The Secret to Being Content in Christ

The book of Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul during Paul's first imprisonment in Rome. When the Church in Philippi heard this, they took it upon themselves to support Paul, sending him Epaphroditus to serve him and bring him gifts.

Learning to be content is really important. In 1 Timothy 6:6-8 it says, "6But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content." Additionally in Hebrews 13:5 it says, "5Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,'" So I don’t know if you guys caught that but in 1 Timothy 6:8 it said, "we shall be content." and then in Hebrews 13:5 it said, "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money being content with what you have…" We shall… Make sure… You see, being content is a command, it's not a character trait that's nice to have, it’s a command. We are commanded to be content, but it doesn’t come naturally for us. It is very unnatural for us actually. If you look at today's society, today's culture, everything tells us that, what we are, what we have, it's not good enough. So that's the culture that we live in, and that's also why it is so important for us to learn to be content.

However, like anything else, before we can learn how to be content, we must understand what being content is. Some people may say being content is teaching yourself not to care. I win the lotto for 20 million dollars, whoop dee do. My dog died, ehhh whatever, I'll just get a new one. So in these instances you may be indeed be content, but you are also apathetic and indifferent. That is not the same content as what Paul is talking about and we will see that as we get a little deeper into the passage. Paul is talking about being completely satisfied in Christ. Paul is talking about Christ being more than enough.

So verse 10 says, "10But 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." So here in this verse Paul begins to thank the Philippians for their generosity. Paul said, "… indeed you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity." You see, Paul was the founder of the Church in Philippi, he had a very good relationship with them. But it had been a long time since their last gift to Paul. But Paul was okay with that, he understood that they still cared. Paul says I know it wasn't that you weren't concerned, but its just you didn’t have the opportunity. The verse says, "…indeed you were concerned before," this clearly implies they loved Paul, that they supported Paul probably through prayer, but for some reason they didn’t have an opportunity to give to Paul. Why they didn’t have the opportunity before, I don't know. Maybe they didn’t have enough money or they didn’t know where Paul was, I don’t know, but whatever the reason was Paul understood and now they had the opportunity to support Paul once more which they took advantage of.

Remember Philippians 4:10-19 is Paul's thank you note to the Philippians. So Paul, while thanking the Philippians for their gifts, takes this opportunity to tell us that he has learned to be content and he begins to teach us how we can be content as well. So verse 11 says, "11Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." Paul said, "Not that I speak from want," So putting that together with verse 10, in other words he basically said, "Thank you so much for your generosity, it was very encouraging, not that I needed it though, for I have learned to be content with what I have" So what does this tell us? Well, this tells us that Paul was satisfied with very little. Paul was satisfied with just getting by with the bare essentials, he was at peace with where he was and what he had. It didn’t matter that he didn’t have a lot of food, it didn’t matter that he was in prison chained to a Roman soldier, and that he wasn’t allowed to go anywhere. None of these things mattered to Paul. To me, that's just amazing, that in the midst of all that was going on, Paul was at peace. Paul had many ups and downs in his lifetime, and now being probably one of the lowest points as it is his first time in prison, he still manages to be content. This is about as good of an example as you can get on someone who has remained content in any circumstance. Paul was content with having what he needed to get by.

