The Secret of Being Content (Revisited)

The Secret of Being Content

 

Phil. 4:10-13

 

Introduction 

 

As Paul comes to end of letter, he comes to the practical reason for writing this letter: he wants to thank them for a financial gift they have sent to him through Epaphroditus. 

 

The Philippians had a track record of being sacrificial givers to Paul’s ministry, but for some reason they had not been able to give for some time, and this gift sent through Epaphroditus is to Paul a revival of their concern, not because they lacked concern, but because they “had no opportunity” previously.

 

He rejoices over the concern that this gift expresses for him. Paul is quick to emphasize that his rejoicing isn’t motivated by need. That might seem strange to us today, but we need to realize culturally that this is a friendship letter, and in those days (and really it is still true) that friendships based on need and usefulness were considered the lowest form of friendship. Deep friendships were not and still aren’t based on utilitarianism: you’re my friend because I need something you can give or do for me. It is the concern, care, the support for the ministry, that their gift represents that fills Paul’s heart with joy. 

 

So Paul isn’t speaking from need, again, unexpected turn: not because every need is taken care of, but because, as he puts it, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”  No matter what: content.

 

Encouraging to me that Paul had to learn contentment. Twice he says he has learned contentment, tells us didn’t come naturally, and he didn’t get it all when he first came to Christ. Lesson he learned over the years. Lesson that Christ taught him as he walked with the Savior, and it is a lesson we both need to learn and can learn as we walk with Savior too. Lesson that is more difficult to learn than we might think.

 

ILL: I recently was amazed to learn that until a few years ago, it was believed that it was impossible to fold an ordinary sheet of paper more than 7 or 8 times. In January of 2003 a young girl named Britney Gallivan, while a junior in high school folded a sheet of paper 12 times. It doesn’t seem like it would be all that difficult, until try do it.

 

Same is true of contentment. Doesn’t seem to be big a deal to learn to be content – until we try to do it.  We need wisdom from God’s word and grace from His Spirit if we are to learn the secret of being content. (Pray)

 

1. Contentment is not found in our circumstances

 

By nature we tend to connect our contentment to our circumstances, and think if our circumstances were different, we would be content. Yet even when circumstances change, contentment eludes us.

 

ILL: Most of us can relate to the airline pilot who was flying over Tennessee Mountains when he spotted a small lake. Pointed it out to his co-pilot and said, “See that little lake? When I was a kid I used to sit in a rowboat on that lake and fish, and every time a plane would fly overhead I’d look up and wish I was flying it. Now every time I fly over that lake I look down and wish I was in a rowboat, fishing.”

 

Seems to always reside in the circumstances just beyond where our lives actually are.

 

• If I had a little more money…I would be content.
• If I had a job I enjoyed … I would be content.
• If I was married…I would be content.
• If we owned our own home… I would be content.
• If my husband was just more affectionate…or a better leader…or more considerate…I would be content.
• If my wife was less critical of me … or a better follower … or a better cook …I would be content.
• If our kids were better behaved...if they obeyed more quickly…if they didn’t argue with each other…I would be content.

 

Wealthy man was asked, “How much money is enough?” Just a little bit more.

 

We can live our lives like that: contentment is always just out of reach. We don’t need much to be content: just a little bit more than we have. Result is that we can live in a state of discontentment and find ourselves blaming that discontentment on our circumstances, and thinking that contentment is just a situation change away. Secret: contentment is not found in our circumstances.

 

Problem: hearts are always craving more and demanding what they crave. Lie to us: when in rowboat, hearts tell us we’d be content if we were in the plane. When in plane, hearts tell us we’d be happy if in the rowboat. Result is something we all know to some degree: live life wishing we were somewhere doing something we’re not. Hinder our joy and our usefulness in the place we are in.

 

Contentment is a heart that is satisfied. Contentment is something that money can’t buy, houses can’t bring, position can’t give us, relationships can’t bestow. Must turn to God’s word to learn secret.

 

1. The secret of being content is in finding our sufficiency in Christ

 

Secret is not surprising, it’s just one sentence long: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” After time in this book it comes as no surprise that at center of Paul’s contentment is Christ. But more packed into one sentence then might meet eye. The language Paul uses is language commonly used by the Greek Stoics of his day.

 

To the Stoic, contentment in every circumstance was their goal. The Spanish Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote:

 

“The happy man is content with his present lot, no matter what it is, and is reconciled to his circumstances.”

 

Sounds like Paul up to that point: what is different is where that contentment is found. Seneca writes again:

 

“The wise man is sufficient unto himself for a happy existence.”

 

The Stoic mentality looks to their own sufficiency in every circumstance to find contentment. Paul turns Stoic language into gospel language. Rejects self-sufficiency and looks to Christ’s sufficiency in every circumstance to find his contentment. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Secret: Christ is enough in every circumstance. Christ is his contentment in every circumstance. 

