Moses: From Contentment to Calling
Originally delivered at New Hope Community Church on June 30, 2024.
Are you happy?
Let me ask you a simple question, “Are you content?” I saw a self-help based article on the Internet that suggested contentment can be found by catching yourself thinking “life sucks,” and stopping such thinking. It continued that contentment is found by cultivating a thankfulness for “little things and simples joys,” by focusing on “things about yourself that you’re happy with,” and that we should “assume that you, others, and life are perfect.” I don’t know about you, but I learned early in life not to assume anything. This “self-help” article points people to ourselves as the source that we should seek to find contentment. I can tell you one place that isn’t the source of contentment – and that’s a heart with original sin in it. There’s a lot of gobbledygook New Agey stuff out there that points people to look within or look at themselves for contentment. Those self-help books that teach you how to be the source of contentment. And this may be a little nitpicky of me, but I want to fill you in on something. If you’re reading a book by someone else to learn about self-help – that’s not self-help. That’s someone else helping you – or - just “help.” And I don’t think it’s any wonder that the self-help genre of books has exploded in the last few years – another article I read called happiness the ”ultimate consumer product.” Companies sell happiness. And people will spend big on the things that they think will make them happy.
Why? Because happiness is a close relative of contentment. But it isn’t contentment.
Think about what brings you contentment. An old 2004 Gallup Poll gave us a list: family and friends, health, where we live, religion, romance, personal growth, career, recreation, and last on the list (and in fact, not one person in the video we just watched mentioned this) - money. These are the things that people said made them feel content.
But now let’s fast forward to 2024. A recent Gallup Poll shows that only 47% of Americans feel 'very content' with their personal lives. That's barely above the record low from 2011. Even broader measures of contentment have dropped; only 78% of people report being 'somewhat content,' down from the 84% trend we've seen since 1979. So what’s going on? Our contentment, according to the poll, hinges on several aspects of our lives. If our family or friendships falter, if our health declines, if we have to move, if a relationship ends, if we don’t feel like we’re growing, if our career takes a hit, if we can’t enjoy our hobbies, or if we face financial trouble – our sense of contentment can take a serious blow. And I’m not minimizing these things – because these are real, everyday issues that many of us face, which might explain why contentment feels so elusive. But rather than looking inward for contentment - I believe true contentment comes from going in the exact opposite direction from self. If I need a perspective change in my life – why not go to the source?
Because the truth is, contentment is a byproduct of God's humbling process in our lives.
And when we look in the scriptures for our contentment, we get example after example after example. This week as we’re continuing our series, we’re looking at Moses – Josh talked about his parents largely last week, and this week I want to talk about his life, and what contentment looked like for Moses. Because when we look at Moses, we see a man humbled by God.
What is the secret, what’s the formula to true contentment?
1. Contentment Comes Before Calling
First – if you’re taking notes, is this: Contentment Comes Before Calling. You know, we often hear about God’s calling in our lives, don’t we? Have you ever considered that contentment often comes before hearing God’s call clearly? Now, we’re all called by Jesus to fulfill the Great Commission to reach the world for Christ, when He said:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
So there’s that call on all of our lives, but then there is God’s individual commissioning of people for tasks and life purposes, using our talents and our gifts as being part of the body of Christ like Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12, and Romans 12. In this, contentment is so incredibly important to hearing God’s call clearly. Think about it for a moment, when we’re not content, what are we doing? We’re looking for the next big thing or wishing we were somewhere else – and when that’s our focus it’s like we’ve got static on the line between us and God.
It's hard to hear His voice when we’re too busy listening to our own discontent.
So let’s look at Moses for a moment. Now, Moses had quite a journey before he heard God’s call – didn’t he? He went from prince of Egypt to fugitive in Midian. Talk about a change in career. But it was in Midian, after he had settled down and found contentment, that God spoke to him through the burning bush. In Exodus 2:21 we’re told:
“It’s hard to hear God’s voice when we’re too busy listening to our own discontent.”
“And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah.”
And continue with me through the next few verses:
“During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush…”
Isn’t it interesting how this reads? We’re given this statement telling us of Moses’ contentment (and this is actually the first time in the Bible that contentment has been used), and three verses later God reveals Himself to Moses and calls him to his life’s work? Now, these verses span quite a bit of time, roughly about 40 years, but the pattern is so clear right here.
Moses was content (Ex. 2:21).
Israel cried out to God for help (Ex. 2:23).
God saw the people of Israel - and God knew (Ex. 2:25).
The angel of the Lord appeared to [Moses] in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush (Ex. 3:2).
Now, I want you to think about your own life for a moment. Are you content where God has placed you right now? Or are you always looking for the next big thing, thinking, “If only I had that job,” or “If only I lived there,” or “If only I was with so-and-so, then I’d be happy.” When the voice of discontentment is so loud in our ears, there’s a danger of thinking our discontentment is a call from God. We think, “Oh, I just can’t stand my job. There must be more to life than this! I know – I’ll do x, y, or z!” When how many times is that not really the escape route from the life you’re unhappy with? True contentment comes when we humbly learn to trust God, to accept His provisions, to give Him our dreams, our ambitions, our hopes, our future – everything. It’s saying, “God, I trust that where You have me right now is exactly where I need to be.”
2. True Contentment is Active, Not Passive
Now, don’t get me wrong – Contentment doesn’t mean complacent. This brings me to our second part of the formula – True Contentment is Active, Not Passive. Look at Moses again. He had settled into a quiet life as a shepherd in the land of Midian. He was comfortable. God wasn’t calling him to stay comfortable – He was calling him into action – first peaking his curiosity and interest with a bush that burned but was not consumed. And once the Lord had Moses’ attention, he tells Moses about the plight of His people, laying out what was displeasing Him and how He was going to fix it.
“Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
And then Moses’ response in verse 11:
“But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
Moses was hesitant.
So God reassured Moses in verse 12, saying:
“He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
Such comforting words, “I will be with you…”
That should have been enough right? Right? But it wasn’t. Moses kept coming up with excuses:
1. “What if they don’t believe me?” (Ex. 4:1)
Nothing like the age-old “what-if” scenarios. And God gives Moses not just one miraculous sign, not two miraculous signs, but three – right there in the midst of his hemming and hawing:
The staff turning into a serpent and back again (Ex. 4:2-5).
Moses’ hand becoming leprous and then being restored (Ex. 4:6-7).
Water from the Nile turning to blood when poured on dry ground (Ex. 4:8-9).
That should have been enough right? But it wasn’t. Moses gives another excuse:
2. “I’m not eloquent enough.” (Ex. 4:10)
Have you ever felt that way? “But I don’t know what to say to people about Jesus. I get all tongue-tied when it comes to speaking to others about God.” I don’t know if that’s really the best excuse to refuse the calling of God. It wasn’t accepted by God in Moses’ case, and it isn’t accepted by God in our cases either.
I’ll put it this way, God made me. He made you. He knows our speaking capacity before He calls us.
“Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
“I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
That should have been enough, right? But it wasn’t.
And here we arrive at my favorite excuse, as all of the others have been exhausted. Moses just arrives at:
3. “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” (Ex. 4:13)
Have you ever done that? Said, “No, Lord! I’m not this, I’m not that, I can’t do what you’re asking. Are you sure? Me? Me? Me?” What are really saying, though? “Lord, please send someone else.” But do you see the oxymoron here? Do you see the contradiction? Moses referred to God as “Lord,” but was hesitant to the calling. If God is truly our God, why do we say “No, Lord, please just send someone else.” Talk about a self-defeating statement, it contradicts our very words.
See, contentment isn’t complacency. It isn’t about sitting back and doing nothing. It’s about being satisfied in God. It’s about trusting His timing, and being ready to move when He says move.
“Don’t let fear or discontentment masquerade as humility.”
When we make excuses about God’s call on our lives about not being good enough to be used by God – let me encourage you to look in your heart and make sure that it’s not just fear of being pushed out of your “comfort-zone” masking itself as humility.
Don’t let fear or discontentment masquerade as humility.
Because complacency is the fat-cat life of a Christian couch-potato. It’s self-indulging, and it shows a lack of urgency for the lost souls around us. Romans 13:12 says:
“The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
To those who are complacent, words like that don’t mean very much. Because when we are complacent, we are willfully unmoved. Complacency is the wanton disregard of the call on our lives, and is the heart of James 4:17: “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Contentment is not complacency; it is a contented God-dependent preparation to go when called by God. Think about it this way: when you’re content in God, you’re like a runner at the starting line. You’re not anxiously trying to jump the gun, but you’re also not just lazily lunging around either. You’re ready, poised, waiting for God’s signal.
3. The Enemy of Contentment is Complaining
Now, let's talk about the third part of our formula for true contentment. The enemy of contentment is complaining. Oh boy, did Moses learn this lesson the hard way. You see, after God called Moses and he finally accepted (with a little divine persuasion), he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Amazing, right? The plagues, the parting of the Red Sea - talk about miracles! But what happened next? Let me tell you, it wasn't a ticker-tape parade.
Just three days into their journey, we’re told:
“Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
Three days! That's all it took for the complaining to start. And it didn't stop there. Oh no. In Exodus 16:2-3, we read:
“And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Can you believe it? They're actually wishing they were back in Egypt! Talk about short-term memory loss. They'd rather be slaves with full bellies than free people trusting God for their next meal. Now, how did Moses respond to all this complaining? Did he join in? Did he throw up his hands and say, "You know what, God? I told you to send someone else!" No, he didn't.
