The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

We are swiftly approaching the end of the book of Philippians but despite the number of verses in the letter getting smaller, the Apostle Paul still has a lot for us as we get closer to the end. Philippians 4:10-13 is where we will be in this study and verse 13 is one of the most popular verses in not just the book of Philippians but probably the whole Bible. But it is probably most popular because it has been misapplied by Christians and non-Christians alike but we will talk about that a bit more towards the end of the video. The primary purpose of this study is to talk about something that we tend to neglect and that is contentment. What does contentment mean? At its most basic definition, it means to be satisfied. The Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs taught a series of sermons that would later be published on the topic of Christian contentment and it was entitled The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment and I understand that I’m mainly being watched by teenagers but if you are able to find a copy of this book, maybe updated in more modern English, it is an absolutely amazing study that really causes you to search your soul and mind. Burroughs bases his sermons pretty much entirely on the verses that we are about to look at and he says that Christian contentment is special because there is nothing else like it. He says, “This Contentment is a comfort to a mans spirit in this, that it does keep in his comforts, and keeps out whatsoever may dampen his comforts, or put out the light of them.” Basically what he is saying is that there is nothing quite like finding contentment in Christ because when one finds their contentment in Christ, the circumstances of the world will play no influence on that contentment. Let’s look then at what Paul has to say in Philippians 4:10-13

Philippians 4:10–13 ESV

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Christian Contentment

Again in these verses we see Paul’s overarching theme of rejoicing. The Apostle Paul was a special man. I don’t think it is much of a stretch to say that if there was a contest, he is the greatest Christian to have ever lived. Paul’s eyes were so set on Christ that he could go through the furnace of affliction without a care in the world because his heart was set totally on His Savior. To think of what Paul was going through as he wrote this letter is remarkable. This man was in the belly of the beast but you can hardly tell that from the way that Philippians is written. For Paul to say that he has learned to be content or satisfied in whatever situation that he is in, that covers a long line of situations. Paul gives just some of them in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28

2 Corinthians 11:24–28 ESV

Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

That’s quite the list! I can’t say that I have experienced any of these things, aside from some anxiety over the church or a couple sleepless nights, but surely not to the same extent of Paul! Charles Hodge said that this passage more than almost any other passage should cause the modern pastor to hide their heads in shame because what have we ever done or suffered in comparison to what Paul did? I think that even despite these things, Paul was content with his circumstances. Now Christian contentment doesn’t mean putting on a happy face when the world kicks your teeth in. It doesn’t ask you to just ask ok when things are clearly not ok but it does allow someone to look at any and all circumstances and realize that there is more to this life than the here and now and it is the future glory that is to come that my eyes are set on. Through Paul’s experiences, he has learned to find the silver lining in all things. He has learned that the harder he leaned on Christ, the stronger he discovered Him to be. Jason Meyer wrote, “Paul constructs a spectrum to account for the whole range of human experience with respect to material provisions, with two opposing poles (bountiful surplus or extreme deficit). The amount of provision will vary, but his contentment in Christ remains constant. Christ’s power and presence encompass the whole range of human existence; there is nowhere Paul could go and nothing he could experience that could ever take him beyond the tender and strong empowering embrace of Christ.” Our situations may change but our Lord never does. He is not caught off guard by the things that we go through and He is more than sufficient to carry us through any situation that we come across. The same Holy Spirit that empowered the Apostle Paul is the same Holy Spirit that lives inside each and every believer so we too can live like Paul. What then was Paul’s secret to contentment? It’s in verse 13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Verse 13 in Context

Paul’s secret to contentment is that he can endure anything when the All-powerful God is strengthening Him. What does this verse mean in context then? I sometimes say that for a lot of people, they actually read verse 13 as, “I can do all things through this verse that I take out of context.” What this verse doesn’t mean is that Christians can physically do anything that they want. A Christian shouting this verse as he jumps off the Empire State Building hoping to fly is a dead Christian a few moments later. This verse doesn’t remove the responsibility that Christians have to live holy and righteous lives. It’s not an excuse for us to do whatever we want to. This verse is a reminder that we are nothing without grace. We are desperate people that are desperate for the grace and strength that only Christ can provide. Steven Lawson also notes that this verse means that we can do all things as within the will of God. Anything that God calls us to do, we can do. If God calls us to be content in Him, and He does, then He will provide the strength for us to do that. The strength of believers is never found in their own abilities, it is found solely in the God of all creation. Alec Motyer wrote, “No circumstance could ever arise which would be too much for Paul’s God, and therefore no circumstance could ever beat Paul.” The secret to Christian contentment is understanding that everything that you truly need to be able to rejoice in the Lord is already in your possession. If you possess Christ; you possess everything that you truly need. Will less than ideal circumstances come? Absolutely but when your eyes are on Christ alone, those less than ideal circumstances will not be able to take away your joy and satisfaction. Let’s pray together and thank God for what He has done for us and continue to ask Him for the strength that only He can provide.