 

Pastoral application:

 

Ask question for consider: are you content? Are you learning contentment? In experience, is Christ enough? Some might say, “I’m learning.” Maybe haven’t reached 12 folds, but working on 3 or 4 folds. Some might say, honest? I am not content at all. I am filled with discontent. Some might identify with person who thinks if circumstances were different you would be content. Wherever at, the Lord is teacher/counselor, teach souls be able to say, “Christ is enough.” Consider two points with me:

 

1. The One who is sovereign over our circumstances is our strength in our circumstances

 

In context Paul is contrasting two extremes: abundance and need. Plenty and hunger. Now might seem that contentment is only difficult when in need, but reality is contentment in abundance can be more elusive than contentment in need. Calvin wrote that learning to abound is “an excellent and rare virtue, and much greater than the endurance of poverty.”

 

Both want and wealth can consume us – eat away at our lives, make us think that life is found in what we have or what we want to have. Spiritually what is happening is that we are making functional gods out of that thing. Colossians 3:5 says that covetousness (wanting what others have) is idolatry. Why? Because we are functionally saying we need that thing to be content. That thing will be enough to content us. God isn’t.                                  

 

Reason why prosperity can be so much more difficult to flourish spiritually in is because it has a stronger pull on our hearts away from God – marshals a stronger deception that abundance is enough. Much harder to learn to be content with God – find our sufficiency in Christ – in times of abundance.

 

God is absolutely sovereign over both. Sometimes God in His providence opens floodgates of heaven and pours out the provision we need in abundance. Other times He withholds – need, hunger, humbled (brought low).

 

Paul sees God’s sovereignty in all things – has He allowed a season of need? It is God’s sovereign will, and he can trust him in that. But for Paul it doesn’t stop there – nor can it for us. God’s sovereignty is working to help Paul know Christ more deeply as his strength. Learning Christ as his sufficiency through every circumstance God allows. 

 

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

 

Just before his death, Paul writes to Timothy about his suffering, but he triumphantly declares, “But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.” (2 Tim. 1:12)

 

Statement of confidence in God’s sovereignty, but notice he doesn’t say, I know what I have believed, but whom I have believed. God’s sovereignty in all things isn’t just a fact we believe, it’s a Person we believe. Trust His character, His wisdom, His love. Trust His strength to carry us through.  

 

The One who is sovereign over our circumstances is our strength in our circumstances. Roots of faith grow deeper as realize He has sovereignly chosen every detail of situation, and He is my strength through situation and that’s enough. He is sufficient. I don’t need my circumstance to change, need Christ.

 

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Christ is my sufficiency. 

 

1. We can do all of God’s will for our lives through Christ who strengthens us

 

This is one of those verses that can easily be misused and misapplied. Not a claim that through Christ we can do anything we set minds to: able to leap over tall buildings with a single bound, perform brain surgery with no schooling, and book Madison Square Garden to preach to thousands, simply because we can do all things…

 

Beware when someone asks you to do something, and when you mention never done it before and have no gifting to do it, they say, “but you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.”

 

When Paul says “I can do all things…” he is referring in context to whatever the Lord in His sovereignty allows into his life. He can go through poverty and need – through Christ who strengthens him. He can keep his balance and his priorities in times of plenty and abundance – through Christ who strengthens him.

 

He can do God’s will for his life through Christ who strengthens him. Whatever God has called you to do, He will enable you to do. 

 

• The Lord may indeed (probably will) call you to do things you are not able to do apart from His enabling grace and power. I can do all things…

 

• The Lord may call you to endure things that not able to endure apart… I can do all things.

 

Life is a mission, not a meal

 

It’s interesting that in discussion of contentment, and after describing seasons of plenty and want, Paul does not say, I can be content in all seasons through Christ…or, I can feel full and satisfied in all things through Christ who fulfills me.

 

“I can do all things…”

 

The theme of their partnership in the gospel is never far from his mind. Gift was to support and advance the gospel through Paul’s ministry and was an expression of their partnership in gospel. Paul’s concern wasn’t how full or satisfied he felt. Paul didn’t look at life as a 70-year meal at a long table where object was to satisfy longings and desires and to get up full. That is not how he viewed life or defined contentment. He looked at life as a 70 year mission where he was called to serve God, Jesus Christ, and the advance of the gospel, and whether he had a lot or very little; he knew he could do what God had called him to do to advance the gospel through Christ who strengthened him.

 

As sat in prison with great need, wasn’t worried that wouldn’t be able to run race or do God’s will. Content that need didn’t negate his ability to fulfill his mission. Can do all things…

 

Application:

 

• Learn from Paul this lesson: contentment isn’t primarily about feeling fulfilled – about being fruitful. Doing the will of God by the grace of God.
• Life isn’t a meal, it’s a mission – as Christians our mission is to be witnesses of the Great Missionary. The One who left heaven to come to earth on the great Rescue Mission. Save us from our sins. Purchase us for God. 
• Whether we have much or little – talents, money, opportunity – content that we can do all things that God has called us to do through Christ who strengthens us.

 

Secret is drawing near to Christ – finding our sufficiency and strength in Him alone. Inviting us through word to do that this morning.

 

Three questions:

 

1. Do I trust God’s sovereignty in the circumstances I am currently in? 
2. How is God in His sovereignty seeking to draw you closer to Christ for strength in this season?
3. What is God’s will for me to be doing in this season to witness for Him?