trbccoffeebreak

“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 Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13

Contentment. It’s a tough nut to crack in the abundance culture of the United States. Although we can all agree that grocery prices are (still) high and the general cost of living seems relatively challenging, Americans are still among the wealthiest people on the planet. In fact, statistics show that if your household income is more than $35,000 per year, you’re in the top 1% of global income earners. But it’s not just money, is it? Depending on your particular age group or even geographical location, the “contentment standard” could be tied to acquiring a coveted brand of something (clothes, gear, vehicle), achieving a certain Insta-filter look (think large lips, no lines, or shiny face), or attaining a particular number of social media followers.

Maybe your “if only” has nothing at all to do with stuff. It’s a better job (not your current one, which you prayed incessantly for before you got it). It’s a healing for you or your child, friend, or spouse. It’s the need for relief from that relentless pain you’ve had for years. It’s that prodigal who you’re watching wallow in the pigsty. Yes, you would finally be content if and when…

Oh, but then there is the Apostle Paul telling it like it is. At one time he was a top dog in the world—Ivy League educated, a top attorney, on the political rise, in the in crowd. But after Jesus got hold of him, Paul’s life changed markedly. Just from what we learn in 2 Corinthians 11:22-33, Paul experienced the following as he journeyed to share the gospel with the world: numerous imprisonments, so many beatings that he stopped counting, 39 lashes five times, beaten with rods five times, stoned (some say to death), shipwrecked three times—and that’s just the short list of his sufferings.

Yet Paul is content. More than that, he consistently rejoices in and through it all.

See, Paul knew a secret. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit saw to it that Paul shared it with us as he wrote his letter to the church at Philippi—which he wrote while in prison! (Actually, Paul hammers contentment and joy in the Lord in all his writings, but we’ll focus in on Philippians for now.) Jesus changed Paul’s life—and Paul’s sole purpose was to see everyone else’s life transformed from darkness to light like his. He loved the Lord and, as a result, loved others to and for God’s glory. And no matter what his circumstances, Paul used that situation to boldly proclaim Christ and Him crucified. With his eyes on the prize of the salvation of others and the ultimate heavenly destination, Paul counted it all joy (Philippians 1-3).

Then there is the glorious chapter 4 of Philippians. In his great joy and excitement and confident faith, Paul shares his secret. First, he sets it up by urging us to rejoice in the Lord. No need to be anxious about your bank account, your reflection, or even your daily pain. Be prayerful, with gratitude, and your heart and mind will be guarded by an incomprehensible peace of God. He tells us how to focus our thoughts (v 8) and to practice all the stuff he taught us through this and his other letters (v 9). Then, drumroll please…Paul gives us the key to contentment. “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am,” he says. Whether broke, rich, hungry, suffering, with friends, alone in a prison cell. You and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. That’s it! In our own strength and effort, we will always be lacking, wanting, discontent—there’s always more to be had, something better. But in Christ and through Christ, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:31-39).

Want to stand firm and be bold like Paul? Want to know that you know that you know the peace, joy—and, yes, contentment—found only in Jesus? Consider these other exhortations from our brother Paul: We were dead, and now we’re alive in Christ—seated with Him—and we are His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:1-10); there’s no more condemnation for us (Romans 8:1); we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17); we are daughters and sons of God (Galatians 3:26). And this is just a taste of why/how soul-level contentment is ours for the taking.

Friend, do you want true and lasting contentment? (I sure do!) In Christ, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to firmly grasp it—no matter what our life and circumstances look like. And although secrets are typically meant to be kept quiet, this one has been given to us to be shared. So, like Paul, let’s go tell the world.

“Lord, may I hold fast to the secret of contentment: Christ, His victory over sin and death, and who I am in Him.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life