The Secret of Being Content

Introduction

“I’ve Got a Dream” song video clip from Tangled?

Contentment video

We’ve come to the last message in our Surprised by Joy message series, taking a journey through the book of Philippians, and today we end our journey in the same place where the Apostle Paul ended his letter to the church at Philippi: At the idea and experience of contentment.

Game?

I want to do a quick group exercise to get all thinking along the same track, ok?

I want you to tell me the answer to the following question:

“I dig out tiny caves, and store gold and silver in them. I also build bridges of silver and make crowns of gold. They are the smallest you could imagine. Sooner or later everybody needs my help, yet many people are afraid to let me help them. Who am I?”

Doesn’t it just drive you crazy when you really want something, and you just can’t get it?

Like when you are trying to remember someone’s name and you can think of everything about them EXCEPT their name?

Along the same idea, yet much more seriously, we find contentment to be just as frustratingly elusive, don’t we?

I want you to fill in the blank right here and now, and I want you to be brutally honest. I won’t ask you to show this to anyone. If you’re not taking notes physically, participate in your mind with us.

I would be content with my life if ___________________________________________

Contentment. It might be the goal of just about everyone. To get a good night’s sleep without worry. To not have to have too much month left at the end of money. To not have to wrestle with regret, or would’ve/should’ve/could’ve thoughts.

We want to know that our faith lives are pleasing to the Lord, we want to be a part of a true and biblical church family, yet, virtually every statistical survey on the American church shows that Christians are not content in this are either.

We just want to live our lives with a measure of comfort that is probably more psychological than it is physical. In other words, even if we didn’t have much money, it would be such a freeing thing to know that we have enough money, and to not feel like we are constantly running on the hamster wheel of life.

Many of our prayers and petitions to God are concerning our contentment, or lack thereof.

And when it comes to God, what does He want me to do to be content in Him?

I’m trusting Him for the things I need, yet I am still restless and certainly not content.

The Apostle Paul teaches us what contentment really means as we continue our Surprised by Joy series walking through the book of Philippians.

As we come to God’s Word this morning, let’s pray.

Philippians 4:10–23 NIV

10 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. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 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. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. 14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 21 Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings. 22 All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

To set up the scene, Paul is in prison and he is writing to the church at Philippi. And in his closing remarks, he thanks them for their generous financial gift to him, and then tells them that they do not need to send any more money, because he has received a gift that supplies him with more than enough for his daily physical needs.

Amazingly, Paul, who I remind you is IN PRISON, is more concerned that the believers at Philippi grow in their maturity and generosity than he is about making bail. In verse 17, Paul says:

Philippians 4:17 NIV

17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.

While that point is made clear near the end of his letter, the main emphasis for this section comes at almost the beginning of our text for today. Let’s read verses 10-13 one more time before we dive into some applicational specifics this morning.

Philippians 4:10–13 NIV

10 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. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 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. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 11: Ephesians through Philemon A. The Recent Gift (4:10–14)

The apostle hastens to make clear that though he undoubtedly had a need, it was not relief of this need that primarily concerned him. He had learned to be content with what God provided, irrespective of circumstances. It is significant that Paul had to “learn” this virtue. Contentment is not natural to most of mankind.

In Stoic philosophy, autarkēs (“content”) described a person who accepted impassively whatever came. Circumstances that he could not change were regarded as the will of God, and fretting was useless. This philosophy fostered a self-sufficiency in which all the resources for coping with life were located within man himself. In contrast, Paul locates his sufficiency in Christ who provides strength for believers.

12 Paul understood what it was to be in want as well as “to have plenty.” The latter may refer to his earlier days as a rising figure in Judaism (Gal 1:14) or to the possibility that he had received a sum of money more recently. On the other hand, the expression may be merely relative. It may be that Paul considered the times he was not suffering privation to be times of plenty (e.g., Acts 9:19, 28; 16:15, 33, 34; 18:3; 21:8). He had learned the secret of trusting God “in every [particular] situation” (en panti) and in all situations as a whole (en pasin).

13 His was no Stoic philosophy, however. He did not trace his resources to some inner fortitude that would enable him to take with equanimity whatever life brought him. Instead, his strength for “everything” lay in the One who continually empowered him.

The name “Christ,” to which we are accustomed through the KJV translation of v. 13, does not appear in the most reliable manuscripts, but surely Paul has Christ in mind. The apostle was not desperately seeking a gift from the Philippians, because he knew that Christ would give him the strength for whatever circumstances were in God’s will for him.

Paul makes it clear that though he certainly has needs, it is not relief of this need that was his major concern.

Why?

Because, as Paul says, he has learned to be content with what God has provided him.

This gives us our first point for the day:

Contentment is not natural to mankind

Of course, we all know the areas in our lives wherein we are not content, but let’s look at this from a macro perspective. Where in the world can you find or think of a group of people who are automatically content with their lives?

You don’t have to look around the world, just look at our culture. We have a culture built on ideological discontent and coveting. Our politicians plays this to the hilt, and advertisers constantly remind us that our lives would be so much better if we had their product.

Everyone on the planet knows that the world is messed up, yet no human being has been able to make everything better, and so the discontentment continues.

How do we know that contentment is not natural to mankind?

Philippians 4:11 NIV

11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Paul admits that he had to learn to be content in any given circumstance.

This is such a critical admission by Paul because, not only does it tell us that contentment is not natural to us as human beings, but it also says that contentment is not given, inherited, captured, earned, acquired, or anything else other than learned. And to learn something means that we must pursue something that the benefit of which occurs over a period of time.

Next, Paul gives examples of various kinds of circumstances, both good and bad, and then Paul tells us the secret:

Philippians 4:13 NIV

13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Now, this is one of the most often quoted Scriptures by Christians in the Bible. And what is remarkable about this verse is that, in most cases that I have seen this verse referenced, it has NOTHING to do with context of the verse, or thereby the meaning of the verse.

Most often, I see this verse used to describe athletic ability.

Next, I see this verse quoted as a kind of mantra for a person to get through one circumstance or another.

But I really don’t see this verse used in a context and meaning that is consistent with its presentation in Scripture.

This verse has nothing to do with physical feats of accomplishment.

And this verse really is not about seeing you through a tough time.

This verse is about how to be content all the time because of and in Christ. This verse is about how contentment can be a steady heart attitude in our lives even when the winds of opposition blow against us.

How do we know this?

The “all this” that Paul speaks of is in reference to the following phrases:

being in need/having plenty

any and every situation

whether well fed/hungry

living in plenty/or in want

And Paul is saying that the secret to being content is relying on God’s strength in order to enjoy the Peace of Christ (i.e. contentment) in any and every situation.

Well great. If that’s the secret, how do I do it? How can I be content in the way that the Apostle Paul describes?

First, let’s quickly identify some of the obstacles to contentment that we deal with. If we are going to have an effective course of action, we need to be able to rightly identify our adversaries.

Obstacles to Contentment:

Comfort

Stuff makes us feel comfortable, and we have confused comfort with contentment.

How many people have everything and yet are still empty?

Billy Graham talking with Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees story

Philippians 3:8 NIV

8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ

In everyday practical terms, what does it mean to do this? It means at least these things:

1. Counting all as loss means that, if we must choose between Christ and anything else, we will choose Christ.

Even though God does not bring us to the crisis of either-or at every point, nevertheless, we are ready, and have resolved in our hearts that, if the choice must be made, we will chose Christ.

2. Counting all as loss) means that we will deal with everything in ways that draw us nearer to Christ, so that we gain more of Christ, and enjoy more of him, by the way we relate to everything.

That is, we will embrace everything pleasant, by being thankful to Christ; and we will endure everything hurtful, by being patient through Christ.

3. Counting all as loss means that we will seek to deal with the things of this world in ways that show that they are not our treasure, but rather that Christ is our treasure.

That is, we will hold things loosely, share things generously, and ascribe value to things in relation to Christ. We will seek to live the paradox of , “Let [Christians] buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it.”

4. Renouncing all (counting all as loss) means that if we lose any or all the things this world can offer, we will not lose our joy, or our treasure, or our life — because Christ is our joy and our treasure and our life.

That is, in smaller losses we will not grumble (), and in greater losses we will grieve, but not as those who have not hope ().

Conditions

Often times, this is route we use when trying to seek contentment through relationships.

Luke 15:28–30 NIV

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

We put conditions on others that we expect them to meet in order for us to be contented. Of course, I have yet to hear of any relationship wherein two or more people never let each other down. And when relationships suffer hurts, our conditions for contentment turn into reasons for bitterness, and sometimes an entitled spirit.

To be clear, I am not saying that people do not meet certain relational needs, but again, biblical contentment is something that only comes from Christ, and therefore we cannot ask a person, that is, a creation, to do for us what only the Creator can do.

Comparison

Acts 5 NIV

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed. Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to. Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Acts 5:1–10 NIV

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

Exodus 25 ESV

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it. “They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you. “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel. “You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly. “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold. And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

What happened?

Ananias and Sapphira saw that other believers were sacrificing greatly for the church, and they wanted to look good, so they sacrificed SOME of their stuff, but told the church that they gave everything.

They were under no compulsion to sacrifice anything, let alone everything, but, because they th

Exodus 20:17 NIV

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Exodus 25:17 ESV

“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.

We are not compare ourselves to each other in such a way that we start to think that if we only had their life that we would be content.

Maybe the most common way we do this in public is on Facebook. I’m not against Facebook or anything, but when you see your friend’s picture of their family sitting down to a nice meal, all the children sitting in their seats and smiling. Mom and Dad look so happy and thrilled. And the meal looks expertly prepared, you know that your friend is lying.

At the same time, its hard to see all the highlights of everybody’s life when you feel like you don’t have any of your own.

Nonetheless, comparison will not lead to contentment. Neither will conditions or comfort.

It is also important to recognize that

Ok. Now that we know the obstacles, what is the objective?

How can I be content like the Apostle Paul was and described?

As we look at our practical apps for the day, I want you to think about where you are discontent.

How are you trying to address your discontent?

From what or whom are you seeking your contentment?

Practical Apps

Today, there are two specific applications to help us seek Christ as our contentment.

Stop asking creation to do for you what only Christ can do in and through you.

Matthew 6:33 NIV

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Know the difference between being content in Christ in every situation, and being content about the situation.

Isaiah 1:17 NIV

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

One of the most difficult things about learning contentment is that we often have to learn to be content in Christ through situations and circumstances that may be unjust, and are often times painful in one way or another.

It is not biblical to be content about situations of injustice, oppression, or abuse. We need to promote God’s justice for people. And we need to defend those who cannot defend themselves.

Isaiah says to take up their cause. This is more than just giving them an encouraging word, but getting messy with others so that both of you may be made clean, and content, in Christ.

So, where are you right now in terms of contentment?

Are you seeking contentment from creation?

Are you trying to demand content from someone else?

Are you holding yourself ransom from Christ, trying to win your contentment through a spiritual standoff?

Are you caught in an unjust circumstance and need encouragement to recognize Christ as your contentment?

No matter where you are, the One who is enough in every situation is Christ.

As we do, we will sing a song of response, but you may sense that you need to pray that you can seek God first and only in the situation you’re in right now. If you need to pray, we invite you to pray with a member of our prayer team and take one more step toward contentment in Christ.

Lets stand together now, and respond together, as we call on Christ and only Christ to be our contentment.