Paul’s Secret of Contentment
Day 13 - April 6 / Elder Mark Harbeson
Philippians 4:11
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”
That’s awesome, Paul. Congratulations. That plus 5 bucks will barely get me an overpriced coffee at Starbucks. It’s easy for him to say, right? Paul was the greatest Christian who ever lived. He had, like, super-secret Jesus Powers or something.
Actually, no. Paul was a regular human being, with access to the same not-so-super-secret Christian tools (the Holy Spirit, prayer, the Bible) as you and me. But where our hearts are restless, unhappy, always looking for the next high, Paul had peace. How?
Through the soaring highs and devastating lows of his life, God taught Paul to keep his eyes on the prize: the salvation of Jesus Christ. Nothing else matters. Look at what he says next in verse 12: “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”
It’s interesting that he had to “learn” how to abound, and “learn” the secret of facing plenty or abundance, isn’t it? Most of us would love to have that problem. But he is onto something when he speaks of being content in all of these situations. In Philippians 3, he speaks of counting all as “rubbish” and “loss” in order that he might gain Christ. When we have nothing, we despair. When we have plenty, we forget God. Both of these states speak to idols in our heart—we seek after things other than Jesus. Paul is seeking after Christ alone. All other things fade away, and he is content in simple obedience to God, who gives and takes away.
Our discontent is rooted in our selfish desires, our idols, and our sinful desire to control every circumstance. Lay these things at the foot of the cross. Seek the kingdom of God. Seek Christ alone. And the Lord will be faithful to satisfy that longing, and teach you the same secret He taught Paul. During this coming week, we will try and learn that same secret of contentment in all circumstances.
That’s awesome, Paul. Congratulations. That plus 5 bucks will barely get me an overpriced coffee at Starbucks. It’s easy for him to say, right? Paul was the greatest Christian who ever lived. He had, like, super-secret Jesus Powers or something.
Actually, no. Paul was a regular human being, with access to the same not-so-super-secret Christian tools (the Holy Spirit, prayer, the Bible) as you and me. But where our hearts are restless, unhappy, always looking for the next high, Paul had peace. How?
Through the soaring highs and devastating lows of his life, God taught Paul to keep his eyes on the prize: the salvation of Jesus Christ. Nothing else matters. Look at what he says next in verse 12: “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”
It’s interesting that he had to “learn” how to abound, and “learn” the secret of facing plenty or abundance, isn’t it? Most of us would love to have that problem. But he is onto something when he speaks of being content in all of these situations. In Philippians 3, he speaks of counting all as “rubbish” and “loss” in order that he might gain Christ. When we have nothing, we despair. When we have plenty, we forget God. Both of these states speak to idols in our heart—we seek after things other than Jesus. Paul is seeking after Christ alone. All other things fade away, and he is content in simple obedience to God, who gives and takes away.
Our discontent is rooted in our selfish desires, our idols, and our sinful desire to control every circumstance. Lay these things at the foot of the cross. Seek the kingdom of God. Seek Christ alone. And the Lord will be faithful to satisfy that longing, and teach you the same secret He taught Paul. During this coming week, we will try and learn that same secret of contentment in all circumstances.
Prayer Points:
- Read Philippians 3. Ask God to strip away your idols.
- Pray for joy and peace in times of plenty and times of need.
- Thank God for sustaining us through His Holy Spirit.
Recent
An Open Letter of Thanks to The Town Community Group Leaders
June 16th, 2022
Holy Week: A Digital Guide
April 6th, 2022
Juneteenth - How Would You Celebrate Your Freedom?
