(Read the entire letter of Philippians as if hearing it’s loving message for the first time).
What a message from God! Notice the ending of peace and contentment and having all our needs supplied through God’s glorious riches in Christ Jesus!
Contentment... what is that?
A poet once wrote: “As a rule, man’s a fool. When it’s hot, he wants it cool. And when it’s cool, he wants it hot. Always wanting what is not.”
Or, as the Rolling Stones sang: I can’t get no, satisfaction.
The Mishna asks, “Who is rich?” and answers, “Those who are happy with their portion.”
Rabbi Meir Leibush comments: ... contentment is a feast without end.
Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:6 "... godliness with contentment is great gain."
Contentment!
Let’s look at what appears to be the final instruction of Paul about a powerful peace in Philippians 4. It culminates in contentment that settles us no matter what circumstances the world throws at us.
He begins this discussion telling two Christian women to make peace with one another in verses 2-3.
He continues by instructing us all in having joyful peace that passes understanding through thankful prayer in verses 4-7.
He then points our thinking toward good, wholesome, heavenly things with the promise that the God of peace will be with us if we practice this in verses 8-9.
Today let’s see how this peace leads to the power of contentment in every circumstance as Jesus Christ strengthens us. Christian Contentment is the result of the peace of God as we are guarded by the God of peace and empowered by Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Contentment...
Think of the people you know who are content in their lives. What is their secret? Is it that they have no struggles or situations that disturb them? Do they have everything in the world that they want? Are these the things that bring contentment?
Look at what the Bible says here about contentment. Christian contentment is not necessarily the removal of ourselves from trials, temptations, or struggles in this life. Christian contentment is not a feeling of getting everything our hearts desire. In fact, those who receive the most things in this life are often the least contented people.
Think about this generation and how much stuff we receive. If you want contented kids, do you give them everything their little hearts desire? Will that build contented children? No! That may only feed the monster that is the enemy of contentment. The least thankful and contented generation has had the most stuff ever, but not the most love, nurture and discipline. The ingredients of contentment are love, joy, peace, thankfulness, humility and service to Jesus Christ. If you have true contentment, it came from Him.
Listen to the passage again starting in the middle of verse 11:
...I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to have plenty and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
What has Paul uncovered here for us? Is it not the peace of contentment through the power of Jesus Christ in any and all circumstances?
Notice the circumstances he specifically talks about: abased and abounding, full and hungry, having plenty and being in need. These are things we experience and understand. Notice that contentment is not about abounding, being full and living with plenty. Contentment is still there when the Christian is abased, hungry and even in need. Christ strengthens us to have contentment in all circumstances.
There’s a song that talks about the raging storms of life and how Jesus Christ has the power over all things. The song writer instructs us to trust in Jesus and give ourselves to His care, knowing He is with us and will see us through. The refrain says, “Sometimes you calm the storms, and sometimes you calm the child.”
Contentment! God’s power in Christ giving us peace in any and every circumstance.
Paul proclaims, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”
The Stoics of Paul’s day used to say, “If you want to make a man happy, do not add to his possessions, but take away from his desires.” They said that the wealthiest man was the one who was content with the least.
The Stoic method of reaching contentment was to eliminate all emotion and feeling and do away with caring for anything at all. Epictetus taught his disciples: Begin with a cup or household utensel, if it breaks say, “I do not care.” Go on to a horse or pet, if anything happens to it say, “I do not care.” Go on to yourself, and if you are hurt or injured in any way, say, “I do not care.” If you go on long enough and try hard enough you can watch your nearest and dearest suffer and die and say, “I do not care.” Love was rooted out of life and caring was forbidden. (Barclay’s commentary on Philippians).
The Stoic philosophy was basically, grin and bear it. They believed that the god Fate was in charge and since there was nothing you could do about it, you should train yourself to be content by removing all care and emotion from your life. Believe it or not they had many followers in those days.
But this is not the contentment that Christ empowers us to have. Instead, we join with God in loving and caring to all the holy capacity of the affection of Christ. We learn to love and long for one another in holy relationship through Christ. We experience sorrow and pain with endurance instead of denial. There is true and real contentment that God gives us by the power of Jesus Christ. This contentment is not rooted in eleminating all emotion and feeling, but in redeeming relationships with one another, rejoicing in the Lord always, releasing our anxioties to the Lord in prayer with thanksgiving in our hearts, remembering to think on things above and repeatedly practicing these things as they have been modeled for us by mentors like Jesus, Paul, Timothy and others.
Christian contentment is not lazy satisfaction with my comfortable condition in life.
Christian contentment is God’s gift to the person who like Paul sees Christ is my purpose: "to live is Christ, to die is gain" Phil. 1:21. Christ is my pattern: "have this attitude in you which was also in Christ Jesus" Phil. 2:5. Christ is my prize: "I press on toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" Phil. 3:14. And Christ is my Power: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phil. 4:13.
Christian contentment is for all who would give heart and soul and mind and strength to serve the King of kings, Jesus Christ.
Let us close with these passages on contentment that call us to Christ:
1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
Hebrews 13: 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
6 So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?”
Notice: both of these passages put contentment in juxtaposition to seeking money or material gain.
Christ gives the power to be content to the person who puts Him first.
