Prison Letters: Learning contentment in the midst of crisis (Pt.2)

( Part 2)

 “6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9 But people who long to be rich (not satisfied) fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”-1 Timothy 6:6-10

In Paul’s letter to his spiritual son Timothy, Paul echoed the same sentiment about contentment that we read in Philippians 4. True biblical contentment cannot be separated from our relationship and trust in God. It is that relationship that makes us rich beyond measure. That is how Paul learned to be content. He prioritized the value of His relationship with Christ. Sometimes he had more. Sometimes he had less, but he always had Christ.  

 Although, we all ought to learn what it means to be content. We should not let that curb our generosity. 

4 Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.15 As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. 18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians 4:14-19

Although contentment is what we practice in our own hearts, generosity is what we should practice towards others. Paul recognized that God rewards kindness and generosity towards others. Rather than adopt a “People should just be content with what they have” attitude, we should embrace a “Let’s sow seeds to meet needs” mentality. 

Our giving isn’t going to make anyone more or less content. If Christ isn’t their source, then having more could be more crippling than not having anything. 

Generosity is rooted in being content with what we have been given and trusting that as we are generous in helping others, He will continuously be our source. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Prison Letters: Learning contentment in the midst of crisis (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

“10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”-Philippians 4:10-13

As we conclude this book in our Prison Letters series, I find it fitting that the last topic of discussion to the church in Philippi is focused on contentment. Here is a man, imprisoned and isolated, teaching on how to have contentment in the midst of a crisis.

Our culture would define Contentment as a feeling of happiness or satisfaction; a satisfaction rooted in having our “needs” adequately met. In our minds that may mean a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, clothes on our backs, or decent transportation. The list, however, becomes exhaustive dependent upon what it takes to “satisfy” a person. 

However, Paul makes an interesting observation about contentment. He said he learned to be content with “whatever he had”-with much or with nothing and he learned to be content in every situation-good or bad. 

What Paul is teaching us is contentment has nothing to do with your material possessions or the circumstances that surround you, contentment is knowing Christ. Paul was declaring: I am content with little as long as I have Jesus. I am content with much as long as I have Jesus. I am content in good times as long as I have Jesus and I am content in difficulty as long as I have Jesus.

The common denominator in learning contentment begins with knowing God and trusting in His provision. Author William Barcley wrote that contentment comes from knowing God and delighting in His sovereign goodness and fatherly care. 

 The key is vs. 13: “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Paul states that he knew how to live on almost nothing and with everything. Each of these states requires a certain amount of grace and discipline. Knowing how to live under both conditions requires us to trust in God for strength, wisdom, and grace in different ways. It would be easy having little to drift into self-dependency or with much to trust in our resources. 

 We tend to think that contentment means having more. I read an article recently that stated that 70 percent of lottery winners end up bankrupt in just a few years after receiving a large financial windfall. Why? More doesn’t always satisfy us. Perfect conditions don’t always satisfy us. 

Basically, what Paul is saying that he learned to be content by filtering whatever he had or whatever circumstances he was facing through His relationship with Christ. I can do everything (live in poverty, live in abundance, live in freedom, live in captivity) through Christ. He will give me the strength to do it. 

Scott Burr 

Dayspring Community Church 

Prison Letters: Don't worry about anything

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need & thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts & minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  And now, dear brothers & sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true & honorable & right & pure & lovely & admirable. Think about things that are excellent & worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned & received from me - everything you heard from me & saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”- Philippians 4:6-9 (NLT)

Paul’s final appeal ends with a reminder to the church of the importance of surrendering our worries and anxieties to God.  Let’s remember that Paul is writing this letter from prison.  I’m not sure about you, but if I were sitting in a prison cell; I would likely be struggling with some level of anxiety.  Stop to consider Paul’s history and how he, before his conversion to Christ, had persecuted the church.  The same things he did to punish believers are now his reality.  However, Paul has a new and living faith that helps him to find contentment in all circumstances, including imprisonment.

Paul points to prayer as the key component to experiencing God’s peace in all our circumstances. When we pray we focus our hearts and minds on God’s truth and invite the will of God into our situations. Worry is very similar to prayer. Worrying is focusing our hearts and minds on all the bad things we imagine could happen, thus inviting fear into our situation. Both worry and prayer require our participation. They both require our time, energy and focus. That means that we choose whether we will pray or worry when faced with a challenging circumstance. 

We can choose to fix our thoughts on what is noble, right, honorable, lovely and true or we can choose to entertain every anxious thought that occupies our minds. 

The Apostle Paul in a separate letter to the church at Corinth wrote:

“We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought  and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.”-2 Corinthians 10:5 

Each time we choose prayer we are taking captive those deceptive thoughts and arrogant attitudes that stand in opposition to the knowledge of God. However, in a very real sense, when we worry we are taking our prayer life captive. The time and energy we could expend inviting God into our situation, we waste on rehearsing every negative scenario that our mind can create. Paul understood that prayer ushers God’s peace into your difficult situations, where worry invites anxiety. 

What is concerning you today? What difficulties are you facing? You have a choice today. You can pray and invite God into your situation or you can worry and invite anxiety. The choice is yours. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Prison Letters: Division keeps us from fulfilling God's purpose!

(Philippians 4:1-5)

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work. 2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life. 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”-Philippians 4:1-5

As we continue our Prison Letter series, we want to look at an admonition that Paul gives to two people who are apparently at odds with one another. Word has gotten back to him that two women, Euodia and Syntyche, both believers and obviously faithful in their service to God, have had some kind of falling out. 

Paul is obviously distressed enough over it to include it in this letter to the church at Philippi. He appeals to them and the church to help them settle their disagreement, because of the ramifications that such division can have on a local body. Paul understood that division within a church diminishes productivity and cripples evangelism. 

Paul points out that we have been given the task of reconciling people. Of course, unbelievers to God, but also believers with one another. We cheapen reconciliation when we see people reconciled to God, only to come into the church and see people at odds with each other. The Bible is filled with instruction regarding the necessity of maintaining good relations within the body:  

“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.”-Matthew 18:15

“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”-Matthew 5:23-24

Disunity promotes division rather than unite us to a common purpose. It is impossible for us to work together as one body if we pulled apart by divisions and disagreements that go unresolved. That is why unity was a common theme among early church writers: 

“Finally all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each others. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.” -1 Peter 3:8

In fact, unity was one of the last things Jesus prayed for us, before He returned to the Father. Reconciliation has far reaching implications. Paul reminds them of the soon return of Christ. He is imploring them to reconcile in light of the Lord’s coming. 

How many people are failing to come to Christ because of our division/disunity? 

If there was ever a time that the world needs to see a united church, it is now. If there was ever a time that we need to be focused as one united body on the mission and purpose of evangelism it is now. 

The church not being able to meet in a building should never minimize our effectiveness in reaching the lost, rather it should mobilize us. Amazing things are happening right now. Thousands of people are stepping into the kingdom of God that have not yet stepped inside the church door. 

Here is a thought to ponder this week, perhaps God needs to fix some things in the church and in us, before He allows these new believers into our churches. Why would God want to bring a new believer into a divided, disengaged church that is adrift with no real mission or purpose?

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Prison Letters: Pressing On (Pt. 2)

Philippians 3:17-19

“Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.”-Philippians 3:17 

Those are some bold words from a man being housed in prison as he was writing this letter. Prison is most likely not the aspiration of most believers, so words like this may cause many of us to pause and consider whether or not we want to follow the same path that Paul journeyed. 

In another letter Paul wrote:

“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”-1 Corinthians 11:1  

Paul wasn’t trying to blaze his own trail. He wasn’t trying to be an “original”. Instead he was passionately modeling his life after his Lord and Savior. This begs the question, who are you modeling your life after? If it’s Jesus, would people know from watching your life that you’re modeling His? Are you, yourself, living a life worth imitating? 

There are plenty of ungodly examples vying for our attention out there: 

“18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.”-Philippians 3:18-19

 Jesus is looking for more than verbal affirmation that we are committed to live like Him. Rather, it’s our conduct that proves us to be a friend or enemy of the cross of Christ? I love how The Passion Translation describes this passage: 

“My beloved friends, imitate my walk with God and follow all those who walk according to the way of life we modeled before you. For there are many who live by different standards. As I’ve warned you many times (I weep as I write these words), they are enemies of the cross of the Anointed One and doom awaits them.”-Philippians 3:17-18

Modeling Christ means living in accordance to the standards that He modeled for us. Patterning our life after His life. We should reflect His holiness, righteousness, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and compassion. We are to be faithful, loving, courageous and zealous for God. We are to make prayer a priority, the Word of God foundational, and know the Spirit of God intimately. We are to carry on His mission to seek and save the lost and make disciples of all nations. We are called not simply to believe in Christ, but to imitate Christ. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Prison Letters: Pressing On (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

"12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.-Philippians 3:12-14

 I love how Paul never allowed his physical limitations to define his spiritual possibilities. Paul was imprisoned when he penned these words about “pressing on”.  How do we press on (how do we move forward) when we are physically locked down? Paul understood that spiritual growth and growing in our relationship with Christ were not confined or defined by the space we occupy. Often, the biggest obstacle or barrier to our own spiritual growth is our own mind. 

Let’s be honest, Paul was in a forced quarantine, where we are under self-quarantine for a greater good. Although, I would never go as far as to say that self-quarantine is more difficult, it does pose some unique challenges. Where Paul’s freedom was taken from him, we in essence are laying ours aside to accomplish an expressed purpose. 

Jesus has a perfect plan and purpose for each of our lives. Paul recognized that to embrace that perfect plan, he had to solely pursue Christ. Pursuing Jesus would ultimately lead to the place of perfection that Jesus had in store for him. However, it often took Paul places that didn’t seem suited to help him accomplish God’s will. 

Paul understood that there is a big difference between being perfect and being perfected.  One claims you’ve reached the pinnacle of God’s purpose, plan and design for your life. The other humbly recognizes that possessing perfection will be a lifelong pursuit. That pursuit requires us to stay focused. Paul said that his focus was straight forward: forgetting what is behind and pressing for what lies ahead. 

The past for many can be a catalyst, but for others it is as anchor that weighs them down, keeping them from moving forward. That is why the writer of Hebrews wrote:

 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.-“Hebrews 12:1-2

How do we break free from the weight of sin and shame that can so easily weigh us down?  Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus! Paul could have focused on a number of things that were keeping him from moving forward, but instead he chose to focus on Jesus. Regardless, of what you are facing, you can choose to be anchored to your circumstances or you can choose to press on towards the high calling Jesus has planned for you. 

Scott Burr

Prison Letters: Relapsing into religion (Pt.2)

“Though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.”-Philippians 3:4-7

To the circumcised believer it was hard for them to understand that circumcision of the flesh, was no longer the sign of being in covenant with God, but rather a life surrendered to Christ was true circumcision. 

 It wasn’t long before a contingency arose within the church (influenced by these circumcised believers) that began to elevate tradition over a relationship with Christ. They began to pervert the gospel by teaching that you can put your faith in Jesus, but you still must be circumcised. Paul’s obvious frustration and strong words with them were directed towards the fact that they were perverting the truth of God’s Word and causing people to believe that somehow our human effort helps bring us into a right relationship with God. 

If we embrace this thinking we will soon begin to believe that Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t enough on its own, that we must perform by human effort something to make our salvation complete. 

Paul, goes on to make the argument that is anyone had reason to believe that “human effort” could gain us heaven or salvation then he would have the pedigree for it.  Paul admits that he, too, used to place a lot of value on those things, but now compared to what Christ has done, he counts it all worthless. 

Paul then emphasized how important it was that he release that way of thinking so as not to relapse into that religious mindset:

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,  so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”-Philippians 3:8-11 

God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith! Paul saw nothing of value to hold onto aside from complete faith in Christ. 

I just want to say, that I am not anti-tradition, but we must not allow our tradition to take away the necessity of complete dependence and faith in Christ alone. The first sign of a relapse is that we begin to believe that our human effort is necessary for salvation. When we begin to weigh our own righteousness on the scales alongside Christ’s, we have devalued the sacrifice Christ made at Calvary. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church