Now, let's take a moment to think about the culture we live in for a second. Think about what our society tell us to do with our lives. Isn't it all about us, about putting us first, looking out for #1. Our society is all about meeting our needs. But the problem still lies in the fact that we don't know what we need. So how are we figuring out what we need? Well, I subscribe GQ magazine, and in this current November 2009 issue, there is an article about a 16 year old kid named Austin Visschedyk, and he makes a lot of money going around taking picture of celebrities. But anyways in the article Austin occasionally teams up with someone named Jordan, and Jordan said, "Somebody, needs to find a way to get it across to normal people that we're here because of them. As much as they hate us--the demand is so high." (P 136) You know this is so true. The paparazzi are there because we care so much about celebrities. Look at how we idolize celebrities, we let them tell us what we need. If you think about it for a second you would realize that just about every form of entertainment that we have tells us what we need. When we watch TV, the TV show is a draw, so the advertisements can tell us what we need. When we go to the movies, we watch previews of other movies we need to see. When we watch the Super Bowl we are drawn in because of the game so we can be told what we need Or if you are just watching for the commercials you fell right into their trap. But does the culture, our source of information, really know what we need? Because it's obvious that it hasn't stopped at food, it hasn't stopped at clothes, and it hasn't stopped at having a place to sleep. So why do we let the culture tell us what we need, when we have a God who has an unlimited supply of resources, who takes care of the flowers and the birds, who promised to never leave us or forsake us? Don't let the culture confuse you, don't let the culture trick you into thinking what you want is something you need. As Christians, are needs are supposed to exceed our wants, not the other way around. So we need to be content with what we have. Be content with having what we need. Paul understood this. When Paul said, "Not that I speak from want," he's saying, "I already have everything that I need, I trust God to take care of my needs."

Okay so at this point, some of you may be thinking I know all this. I know I'm supposed to be content with what I have, I know I'm supposed to be content with what I need. I already know all this, and I'm pretty much already there, so what am I going to get out of this. Well you know honestly, I believe you. If you say that you are content, then you probably are content with where you are right now, with what you have. But did you notice at the end of verse 11 Paul says, " I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances…" Hmmm in whatever circumstances, that’s great, now let's take a look at verse 12, "12I 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." Do you see where I'm going with this? In the middle of the verse Paul said, "in any and every circumstance…" Now you know what it means when an author repeats something don't you? It’s a red flag, it's a stop sign, it's telling you to pay attention. Why? because it's important! So Paul is telling us that we need to be content in every circumstance. Why is this key for those of you who say that you are content right now? Well the thing that is most likely to make us unsatisfied, no longer content are bad circumstances. Right? When something bad happens, we starting thinking about the good old days, or we start to get mad, or we blame God, or maybe all three.

So let's take a look at verse 12 again, "12I 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." Did you notice how Paul says in the middle of the verse, "I have learned the secret." What did Paul learn? Paul learned to be content in any circumstance. Paul knows how to be content whether he's dirt poor and chained to a Roman guard just getting by with bare essentials and how to be content in abundance and wealth. You may say, "Well it easy to be content when you're rich." I would probably disagree, whether you're rich are not we tend to always want more, we are insatiable. But regardless the point is Paul was not going to be influenced by circumstances. Paul's contentment was independent from the circumstances.

Paul says its been a secret, it's been a mystery, but Paul knows the secret. And he's going to share it with us. It's right here in front of us. You see, Christian contentment remains a mystery to those on the outside and can only be learned from the inside by those who are in Christ. In truth contentment is a quiet secret known by a few. Paul learned it over a period of time, part of his spiritual growth, part of sanctification. Have we, have you, have I learned the secret of contentment, are we content, right now? Can I say that I'm content in any circumstance? That I'm completely satisfied in any situation? See the secret to contentment is only available to Christians. How do we know this? Because when you look at the rest of the world, they are always wanting more, needing more. So the secret to being content is only available to Christians because you have to believe that God is sovereign. This is key, you will never know how to be content until you believe that a sovereign God is ordering everything. You have to believe that God is in control of everything, and that everything is for His own Holy purpose. Romans 8:28 Says "28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Everything is controlled by a sovereign God who makes all things work together for good. What does that mean that everything works together for good? Well if you turn your bibles to Luke 6:21-23 we can see. Okay, so Jesus says in Luke 6:21-23, "21Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 22Blessed are you when men hate you and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn our name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. 23Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets." That's what it means when a sovereign God has everything working for good. How do you be content in every circumstance? Have faith in God's promise. Okay, so I'm a huge basketball fan, so I'm going to use a basketball analogy here. Do you know why Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, Michael Redd, Kobe Bryant, Peja Stojakovic are all good shooters? It's because they kept their eyes on the basket, and they had good follow through on their shot. They don't let themselves get distracted by the defender. That's what you need to do to be content in any circumstance. Keep your eyes on the basket, look towards the future reward in heaven that Jesus promised. Don't let yourself get distracted.

So far contentment requires us to trust that God provides, being satisfied with what we have, believing that God is sovereign and has a perfect plan meaning that we need be content in any circumstance. And now lets take a look at Philippians 4:13,"13I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Now this is a very popular verse. It is one of most quoted verses in the bible. It's used to motivate people, it's used as inspirational words. And since this verse is so popular, its important for us to understand the context of the verse. In what ever circumstances I find myself in, whatever extremes, whether in wealth or poverty I can be content and do all things through him who strengthens me. So here is what it means, Paul is confident that he will be able, that he will be divinely strengthened, to do anything and everything that God calls him to do. Paul is saying, "I am sustained by Christ who strengthens me." Paul is saying that he can do all the things he was talking about, because God has allowed him to do it, God called him to do it, and therefore God gives him the strength to do it. Not only that but that He can be content and confident in any circumstance that he is equipped to do it. That’s the principle, we can do what God calls us to do.

How is it that we are sustained by Christ? Colossians 1:28 says, "We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ." So how are we sustained by Christ? It's because we are complete in Christ. We are dependent on Christ. Being in Christ links us to His divine power. So what ever would come Paul's way he can meet it because he is a man in Christ. In every circumstance he is a man in Christ, he is content regardless of the situation. And guess what? Paul didn't have anything special that we don’t have today. We are also believers in Christ. Galatians 2:20 says, "20I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Christ lives in us. So when Paul says, "I can do all thing through Him who strengthens me." he is saying that he is strong enough to do all things because Christ lives in him.
Isaiah 40:31 says, "31Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." So whatever we are called to do we are given a supernatural divine strength so that we can accomplish it. Whatever your situation, God will give you the strength to do it. So that means that we can be confident that we will be able to do what ever God calls us to do. This is what brings contentment. When we learn to trust God to provide strength. When we stop depending on ourselves, and turn to God to get us through any situation. There will be times that will be frustrating, there will be times that we will feel like giving up, but as long as we remember and have faith in God's ability to provide there is no reason for us to have doubt. We can be as confident as Paul was.

However Philippians 4:13 does not mean you can go around saying this verse, and become faster than a speeding bullet like Superman. Remember I said earlier that you are able to do the things God calls you to do. So if you think you can recite that verse and then automatically go to the gym and bench 400 lbs you probably should make sure Terry is there to spot you. If I recite Philippians 4:13 and then try to get on American Idol, I will probably make the show, but I would be one of the several bad people we all make fun of at home. However if you are following the call of God, then Paul's confident words, belong to you as well. Because if Christ is the center of your life, you can be content through any circumstance. Jesus' strength is the reason we can succeed and at the same time Jesus' strength is what sustains us even when we don't succeed. Christ empowers us, Christ gives us the strength to be fully satisfied in any and every circumstance. We can have joy in success and in failures because Christ strengthens us, because Christ is enough.

In closing I'd like to just take a moment to reemphasize important points from the passage.

1. God promised to never leave us or forsake us, so contentment begins with trusting that God will provide for your needs. (Hebrews 13:5)
2. Be satisfied with what you have. Be satisfied with what you need, and don’t let your wants get confused with your needs. (Philippians 4:10-12)
3. Believe that God is sovereign and he has a Holy and perfect plan. So don't let the circumstances influence whether you are content or not. (Philippians 4:11-12; Romans 8:28; Luke 6:21-23)
4. Lastly, we are sustained by Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13; Colossians 1:28;
Galatians 2:20; Isaiah 40:31)

Created over 2 years ago