Philippians 4:10-13 NLT
[10] “How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. [11] Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. [12] I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. [13] For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Ahhh! Contentment! Almost a forgotten word in today’s world. Discontent in all its ugly forms is the name everywhere. Strife, conflict, murder, theft, greed…these and more are all the symptoms of discontent.

James had something to say about the discontent that rears its ugly head even in the family of God, a sign that the flesh at work.

James 4:1-3 NLT
[1] “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the EVIL DESIRES at war within you? [2] You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. [3] And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”

Since James was writing to people in the church, this is quite an indictment! Is it possible that God’s own children can behave like this?

If course, if the core of this behaviour is discontent, then this horrible attitude will come out in many corrupt ways.

Discontent ruins inward peace and manifests something far worse than simply being dissatisfied with our lives, our circumstances, or what we possess.

Discontent is a slap in God’s face, a declaration of mistrust in God’s goodness, an insult to the very nature of God who is love personified. Discontent accuses God of shortchanging us. Satan’s ploy in the Garden of Eden was to stir up mistrust by triggering discontent. God said, “You may eat from all the trees in the garden except one.” The devil said, “Why is God withholding something good from you?”

Discontent is a symptom of the old nature’s ability to stir up trouble. Discontent has tentacles that reach deep into the lives of others around us as well, spreading its poison by the way our discontent affects other people. Discontent is like an infectious disease that spreads through contact. Just watch mob behaviour to see how discontent spreads like a bush fire.

How imperative that God’s children learn, as Paul did, to deal discontent a death blow, once and for all. All spiritual growth is a learning process. Even Jesus had to learn, from His human experience, how to submit as a Son to His Father.

Hebrews 5:8 NLT
[8] “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.”

How do we learn contentment in our topsy-turvey circumstances? We learn, as we do in everything else, by doing! Paul learned contentment by trusting Jesus in every situation. Was he hungry, deprived of food? He was okay with that because Jesus was in charge. Did he have a time of plenty? He was grateful to the Lord for His goodness. Was he cold and without shelter? He trusted the Lord in his hardship.

Contentment in all our ups and downs is the evidence of genuine faith in Jesus AND of God’s peace ruling in our hearts. We cannot have peace and be discontented at the same time.

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Paul’s strength in hard times came from a steady reliance on Jesus’ presence and faithfulness.

… Another verse of Scripture often quoted out of context. What was Paul saying? I suppose it’s true that, in the all circumstances of life, through Jesus in us, we can accomplish many things or even go through our many difficulties but…in this context, Paul testified to the power of Christ in him that enabled to accept any and every hardship with the same unassailable trust in the Lord that kept him on even keel.

Now, that’s real power! Hiw often we are, in our old selfish nature, so concerned about our comfort and convenience that we easily baulk at any disturbance of these provisions.

Paul testified that it is possible, through God’s grace, to be so in union with Jesus that we can rise above all discomfort and be contented. He enables us so to trust in Him that we refuse to be moved by any adversity or hardship, or to allow our faith in Him to be diluted by plenty. Much or little can make no difference to us if we are anchored in Jesus.

Contentment, in the end, is the surest safeguard against mistrust, doubt, and unbelief. His peace garrisons our hearts against the fiery darts the enemy would hurl against us to throw us off balance and gain entry into the deepest recesses of our confidence in God’s love.

Contentment is the thermometer that measures our trust in the Lord, and God’s peace the thermostat that keeps our hearts steady and unmoved in times of hardship.

Philippians 4:20 NLT
[20] “Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.”

Another little opportunity to glorify Jesus. Paul must always redirect his readers’ attention to the one who is everything in every situation. It’s about Him! Cold, hungry, homeless…warm, well fed, sheltered…didn’t matter to Paul. What mattered was that Jesus was there, fully supporting him, caring and providing for him, leading him, protecting him, and working out His purposes through him.

… And with that, Paul was satisfied.