Learning to Be Content

In Philippians 4:11, Paul makes a simple, yet very profound statement. He says, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”
Like, I said, it’s very simple. But it is also incredible. Content? In any situation? Can Paul really be serious? Is such a thing possible, especially in a society in which we are hardly content with anything? We have roofs over our heads, warm beds to sleep in, and food on our tables. Despite the economy, most of us are still employed. We are surrounded by friends and family. We all have iPods, iPhones, and laptop computers. We have televisions, hi-fi stereos, and game consoles.
But we’re not content. Why? Could it be that we’re expecting all our toys and gadgets to provide satisfaction that they were never intended to provide? Certainly, we have come to realize that the newest and best thing you buy today will be obsolete tomorrow.
To be fair, not everyone is looking to find satisfaction in these things. I know people who do not own iPods, Kindles, the latest and greatest gaming systems, or even fancy cell phones. And these people are perfectly content with not owning them. It isn’t that they can’t afford to buy them; they just don’t have any need or desire for those things.
These people would probably say, “I don’t need all those fancy gadgets to be happy, just so long as I have a steady job, a roof over my head, and food on my table. As long as I’ve got my friends and family around me, a little money in the bank, and an occasional day off, then I can be content.”
But Paul talked about being content in any situation. This includes the worst of situations. And when it comes to facing even the worst of circumstances, I think Paul knew what he was talking about. Throughout his Christian life, he faced a great deal of hardship. He was always on the go. He could never settle down. His enemies were constantly driving him out of town. People who didn’t like his teaching were always arguing with him and making false accusations against him. On several occasions, he was arrested and thrown in jail. He was beaten. He had been flogged. At least once, he was stoned and left for dead.
In Philippians 4:11, Paul said that he could be content “in whatever situation I am.” This is a far cry from the conditions we place on our contentment in America in 2011. So what was Paul’s secret? In light of the fact that we find it hard to be content, even with all the amenities and comforts of life, how is it that Paul could be content in the midst of all the hardships he had to face? Was Paul just naturally content within himself? Had he simply resigned himself to the fact that he couldn’t change his circumstances and decided to make the best of it; a case of mind over matter?
No. Paul says, “I have learned…to be content.” Paul had not always been content. In Romans 7, he confesses to struggling with the sin of coveting. And when you are coveting—wanting what someone else has—you are not content.
So what had Paul learned that led to his contentment? On Sunday, Pastor Wil gave us a brief summary of what it takes to be content. First, he said that it is indeed a learned behavior. One cannot simply say, “I am deciding to be content. From now on, I am going to be content, no matter what happens.” It just doesn’t work that way. It’s not that easy. We have to learn to be content.
Then Wil told us that contentment can only be achieved when our expectations are in Christ. Finally, in conjunction with that, contentment is only achieved when we give up seeking pleasure for ourselves. These are the things we need to learn. These are the things Paul learned.
But how did Paul learn these things? What is it going to take for us to learn them? Unfortunately, such lessons are not easily learned. It is not while we are surrounded by all the comforts and amenities of life that we learn the meaning of contentment.
Paul learned to be content in whatever situation he was in by facing all the hardships he faced in life. While he sitting in a jail cell, as he was being harassed by his enemies, when he was beaten and left for dead, he discovered that God was there with him, protecting him, guiding him, comforting him, loving him, strengthening him. And through it all, Paul found that God’s presence was enough for him.
Will we have to experience all the same things Paul did in order to learn contentment? Perhaps not, and even probably not. Some of us may have to face the “hardship” of the unpleasant realization that all the “pleasures of life” won’t bring us the satisfaction we expected out of them. Of course, this realization may be hard to come by. For as long as we expect these things to satisfy us, we will continue to pursue them. We will pursue alcohol, drugs, relationships, financial security, new homes, new cars, new toys—whatever we expect to satisfy us—until we finally learn that they do not, will not, and cannot bring us contentment. Then we will hopefully learn to find our satisfaction only in Jesus Christ.
How long will it take us to learn our lesson?


Some Questions to Consider:

1. Am I content in my present circumstances? If not, why not?


2. If I am content right now, what is the source of my contentment? Who or what am I counting on to satisfy me? How would I respond if those people or things were removed from my life?



3. Are there some things I need to deliberately give up in order to pursue satisfaction with God? What do I recognize as a detriment to my relationship with Him?