I am not saying this because I am in need, for
I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
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 all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:10-13
What a profound reassurance to acknowledge that contentment can be learned. As we look on the lives of others who seem so filled with peace—those who clearly abide in Christ—we may incorrectly assume that some have it and some do not. We have mistakenly assumed it is inherited, like curly hair or the ability to draw.
Have you believed the lie that some are blessed with peaceful contentment and the rest of us are doomed to fight for happiness?
These words from Paul—a man who suffered greatly for his faith—clue us in. If the great Apostle Paul had to learn contentment, then surely we, too, are not exempt from that classroom.
Contentment trumps happiness. It does not depend on our circumstances. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the “happy” God brings into our lives. The blessings and gifts He gives are good, and we praise Him for them! But are we a society of happiness addicts? Is our faith so shallow that we withhold our praise to God until He gives us our “happy” for today?
Are we essentially asking Him, “What have you done for me lately?”
Growing in grace—and growing up in Christ—means we are less addicted to this life’s happiness. We are more able to declare, “Just give me Jesus.”
Whether today brings an overdue bill or an unexpected refund check, a bonus or a pink slip, a malignancy or a clean scan … we can be content. But it’s something we learn in the classroom of life. And that’s why we can be grateful for hard things—because they teach us contentment in Christ.
- Can we appreciate companionship if we have never known solitude?
- Can we be grateful for health if we have never known sickness?
- Can we enjoy financial security if we have never lived with bills we cannot pay?
Our times of having not enable us to praise Him with grace and gratitude on the days of having. Contentment in both states is learned—and the circumstances and situations of life are our teachers.
A teachable spirit permits the lessons to be learned easier and perhaps more quickly. Pride makes us resistant, hinders our learning, and delays contentment.
Contentment brings peace. As the frenzy, the striving, the frustration, and the chasing-after are all laid aside, peace in Him remains.
But make no mistake: contentment is not settling for less. It is not resigning ourselves to live less. It is leaning in for more and better; abiding in Jesus far exceeds any happiness the world can deliver. Paul describes it this way:
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
I Timothy 6:6
Do you know the secret of being content in any and every situation?
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
Each September, in honor of school starting, we highlight the importance of praying for the young people in our lives by featuring a bookmark with prayer prompts (and Scriptures to back up those prompts) to spur you on to pray for your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or kids in the neighborhood. We invite you to listen to this week’s devotional video, in which Laura discusses this powerful tool for prayer, and encourage you to ask the Lord who you should remember in prayer this September.
Visit our Downloads page for this month’s Write the WORD bookmark, optional S.O.A.P. study pages, and other free resources to help you love God and His Word.
