“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.” – Philippians 4:12.
It always makes me laugh how Paul uses the word “secret” in this verse. To many Christians, being content isn’t really too big of a secret, although to others we seek tirelessly to come to this level of contentment without ever finding it.
Contentment has been beating me around recently…it feels like I hear it everywhere. Our pastor preached out of Philippians 4 for about a month. My verse-of-the-day on my phone came up to 1 Timothy 6:6-10…verses 6-8 read, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” And of course, God’s trying to send me a message…I hate it when He does that sometimes.
As per my usual template, this is typically the part of the note where I give a life update and describe what caused me to start writing. This one isn’t any different. :) Life’s definitely been better to me than what I deserve recently. I finally have an answer to prayer in a well-paying job that I enjoy. It’s clear to me that God placed me here because of many things I’ve gone through already. I finally have an opportunity to serve my fellow man by helping them out with their computer problems. And I’ve had to deal with growing pains of being in the “real world” and being around people that curse and use other crude language. All in all, it’s been a good test of my faith and I’m happy I’m here.
However for the past few nights, I’ve been feeling pretty low. Last night was the kicker. It was a combination of loneliness, doubt, failure, and being misunderstood. In terms of contentment, these are pretty much the opposite feelings I should be having. It was a surprise attack and I was losing.
For me, seeking contentment sometimes takes the form of bitterness. We always say if we can have just this one more thing, then and ONLY then will we be content. And, not to be proud or boastful, I have a vast head-knowledge of the right way to live, but it’s the application that I have trouble with. I KNOW we’re supposed to be content in all situations. And since I know that I try to force it, and it comes out in the form of bitterness. “Fine God, I can’t have what I want. You want me to be content? FINE! I’ll be content! THERE, I’M CONTENT NOW.” Yeah, it doesn’t work that way.
So I drove to work today and began by listening to music that wouldn’t exactly help the mood I was in. As I was scrolling through songs and figuring out which one I wanted to listen to, “My Life Be Like” by Gritz came on. Not really the song I expected, but it was what I needed. It’s a really chill song, but it has a very deep yet simple message behind it. The chorus goes “It’s times like these that make me say / Lord if you see me please come my way / Leaving breadcrumbs for when I stray / Rely on the sacrifice and the price that you paid / Feel me like a fingertip / Sometimes I fall, I slip / My heartfelt desire be more like you / Tryin’ not to quench your fire with the things that I do” It’s really mellow and beautiful, but the lyric that got ahold of me was at the end of the first verse, “Catch a second wind thin is the air I breathe / Teary-eyed nose running, wipin’ snot on my sleeve / I’m callin’ on the Savior to be all that I need / Please forgive me my behavior had me lost at light speed”
There was something that this song revealed to me this morning. I found that through an ill-founded pursuit of being content, I put up walls around my heart. I wanted to be content with what I had, so I put up walls in an attempt to not even let anything new come in. This is the wrong attitude to have. Anything that God gives us is out of His grace alone, and is already more than we deserve.
This is something that we all face and probably all struggle with. To argue with Paul a little bit, I really don’t think contentment is that big of a secret. Actually, it’s pretty straightforward: trust God. God has already done more than He should’ve had to in order to help us along. He’s given us the Bible to consult for any and all of our life’s problems. He’s given us a perfect blood sacrifice for all the times we mess up. He’s given us a promise of a home that’s more beautiful than we could ever hope to dream. But I want an xbox! I want that cute dress in the window! I want happiness!
God is too good to us sometimes. I know that I still sit here and complain about things I don’t have, full independence and a girlfriend being the prime things. But as I’m writing this, I’m sitting at a help desk waiting for calls to come in as I’m on salary for, well, more than I deserve to make. I know after work, I get to go to a nice warm roof over my head where there will be food on the table. Yet the people that are more content than me? They’re the ones that struggle day to day just to get food on the table. Contentment is really a matter of perspective. It’s a scary thought to let go and trust someone with all of our situations, but when we realize that we’re putting our trust in a God that’s more able than us, we reach this feeling of contentment. I really enjoy how Paul talks about his struggles with almost a half-hearted tone. “Yeah, I was stripped naked, beaten, and thrown in jail. No big deal. I trusted God. Smiley face.” We could all take a pretty serious lesson from that. I try to remind myself every day about Paul’s example, about Job’s attitude in the face of ultimate suffering, and about the degree of Jesus’ suffering even after saying “yet not as I will, but as You will”. It’s no wonder we receive so many warnings about the rich, how it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get to heaven (which I haven’t tried, but I bet it’d be pretty difficult). Are the rich ever content? They have more than they could possibly hope for here on earth, yet it’ll all fade upon their death. I don’t know Steve Jobs’ religious background but last time I checked, the Apple empire was still headquartered in California, not heaven. I’ll admit, contentment is sometimes a difficult thing to seek. But if Paul found the secret, we can too. Paul was just an ordinary guy just like us, he just trusted God a whole lot more than we do.
I’m at work as I write this, so it may not be as impactful as I want it to be. But I genuinely pray that this will encourage at least one person to truly seek a level of contentment that most don’t have. This life isn’t about what we don’t have. This life is a blink before God, and we owe it entirely to Him to live as passionately as we can, and to be content with the blessings that we get from God. God loves us through all good times and tough times. I’m going to include a link that I found at the bottom of this that I found…I think it explains things better than I probably ever could. Thanks for reading, friends.