June 19th, 2021
All Roads Lead To Jesus - I Timothy
March 23rd, 2021
All Roads Lead To Jesus - Second Thessalonians
March 8th, 2021
Archive
2022
2021
January
March
2020
February
March
Sunday Worship and Corona VirusFamily Worship - Peace in the PanicCommunity and COVID-1940 Days of PrayerThe Town Worship March 22, 2020What Good is Faith?Faith in the CreatorThe Object of Your FaithMissing Something BigThe Town Worship March 29, 2020The Sickness of HomesicknessFaith That OvercomesThe Fading and the FickleThe Fullness of God’s WorkDearly Loved
April
A Good ConscienceJoy > HappinessGrowth in GraceHolding on While Being HeldThe Town Worship April 5, 2020#JesusChangedMyLifePaul’s Secret of ContentmentContentment With MoneyContentment In RelationshipsContentment In SufferingThe Peace of ObedienceSpoiler AlertEaster 2020 Worship GuideHow Can We Have Hope?Joy, Patience, and PrayerAs the DeerA Better HopeSolid RockA Hope EternalThe Town Worship April 19, 2020The Greatest of These is LoveWhere is the Love?Love Your NeighborLove JoyLove the BelovedThe Town Worship April 26, 2020Love Casts Out FearPeace of GodPeace with GodPeace with God or Peace with the WorldPeace with God or Peace with the FleshAll Roads Lead To Jesus
May
Peace with God or Peace with the DevilPeace through Assurance of SalvationA Call to PerseveranceBiblical Hope: The Right Things for the Right ReasonsJourneying through Suffering toward HopeA Call to Arms: This Won't be EasyThree Simple Steps to Deeper Joy (Simple, not Easy)Fixing Your Eyes, Finally and ForeverThe Town Reopening Plans
July
All Roads Lead To Jesus - GenesisAll Roads Lead To Jesus - ExodusAll Roads Lead to Jesus - LeviticusAll Roads Lead To Jesus - NumbersAll Roads Lead To Jesus - DeuteronomyAll Roads Lead To Jesus - JoshuaI Am Not ConfusedAll Roads Lead To Jesus - JudgesAll Roads Lead To Jesus - RuthAll Roads Lead To Jesus - I SamuelAll Roads Lead To Jesus - 2 SamuelAll Roads Lead to Jesus - 1 KingsAll Roads Lead To Jesus - 2 KingsAll Roads Lead To Jesus - 1 ChroniclesAll Roads Lead To Jesus - 2 ChroniclesAll Roads Lead To Jesus - EzraAll Roads Lead To Jesus - NehemiahAll Roads Lead To Jesus - EstherAll Roads Lead to Jesus - JobAll Roads Lead To Jesus - PsalmsAll Roads Lead To Jesus - Proverbs
August
All Roads Lead To Jesus - EcclesiastesAll Roads Lead To Jesus - Song of SolomonAll Roads Lead To Jesus - IsaiahAll Roads Lead To Jesus - JeremiahAll Roads Lead To Jesus - LamentationsAll Roads Lead To Jesus - EzekielAll Roads Lead To Jesus - DanielAll Roads Lead To Jesus - HoseaAll Roads Lead To Jesus - Joel
7 Comments
Thank you so much for this timely message! I am struggling struggling with this concept and being content. You are so right, so correct, selfishness that once more and more. God woke me up this morning remembering that Paul wrote about contentment and no matter what ever whatsoever circumstances he found himself. So I googled it and your message came up. I will save this copy it out put it up in the kitchen or the bathroom look at it and try and live this I have to learn how to be content. I am struggling with healing that is taking a long time, I'm struggling with financial problems and I am struggling wanting to go south for the winter. All of these are weighing on my mind. I have to let them all go to focus on Christ and his resurrection and that I belong to him and that I am here to serve him not go walk on the beach and the ocean right now!
Reading your comment years later and it feels as if I wrote it myself. God has been reminding me over the past couple of days to let go and let Him. I am learning how to. Learning how to give it all to Him and for Him if necessary. I am learning how in all things to be content.
I have learnt to be content with what I have and not just that firstly seeking the Kingdom of God first .
I've been struggling my whole life (im 22) with being content or needing a quote on quote (fix) and I know it's the flesh, but Paul and I are just alike we crave worldly things. You reading this and I are just alike we're not content. So I pray that me and you will conquer our fleshly desires and lean on god for our not being content and that we will trust in god more that he can satisfy all our worldly needs!
Wow this was a perfect message for me today.
I can't believe when I read the comment from Karen Ellis, two years ago because I can relate on so many points. I've also been struggling for so long, waiting to be the butterfly coming out of the cocoon.
And I'm just realizing God's trying to calm me down and that he needs me calm levelheaded and settled to be able to use me. But that was after this morning waking up to thinking about what Paul had said about contentment and that he learned the secret.., and then like Karen also I googled that scripture and found this by you! You put it so well and easy To grasp, I also will be saving this and referring back to it. Feel like I'm in a divine moment and am appreciating it so much. We have to stay close to him, he will lead us, is leading us even though we don't see it now. And I can't care and the part about letting go, so it keeps coming back in my Head is... If you wanna Go, you have to let go, never look back nova log back
Oops, that message was sent before I was done, and before I corrected it. The last part was the point being in order to go forward with Jesus we've got to let go of everything else. I remember something Chuck Swindoll says a lot...to hold everything lightly, except Jesus.. Your message put it perfectly though, about seeking first the kingdom, following after Christ in simple obedience and all other things fade away. Thank you so much!
God knows how to deliver us and sometimes he does it through healing us from past trauma and emotions. I just have to calm down And let him do what he does best.
I think Pual learned what many people don't and that is to be thankful to Godin all things.