Instead, we see Moses turning to God time and time again. In Exodus 17:4, when the people were ready to stone him over the lack of water, Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, "What shall I do with this people?" He didn't complain about the people to God; he asked God what to do. You see, Moses learned that complaining is the enemy of contentment.
“Complaining is like a cancer that eats away at our trust in God.”
Complaining is like a cancer that eats away at our trust in God.
When we complain, we're essentially saying, "God, You're not doing a good enough job. I know better than You do." But Moses? He chose a different path. Yes, he was hesitant at first. Maybe even reluctant. But he chose to trust God, to lean on Him, to seek His guidance instead of griping about the circumstances. And you know what? God provided. Every. Single. Time.
Water from a rock.
Manna from heaven.
God met their needs, but He did it His way, in His time.
Now, I want you to think about your own life for a moment. How quick are we to complain when things don't go our way? When the job is tough, when the kids are driving us crazy, when the bank account is looking a little lean? Are we like the Israelites, grumbling and wishing for the "good old days"? Or are we like Moses, turning to God and trusting in His provision? Because here's the thing: Complaining and contentment can't coexist. They're like oil and water. When we choose to complain, we're choosing discontentment. But when we choose to trust God, like Moses did, that's when we find true contentment. So the next time you feel that urge to complain rising up, remember Moses. Remember how he faced a nation of grumblers and He chose to trust God. True contentment isn’t found in perfect circumstances or in getting everything we want. It's found in trusting God, even when - especially when - things aren't going the way we think they should. It focusses on God and his word. Contentment is resting in God and His word.
Does this describe you?
The truly contented is not negligent of God and His word. To be content doesn’t mean you stand by as God’s reputation and honor are disparaged. To be content doesn’t mean we sit idly by as God’s word is desecrated and denounced. This is what we see in Moses case. This is what true contentment is intertwined with in relation to God and His word.
4. Contentment is the Way of Christ
Now, let’s talk about the fourth key to Biblical Contentment – Contentment is the Way of Christ. You see, when we look at Jesus' life and teachings, contentment isn't just some nice add-on. It's central to who He is and what the Bible teaches us. The first mention of contentment in the Old Testament was in describing Moses living in Midian. The first mention of contentment in the New Testament actually comes from John the Baptist. Remember him? The guy eating locusts and wild honey, preparing the way for Jesus. Some soldiers came to him asking what they should do to prepare for the coming Lord. And you know what John told them?
“Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
Now, that word "content" in Greek is ἀρκέω. It means to be satisfied, to have enough. John's basically telling these soldiers, "Hey, be satisfied with what you're getting paid." Now, I'm not saying we can never ask for a raise. But there's a fine line between seeking fair compensation and letting greed take over. John's point? Seek to be satisfied with your wages. Trust that God will provide if you need more. When we look at the life and teachings of Jesus, we see that contentment was a central theme in His ministry. Christ exemplified contentment in His own life and taught His followers to embrace it as well.
First, let's consider Jesus' own example:
Jesus was content with simplicity.
He said, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20). Despite being the King of Kings, Jesus was content with a humble lifestyle.He was content with God's will.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, facing His imminent crucifixion, Jesus prayed, "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). This demonstrates ultimate contentment with God's plan, even when it involved great personal sacrifice.Jesus was content in all circumstances.
Whether He was praised by crowds or facing opposition from religious leaders, Jesus maintained His focus on His mission and remained content in His relationship with the Father.
Now, let's look at how Jesus taught contentment:
The Sermon on the Mount: In Matthew 6:25-34
Jesus teaches His followers not to worry about material needs, but to trust in God's provision. He says, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" This teaching encourages contentment by fostering trust in God's care.The Rich Young Ruler: In Mark 10:17-27
Jesus challenges a wealthy man to sell his possessions and follow Him. This story teaches us that true contentment isn't found in material wealth, but in following Christ.The Parable of the Rich Fool: In Luke 12:13-21
Jesus warns against greed and emphasizes that life doesn't consist in an abundance of possessions. He teaches that true contentment and security come from being "rich toward God."Jesus' prayer for His disciples: In John 17
Jesus prays for His disciples' joy to be complete. This shows that Christ desires for His followers to experience true contentment and fullness of joy in Him.
As followers of Christ, we're called to emulate His contentment. This means:
Trusting in God's provision and not worrying excessively about material needs.
Finding our identity and worth in our relationship with God, not in worldly success or possessions.
Accepting God's will for our lives, even when it differs from our own plans.
Seeking to be "rich toward God" rather than accumulating earthly treasures.
Now, let's jump to the Apostle Paul. Talk about a guy who knew contentment! In his letter to the Philippians - a letter full of joy, mind you - Paul writes something incredible. And get this: he's writing from a jail cell. He says:
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”
Did you catch that? "Whatever situation." That's a game-changer. Paul's saying there's no situation, none, where we can't find contentment in Christ. If Paul could write this from prison, what's our excuse? This letter to the Philippians is packed with Paul talking about God completing the good work He started in us, about having the mind of Christ, about knowing Christ in both His resurrection power and in suffering. All of this feeds into this idea of contentment.
Here's the thing: When we follow Christ's way of contentment, it changes everything. We start trusting God's provision instead of worrying about every little thing. We find our worth in being children of God, not in what the world says about us. We accept God's will for our lives, even when it's not what we had planned.
“And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah.”
5. Contentment Starts with Christ
So not only is Contentment the Way of Christ, but, number 5: Contentment Starts with Christ. In Hebrews it states:
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave your nor forsake you.””
The phrase “free from love of money” is one word in the original Greek: ἀφιλάργυρος Aphilargyros. The word means “not greedy, not loving money, not avaricious or having an insatiable appetite for more, covetousness.” Covetousness is wanting more of what you already have enough of. How much is enough? Are you content with what you have? How many pairs of shoes will be enough? How many watches? How many bottles of cologne? How many dresses or blouses? How many raises? How many medal? How many trophies?
Do you possess things, or do things possess you? True contentment doesn’t come from you, your circumstances, the number of views or likes you get on the internet, or the stuff you accumulate in life. True contentment only comes from our Lord, Jesus Christ.
And in contrast, to be content is to be full. It’s to be satisfied. Satisfied with what you have because you trust that what you have is what the Lord wants you to have. The path to true contentment is to come to that place where you say, “If I have Jesus, I have enough.” So when we get to the heart of the matter, true contentment isn’t found in self-help books (or just, “help-books,” as I call them), but true contentment is only found in Jesus Christ. You’ll never be truly satisfied, truly content, until you give your heart to Jesus. So how do you do that? Let me break it down for you:
We need to turn from our sin and admit our sinfulness to God.
Let's be real here - our sin is like a wall between us and God. Isaiah 59:1-2 tells us that. It's our sin that puts us in the defendant's chair before God, the ultimate Judge (Galatians 3:10-13). And here's a hard truth: we're all sinners. Every single one of us. Romans 3:9-18 lays it out pretty clearly. Without Christ, we're all guilty and headed for a place we don't want to go (John 3:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Revelation 20:15).We need to trust in Jesus and Jesus alone as our Lord and Savior.
Romans 6:23 tells us the wages of sin is death. That's a hefty price tag hanging over our heads. But here's the good news - God took all our sin and laid it on Jesus on the cross (Isaiah 53). It's the most incredible transaction in history! God made Jesus, who never sinned, become sin for us. And if we put our faith in Him, His righteousness gets credited to our account (2 Corinthians 5:21).
When we trust Jesus as our Savior, believing in what He did on the cross and His resurrection, we're forgiven and saved from our sin (Romans 5; 10:8-9). And here's the kicker - it's all a gift! We can't earn it, we can't work for it. It's God's grace, free for the taking when we trust in Jesus (Ephesians 1; 2:1-9; Titus 3:4-7).We need to commit our lives to following Him – to following Jesus Christ.
Jesus said we need to be born again (John 3), and that's exactly what happens. The Holy Spirit regenerates us, gives us a spiritual rebirth. And when the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our lives, things start to change. We start producing the fruit of the Spirit - love being the big one (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5). Jesus said love would be the trademark of His followers (John 13:35). We're talking about a deep love for God and a sacrificial love for others (Matthew 22:37-40). That's the heartbeat of living for Jesus. And when you've got that kind of love and trust in Jesus, contentment isn't just possible - it's probable.
So, let me ask you: Are you content in Christ? Or are you still chasing after the wind? Have you come to Jesus, or are you a "Christian" in name only, still discontent at the core? I challenge you to really chew on what the Bible says about contentment. Lay all your reasons for discontentment at the Lord's feet. It's time to break free from the chains of discontentment and embrace the contentment that comes from Christ. Let me tell you, a life of discontentment is exhausting. It's like running on a treadmill - lots of effort, but you're not getting anywhere. But true contentment in Jesus? That's where the real living begins. Remember what Paul said? He learned to be content in any situation. Have you figured that out yet? Are you content no matter what life throws at you?
Jesus didn't mince words. He said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). That's contentment in a nutshell. Jesus said it, and that settles it. So be content. In Jesus' name, be content! Amen.