Philippians: Learning to Be Content

There are certain passages in this book that are downright stunning to me. For instance, Paul doesn’t just tell the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord,” he tells them to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4). He doesn’t just say, “don’t worry,” he says, “don’t worry about anything” (Phil. 4:6) Now in today’s passage, Paul says, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Phil. 4:12)

Remember, Paul isn’t able to say these things because his life has been easy. Just the opposite! He faced life-threatening circumstances over and over again, all for the sake of Christ. Indeed, at the very moment he penned these words he was chained to a guard in a Roman prison. Even so, Paul had “learned the secret” of being content. 

What can we learn from Paul that can help us learn to be content no matter what comes our way?

The Greek word Paul uses for contentment means “satisfaction with what one has; independence from all things and all people.” It’s the idea of not needing anything, anyone, or any change in the circumstances in order to be at peace.

But how do you get there?  In Paul’s day, as in ours, there were two philosophies that people followed to ease their discontent. Counterfeit contentment, you could say. 

Contentment isn’t a matter of giving in to stoicism. Stoicism believes the goal is to get rid of desire, to eliminate emotion. In other words, to simply not care. 

In today’s parlance, the watchword would be “whatever.” “My job’s been eliminated. Whatever. I don’t care.”

But this is not what Paul is talking about.

Contentment isn’t a matter of turning in to self-sufficiency. This is the philosophy of the Cynics. One of their beliefs is to trust no one but yourself. 

The problem with that is, the only resources you have are the ones you can muster up, and when those run out, you’re out of luck. That’s why Cynics are seldom content; they’re bitter.

So, what’s Paul’s secret? It’s found in verse 13. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

This is one of the most popular verses in the Bible, used as motivation by athletes and millions of others facing challenging situations. But we would do well to understand that the original context of these words has to do with learning to be content.  What they remind us is that…

Contentment is a matter of leaning in to divine sovereignty. Paul’s contentment was anchored in His awareness that Christ was enough and that his life was controlled by a sovereign God who worked all things together for our good and His glory.

Here are some actions steps that can help us when discontentment creeps in.

Ponder: thank God for all that you do have. Discontentment is largely triggered by ingratitude. Instead of focusing on what isn’t, thank God for what is. One of the secrets of contentment is gratitude.

Wonder: ask yourself what God might be up to. God is always at work. What might He want you to learn about Him, about you? How might He use these circumstances for the greater progress of the gospel?

Surrender: trust God’s heart rather than your understanding.  There will be times when God’s actions baffle us. In those moments, we much surrender our need to understand the situation and fall back on what you know is true about God – His character and love for you.

Text: Philippians 4:10-13, 2 Corinthians 11:23-28; 12:7-12

Originally recorded on February 1, 2009, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN