Philippians 27: The Secret of Being Content

Philippians 27: The Secret of Being Content

“I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:10-13)

Contentment is a very rare thing. It’s in very short supply in a world built on consumer capitalism. There are those who have so much, but always want just a little more, and there are those who don’t have enough because of the exploitation of others. Even those in the middle, who lead pretty comfortable lives, find it hard to be content when digital advertising, social media and the people next door are always flaunting the latest must-have gadget, appliance or experience.

The truth is, we will never have enough to satisfy us because possessions and lifestyles can never satisfy us – there’s always something newer or better. So wouldn’t we want to know the secret of contentment? That’s what Paul calls it: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (v. 12).

He also says that “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (v. 11), which shows us two things: 1) contentment is something that can be learned, and 2) contentment has nothing to do with your circumstances. Paul had experienced everything on a wide spectrum of circumstances from privileged wealth to abject poverty and privation, so he should know. Some of the poorest people on the planet can be the most contented, while wealth often just brings more things to worry about.

Paul doesn’t actually tell us what the secret is, at least not explicitly. He clearly learned something through his epic and eventful life of travel and evangelism, and he says in verse 13 that “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” That, right there, is one of the most mis-quoted verses in the Bible, because people forever use it to mean that they can do whatever they have set their sights on, when really it is to do with contentment. That’s the context. Of course, God gives us all strength in lots of ways and for lots of purposes, but here, God has graced Paul with the strength to be content.

Contentment is a choice and a state of mind. It is something that must be chosen and stuck to with real mental and spiritual strength. That strength can only come from God, because on our own we’d never be able to keep it up.

Contentment means trusting God, trusting that He will provide for us in our greatest need and remembering that even in plenty we should keep our trust in God, not in our salaries or material possessions. If Paul’s life had taught him anything, it was that God could be trusted. God had stuck by Paul through success and failure, through comfort and destitution, through safety and danger. Paul’s experiences taught him to trust God, and from that trust flowed contentment. If you trust God to provide for you tomorrow, no matter what tomorrow holds, then you can be content with what you have. But if you don’t trust God, then contentment will always flutter away from you, because you’ll be constantly striving to safeguard things for yourself.

The secret of contentment lies in knowing that through need or plenty, God is always faithful. God will always provide for us, no matter what the circumstances, and so we can be content. It’s something we all have to learn, and most of us will probably spend a whole life learning it (remember, Paul said this as a wise old man, not as a swaggering youth), but we can do this through God who gives us strength. Contentment comes from God and points us back to God, a virtuous cycle of provision, trust and gratitude.

Key takeaway: contentment is a conscious choice to trust a faithful God.

Come back next week for more in Philippians chapter 4, but in the meantime, thanks for reading, and be blessed.

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