Our money problems are not mere money problems. - Pastor Charlie Dates

Philippians 4:10-14

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.

We would be lying if we said that we didn't want things. We need some things to live. But things don't make you happy…

You spend your life trying to get things when you don't have them. But when you have things, you spend your life trying to keep them.

People spend their whole lives trying to get more, then spend their time trying to protect what they've accumulated.

It would be good to have more of some things: time, rest, and investment in relationships.

There are other things that we think more of would be beneficial, but they wouldn't be. Often, wanting more is a heart issue, and materialism is the ugly side of wanting more.

Most people want to avoid hearing about this topic. But Jesus talked about money and possessions a lot. He didn't talk about them in terms of you getting more. He talked about them from the angle that possessions have you more than you have them.

The danger of not hearing about possessions is that a lack of contentment and wanting more is a competitor for God in your heart. God is sitting on the throne of your heart, but he's under competition.

Are you trying to serve two masters? God and money.

Often, our sense of security is in money. If you don't have a contented heart and a satisfied soul, you will spend your way into greater anxiety and discontentment.

Contentment doesn't come naturally to human beings. And the enemy of contentment is greed.

You just have to have a little more...

Impact of Consumer Debt on American Society and Families

Consumer debt is a relatively new concept in American history—Pre-World War II: no credit cards or installment payment systems like Afterpay. After WWII, soldiers received the GI Bill, which allowed them to buy homes with government-insured loans. Private banks began offering credit, leading to a shift where people no longer needed to save for big purchases like houses or cars. Credit led to inflation as demand increased, and prices rose for items that initially weren't expensive. By the 1980s, there was a clear parallel between the rise in consumer debt and the increase in divorce rates—debt was damaging families.

The average American has four credit cards, which isn't alarming until they carry balances and accumulate interest.

The smart way to use a credit card would be to use it to earn bonuses but pay it back in full before you're charged interest.

But we don't do that...

Now, that's just America. Not Black America...

• Only 7% of black families in Chicago have retirement accounts.

• Black families in Cook County lead with the most debt in every category compared to every other demographic in the county.

The Real Root of Money Problems

Money problems stem from spiritual problems. For most of us, our identity is tied to what we can acquire and possess. It isn't tied to what God says about us.

It isn't tied to what God says about us.

We don't have a money problem in America. We have a God problem.

It doesn't matter what kind of car you drive, what kind of house you live in, how many followers you have on social media, or how many people are sliding into your DMs trying to get time with you. Remember, only God is great.

So what do we do?

We learn to be content.

Contentment isn't based on how much money or possessions we have but on how much God has of us.

Many of us don't possess our possessions; they possess us.

Understanding the Scriptural Context

In today's passage, the Apostle Paul is writing a letter to the church he recently planted in the city of Philippi. He left it to plant other churches and ended up getting arrested.

He's writing this letter from a jail in Rome, yet he mentions rejoicing many times throughout the letter. He recognizes what God is doing while he's in jail.

Location and circumstances should not determine our joy level. God gives joy to people even in imprisoning circumstances.

Joy is not circumstantial. It is consequential.

It comes as a consequence of being in the Lord.

Paul is thanking the Philippians for the money they sent him while he was in prison. He's saying he knows the money came from them, but it really came from God.

The same goes for all of the good things in our lives. God gave it to us.

How to Learn Contentment

We get contentment through the faithfulness of God.

We also learn contentment through the frequency of uncertainty. The more things in your life are uncertain, the more content you become.

In verses 11 and 12, Paul uses two different words for learning:

• In verse 11, learning is by experience.

• Learning is by instruction in verse 12.

In school, learning is done through instruction, and then you take a test for experience. Some schools teach to prepare you for the exam because the exam is where they find out if you understand what they've been teaching. Instruction leads to experience.

In God's economy, this is flipped. In verses 11 and 12, you see that the test comes before the instruction.

God will let you experience the trial and then teach you how things work once He has your attention.

God gives you the test first.

But we want God to explain things first.

Poverty is an experience that builds character and dependence on God. Prosperity is an experience that teaches you that having more won't make you happy.

Neither poverty nor prosperity determines your quality of life. Your supply comes from God, and He has a place He wants you to get to. But you have to be content to get there.

You can pay off your debt and live within your means through Christ, who strengthens you.

Reflection Questions

• In what ways have you experienced the tension between wanting more and feeling content with what you have?

• How might your perspective on money and possessions change if you viewed them as tools from God rather than sources of security?

• What is one practical step you can take this week to cultivate contentment and trust God's provision in your life?

Watch the full sermon here.