared to make to the Lord
In terms of your patience?





Palms 86:1, ‘Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.’

He knows our needs,
What truly have you gone without?
Or what are you currently going without?





Constantly choose rather to want less, than to have more. -Kempis

How few our real wants, and how vast our imaginary ones! –Lavater


Hosea 4:6, ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.’

There are consequences for our actions.
Usually negative consequences for bad actions or decisions,
And hopefully positive consequences for those that are good.

What are your thoughts here to think about God forgetting us?





Matthew 26:11, ‘For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.’

He was talking there to the disciples,
What about with us?
What about when He leaves us alone during those quiet times?

What are your thoughts about being without the Lord?





1Thess. 3:10, ‘Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?’

We read previously that it is probably a problem with our patience.
Here we learn it is a problem with our faith.

What are your thoughts here?





Conclusion

Found wanting
- Content yet still wanting
- Content yet still deficient
- Content yet still inadequate
- Content yet still imperfect
- Content yet still not good enough
- Content yet still not up to standard
- Content yet still not up to scratch
- Content yet still defective

Your right.
Stop making excuses for your deficiencies.
Stop making excuses for your inadequacies and imperfections.

Stop reasoning why you are not good enough and defective.

Be content with you’re rewards
Be content with your consequences
Be content with what is handed to you.

Don’t be content with what you are delivering
Don’t be content with your service
And don’t be content or complacent
With the excuses you may be making.

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