During my prayer time today I was contemplating contentment. What would it mean to be truly and totally content in the Lord? I’m not sure what exactly spurred this (besides the Holy Spirit working in my mind), but I think there was something in the Psalm reading from the morning office that got me thinking. The Psalm was 45:1-8 and it is a song of praise for the Lord as King and warrior. It’s a stirring image. I reread it and it struck me on how the hopes of the Psalmist were totally upon this King, the Lord. From that, I think, comes contentment. From there I thought of Paul’s writing about contentment, so after prayer, I looked it up. Philippians 4:11b, “I have learned to be content with whatever I have.”
Contentment can be a tricky thing to pin down. There’s always “more,” and there is usually something we “used to have.” Focusing on the “used to” and the “more out there,” seems to keep our attention on either the past or the future, but definitely not on the present. How are we content with the present? Perhaps other people have an easier time with contentment. I don’t think I’m one of those people, so contentment in all things strikes me as miraculous.
It would be helpful at this point to look at the whole paragraph from Philippians in which this verse is found.
I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress.
Philippians 4:10-14
Briefly, Paul is in prison, he is writing a letter to Christians in Philippi, and in this paragraph he is thanking them for their concern for him (which among other things was to result in some financial support). But, note that Paul is rejoicing in the Lord for their opportunity to demonstrate their concern. He is rejoicing for what is going on in their hearts and the opportunity they have. He is not worried so much about his own needs. He then goes on to explain that he would be content whether or not he received aid. He has learned to be content whether in excess or in need. In other words, Paul’s contentment is not dependent upon the outside influence of material resources. Again, Paul’s contentment is not dependent upon what he has or does not have. Are you able to be content regardless of what is going on? If so, well done. I’m not so lucky. This is amazing. I am tempted to ask Paul how he does it.
Paul continues, “In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need.” So, Paul has some sort of secret to this contentment. Paul knows something that I need to know. What is Paul’s secret to being content through the ups and downs that life brings? Luckily he shares it, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Wow. The answer is Jesus. Find contentment in Christ, and you can be content through ups and downs because Christ strengthens you.
I’ll pause here because you may have heard the verse, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me,” and heard it applied in a different way. If we rip this sentence out of the paragraph we just read, and have it stand on its own, we can get it to mean all sorts of things. Such as, “I can make this business succeed, because I can do all things through him who strengthens me,” or,” I can become a professional athlete, because I can do all things…” and so on. One problem with reading it this way is that the person sets the agenda, “I can do _______” because God strengthens me. So, applying this would mean if I am in need, if I am without, then I need to get more and I can do it through him who strengthens me. The issue is that this is the opposite of what Paul is writing about in Philippians. Now, yes it is miraculous if you are able to do the impossible and solve the biggest problems because God makes you able to do it. However, in my humble opinion, it is even more miraculous if you are able to be content in Christ regardless of what else is going on, even if, especially if you cannot control it. In the first miracle you are figuring out what is best for you. In the second miracle you are trusting God to do what is ultimately best for you. I can only speak for myself, but for me, the bigger jump is for me to let go of control and to trust and ultimately to be content in Christ alone. I cannot do this on my own. Luckily, it is possible through God who strengthens me.
One Reply to “Contentment and miracles”