“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. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13
Do you know what it is to be content? The dictionary defines content as “a state of peaceful happiness.” I always thought happiness depended on circumstances, but Paul is saying we can have happiness in any and every situation. Not just any happiness. Peaceful happiness. How is that possible? First, let me just say that I’m guessing that no one reading these words have every been in want. No really. Maybe we have been by America’s standards. But be honest. Has there ever been a time when you didn’t know where the next meal was coming from AND when you did get food you didn’t expect it to be more than some rice AND you didn’t have a roof over your head AND you had maybe one garment to wear? We in American have no idea what it is to truly be in want. Even those who have done missions trips to third world countries have viewed it, but we haven’t actually experienced it. Not to that degree.
If we haven’t experienced that, all of us are content, right? Of course not. Obviously, contentment doesn’t depend on our circumstances. How often do you hear people say, “If only I had such-and-such, then I’d be content.” More to the point, how often do you and I think, “When I have (fill in the blank), then I’ll have that state of peaceful happiness.” We may not say it or think it in those words, but isn’t that what’s behind the desire for more, or for different? But Paul has learned a secret. He’s learned how to be content even when he was in need. We may not be able to relate with what it means to truly be in need, but that Greek word could also be translated as “humble oneself.” In other words, we may be financially rich by the world’s standards, but have we ever been in a position where we were humbled, or we chose to humble ourselves? That’s a situation that fits this context as well. So now I have to ask myself if I’ve been content to be in a humbling situation. And, of course, the answer is no.
Then we come to verse 13, a verse that’s very familiar to all of us. I’ve seen it on everything from plaques to greeting cards and I’ve heard it quoted in many different situations. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard it used in this context, though. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wrong to use it in other situations because if we go to God, He will give us the strength we need for any situation we’re in. What Paul is actually saying here is that God is the One who gives us strength to be content. Isn’t that interesting? We need strength in order to be content. I guess I always thought of contentment as a state of being that just is, not something we need strength to attain. Contentment, that peaceful happiness, doesn’t come from our circumstances. It comes from God. Whether we’re swimming in wealth, or don’t even have enough to make a budget, we can be content because we have God. Whether we’re in a season of life that is more difficult than anything we imagined, or things really seem to be going our way, life with God brings contentment. No matter what our circumstances are, God gives us the strength to rise above those situations to a place where He fills us with contentment. That’s where I want to be!