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:29
“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.” – Philippians 4:12.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” – 1 Timothy 6:6-8
“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” - Psalm 16:11
http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Fellowship/What_Bible_Contentment.html
It always makes me laugh how Paul uses the word “secret” in this verse. To many Christians, being content isn’t really too big of a secret, although to others we seek tirelessly to come to this level of contentment without ever finding it.
Contentment has been beating me around recently…it feels like I hear it everywhere. Our pastor preached out of Philippians 4 for about a month. My verse-of-the-day on my phone came up to 1 Timothy 6:6-10…verses 6-8 read, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” And of course, God’s trying to send me a message…I hate it when He does that sometimes.
As per my usual template, this is typically the part of the note where I give a life update and describe what caused me to start writing. This one isn’t any different. :) Life’s definitely been better to me than what I deserve recently. I finally have an answer to prayer in a well-paying job that I enjoy. It’s clear to me that God placed me here because of many things I’ve gone through already. I finally have an opportunity to serve my fellow man by helping them out with their computer problems. And I’ve had to deal with growing pains of being in the “real world” and being around people that curse and use other crude language. All in all, it’s been a good test of my faith and I’m happy I’m here.
However for the past few nights, I’ve been feeling pretty low. Last night was the kicker. It was a combination of loneliness, doubt, failure, and being misunderstood. In terms of contentment, these are pretty much the opposite feelings I should be having. It was a surprise attack and I was losing.
For me, seeking contentment sometimes takes the form of bitterness. We always say if we can have just this one more thing, then and ONLY then will we be content. And, not to be proud or boastful, I have a vast head-knowledge of the right way to live, but it’s the application that I have trouble with. I KNOW we’re supposed to be content in all situations. And since I know that I try to force it, and it comes out in the form of bitterness. “Fine God, I can’t have what I want. You want me to be content? FINE! I’ll be content! THERE, I’M CONTENT NOW.” Yeah, it doesn’t work that way.
So I drove to work today and began by listening to music that wouldn’t exactly help the mood I was in. As I was scrolling through songs and figuring out which one I wanted to listen to, “My Life Be Like” by Gritz came on. Not really the song I expected, but it was what I needed. It’s a really chill song, but it has a very deep yet simple message behind it. The chorus goes “It’s times like these that make me say / Lord if you see me please come my way / Leaving breadcrumbs for when I stray / Rely on the sacrifice and the price that you paid / Feel me like a fingertip / Sometimes I fall, I slip / My heartfelt desire be more like you / Tryin’ not to quench your fire with the things that I do” It’s really mellow and beautiful, but the lyric that got ahold of me was at the end of the first verse, “Catch a second wind thin is the air I breathe / Teary-eyed nose running, wipin’ snot on my sleeve / I’m callin’ on the Savior to be all that I need / Please forgive me my behavior had me lost at light speed”
There was something that this song revealed to me this morning. I found that through an ill-founded pursuit of being content, I put up walls around my heart. I wanted to be content with what I had, so I put up walls in an attempt to not even let anything new come in. This is the wrong attitude to have. Anything that God gives us is out of His grace alone, and is already more than we deserve.
This is something that we all face and probably all struggle with. To argue with Paul a little bit, I really don’t think contentment is that big of a secret. Actually, it’s pretty straightforward: trust God. God has already done more than He should’ve had to in order to help us along. He’s given us the Bible to consult for any and all of our life’s problems. He’s given us a perfect blood sacrifice for all the times we mess up. He’s given us a promise of a home that’s more beautiful than we could ever hope to dream. But I want an xbox! I want that cute dress in the window! I want happiness!
God is too good to us sometimes. I know that I still sit here and complain about things I don’t have, full independence and a girlfriend being the prime things. But as I’m writing this, I’m sitting at a help desk waiting for calls to come in as I’m on salary for, well, more than I deserve to make. I know after work, I get to go to a nice warm roof over my head where there will be food on the table. Yet the people that are more content than me? They’re the ones that struggle day to day just to get food on the table. Contentment is really a matter of perspective. It’s a scary thought to let go and trust someone with all of our situations, but when we realize that we’re putting our trust in a God that’s more able than us, we reach this feeling of contentment. I really enjoy how Paul talks about his struggles with almost a half-hearted tone. “Yeah, I was stripped naked, beaten, and thrown in jail. No big deal. I trusted God. Smiley face.” We could all take a pretty serious lesson from that. I try to remind myself every day about Paul’s example, about Job’s attitude in the face of ultimate suffering, and about the degree of Jesus’ suffering even after saying “yet not as I will, but as You will”. It’s no wonder we receive so many warnings about the rich, how it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get to heaven (which I haven’t tried, but I bet it’d be pretty difficult). Are the rich ever content? They have more than they could possibly hope for here on earth, yet it’ll all fade upon their death. I don’t know Steve Jobs’ religious background but last time I checked, the Apple empire was still headquartered in California, not heaven. I’ll admit, contentment is sometimes a difficult thing to seek. But if Paul found the secret, we can too. Paul was just an ordinary guy just like us, he just trusted God a whole lot more than we do.
I’m at work as I write this, so it may not be as impactful as I want it to be. But I genuinely pray that this will encourage at least one person to truly seek a level of contentment that most don’t have. This life isn’t about what we don’t have. This life is a blink before God, and we owe it entirely to Him to live as passionately as we can, and to be content with the blessings that we get from God. God loves us through all good times and tough times. I’m going to include a link that I found at the bottom of this that I found…I think it explains things better than I probably ever could. Thanks for reading, friends.
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:29
“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.” – Philippians 4:12.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” – 1 Timothy 6:6-8
“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” - Psalm 16:11
http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Fellowship/What_Bible_Contentment.html
