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Philippians 4:11, 12 - The Secret of Contentment.Philippians 4:11, 12 (NIV) 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.INTRODUCTION Are you getting along happily - being content - in any circumstances you face? Paul knew how to be content whether he had plenty or whether he was in need. The secret was drawing on Christ's power for strength. Do you have great needs, or are you discontent because you don't have what you want? Learn to rely on God's promises and Christ's power to help you be content. If you always want more, ask God to remove that desire and teach you contentment in every circumstance. Thank him each day for all the blessings you do have. He will meet all your needs, but in a way that he knows is best for you. (For more on how God meets our needs, see the note on 4:19.) Paul was content because he could see life from God's point of view. He focused on what he was supposed to do, not what he felt he should have. Paul had his priorities straight, and he was grateful for everything God had given him. Paul had detached himself from the nonessential so that he could concentrate on the eternal. Often the desire for something more or better indicates a longing to fill an empty place in a person's life. To what are you drawn when you feel empty inside? How can you find true contentment? The answer lies in your perspective, your priorities, and your source of power. [Life Application SB 2019] COMMENTARY PEARL The Root of True Joy God isn't slow to showcase His generosity, blessing us and meeting our needs. But if we're to find genuine contentment, we must be careful not to make our earthly blessings the source of our joy. Ask yourself honestly: Would you still be joyful without the tangible gifts that God has given you? Near the end of Paul's letter to the Philippians, he demonstrated how his joy was rooted in Jesus, the only enduring source for true contentment in any situation. He knew that everything could be taken away from him - his work, his possessions, even his earthly freedom as he was repeatedly thrown in prison. And yet he rejoiced because he had the one thing that no one could ever take away: Jesus. The same can be true for you. It's not bad to ask the Lord to bless you! Ask away! He wants to answer prayers and provide for you. But don't let your joy become anchored to the stuff or status you desire. There is only one unchanging anchor of joy in this world, and it's found in the person of Jesus. Dear God, no matter my circumstances, I surrender and declare that my joy is rooted in You! [Grace and Glory by Louie Giglio] COMMENTARY Live Above Your Circumstances Learn to live above your circumstances. God made you as you are! He placed you where you are! So you can best serve and glorify Him just as you are, where you are. Some people are always looking on the other side of the fence because they think the grass is greener. They overlook all the advantages and opportunities open to them right where they are. Paul said he had learned how to abound and how to be abased. He had learned to be every inch a Christian even in prison. Don't let your circumstances get you down. Learn to live graciously within them, realizing the Lord Himself is with you. These principles and suggestions may seem simple, but they work. I have seen them tested in the lives of thousands. I have tested them in my own life. They will give you peace of soul, happiness, peace of mind, and pleasure, and you will have learned the secret of living life with satisfaction. Why do you think God placed you where you are? [Peace for Each Day by Billy Graham] Contingent Contentment Does your happiness depend on what you drive? Wear? Deposit? Spray on? If so, you have entered the rat race called materialism. The cycle is predictable. You assume, If I get a car, I'll be happy. The car wears out, so you look for joy elsewhere. If I get married ... If we can have a baby ... If I get the new job ... If I can retire ... In each case joy comes, then diminishes. By the time you reach old age, life has repeatedly let you down. Contingent contentment turns us into wounded, worried people. Paul advances a healthier strategy. He learned to be content with what he had. Which is remarkable since he had a jail cell instead of a house, chains instead of jewelry, a guard instead of a wife. How could he be content? Simple. He focused on a different list. He had Christ, and Christ was enough. What he had in Christ was far greater than what he didn't have in life. Here's a suggestion: challenge yourself to say the same. [You Can Count On God by Max Lucado] CLOSING PEARL We live in a society permeated by discontent. Commercials condition us to be envious. The real issue, though, is not so much the society we live in but the state of our own hearts and minds. We're drawn away from contentment by so much which clamors for our attention: titles, possessions, influence, or fame. Yet all of these and more seek to rob us of any sense of joy in what God has given us, persuading us that it will never be enough. The chase is never-ending. Paul, though, could say not only that he was content but that he could be content "in whatever situation I am." This is what everyone is searching for! What was the secret, then? It was to ground his sense of self and his outlook on life in the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul didn't champion a stiff upper lip in the face of hardship or offer a false gospel of self-sufficiency. No, his contentment was the result of bowing his heart and mind to God's will, no matter what conditions he faced. Not everyone has lived on both sides of the Street. Not everyone knows how the other half lives. But Paul did. He knew what it was to be warm and fed, and he knew what it was to be cold and naked. If he had derived contentment from his circumstances, his life would have been a constant roller-coaster ride, leaving him intoxicated by wonderful luxuries one minute and overwhelmed by their absence the next. Such a fickle spirit would have neutralized Paul, making him unable to serve Christ. Paul was a normal man with normal needs. In a letter to Timothy from a dungeon in Rome, Paul wrote, "Do your best to come to me soon ... Bring the cloak ... the books, and above all the parchments" (2 Timothy 4:9, 13). He had been deserted by others and lacked certain possessions. Yes, Paul wanted things like clothing, books, and company - but he knew he would be fine without them, for his peace rested in something greater. Like Paul, YOUR CONTENTMENT CAN AND SHOULD ULTIMATELY BE GROUNDED IN YOUR UNION WITH JESUS. Refuse any ambition other than belonging to Him and remaining entirely at His disposal. When you know Christ and how wonderful He is - that He is your all in all, more precious than silver, more costly than gold, more beautiful than diamonds, and that nothing you have compares to Him - the way you view your circumstances and the measure of your contentment will be completely transformed. [Truth for Life by Alistair Begg] LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY Philippians 4:11, 12 - The Secret of Contentment. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230628-1122.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20221012-0851.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220105-0847.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210831-0921.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190704-1038.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2017/20170813-1145.html Philippians 4:19 - All Our Needs Fulfilled In Christ. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2025/20250413-1501.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |