* “Not wanting is as good as having” - Seneca. * When you want something, you can choose one of two things: * 1) Get it. * 2) Stop wanting it. * #1 requires ambition. * #2 requires contentment. * #1 meets the external “felt” need. * #2 meets the internal “true” need. * Contentment is the path that David takes us on in this Psalm. * Vs 1 - He essentially says, “With God as my guide, I am not in a state of continually wanting more and more stuff…” * Famous quote - “Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want.” * Vs 2-3 - a picture of contentment. * A professional shepherd, Phillip Keller, wrote a book on Psalms 23. He said that in order for a sheep to lie down four things are requires: * 1) They must be FULL. * 2) They much be UNAFRAID. * 3) They must be CONTENT. * 4) They must be in UNITY (those around him need the first three things). * Problem - if you don’t get vs 1 right, vs 2-3 aren’t possible. * Want is like the magnifying glass on a piece of paper on the sidewalk in the Texas summer heat. * It magnifies the sun’s light and intensifies its heat until the paper is burned up. * What you focus on magnetizes in your mind and your longing for it intensifies until you’re burned up. * EX: Jake w/every new thing - “dad, we need a boat!” * The result is always emptiness - you get the thing but it doesn’t satisfy you like you thought it would. * Here are three ideas on how you can want something less: * 1) Acknowledge the cost - you may want a Ferari, but getting it means you have to pay the bill… and never parking in a normal spot again. * You were free before you had it, but you give up your freedom to get it. * Imagine every time you formed a new want, you drew up a contract detailing what you would give up in exchange for the thing. * “I promise to be unhappy until I get _________.” * Don’t put on the “golden handcuffs.” * 2) Desire stacking - keep your bigger desire the focus, rather than the smaller desire. * EX: I’ve always wanted a lifted truck. But that short-term desire took a backseat to my long-term desire of independent wealth. * Prioritizing your desires helps you remain content. * 3) Delay until expiry - don’t let yourself get something until you’ve delayed for a period of time. * Purposeful delays often times makes the desire go away. * EX: Give yourself a 30 day buffer before you buy your thing… * Not wanting is as good as having.