The Secret

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 4:11b-13

Some secrets are meant to be told.  It seems whenever I know something special and empowering, I don't want to keep it to myself.  I want to tell others, encouraging them with the same encouragement I have received from God.  After all, following Christ in a fallen world is hard enough without gaining strength from one another on a regular basis.  We all can use all the support we can get. 

The apostle Paul is a great encourager!  In today's passage, he sandwiched a nugget of truth within a word of thanks for the faithful support of the church at Philippi.  He couldn't help but reveal the secret he had found for being content. 

Contentment does not come naturally to my sinful nature.  In fact, I find myself using the common ground of grumbling to open a conversation with complete strangers!  I know everyone can relate to the drudgery of laundry, the irritation of whining children in a crowded grocery store, or the frustration of waiting in line while the clerks seem to take their time.  I'm good at finding fault with my circumstances.

But Paul learned the secret of accepting his circumstances and being satisfied.  This is the kind of secret I can't wait to hear!

Learned

Have you ever been told, "You've got a lot to learn!"  These words are usually said in the context of an argument and are meant as a put-down.  But there is much truth in the content of the message.  I do have a lot to learn.  And one of the things that I am able to learn is to be content.  Complaining comes naturally.  I don't have to work at that.  But contentment is something at which I must work. 

It is not normal for me to accept my circumstances.  I am always wanting more, or less, in all things.  Either it is too hot, or too cold.  Very rarely is it just right.  Many times I want more clothes and get tired of wearing the same thing time and time again.  But other times I think I have so much that I can't decide what to wear!  I am a person of habit so it is easy for me to get into a rut of what I eat for breakfast.  After awhile, I tire of the same old thing, desiring something different but not knowing what it is I want.  It seems I'm never happy.

This reminds me of our dog.  If he is in, he wants to go out.  If he is out, he wants to come in.  We often tell him that he's never happy!  And I guess I should know, because this illustrates my attitude, as well.  The difference is, however, that I do have hope.  God has given me the ability to learn, and contentment is one of the skills I can acquire.

Since we only remember 10% of what we read and 20% of what we hear, it seems it won't be very effective to try to learn contentment by studying about it or hearing lectures on it.  The good news is that I can remember 90% of what I say and do, so if I start practicing contentment, I will learn to be content!  Being begins by doing.

Not Circumstantial

As I begin to practice contentment, I start to see that satisfaction with my circumstances is not at all based on my circumstances!  It is simply the way I view my surroundings.  It is making the decision to accept where God has placed me as well as who He has place me with, the state of my health in this situation and all other supportive factors that go along with my present location.  In a nutshell, it is "blooming where I am planted."

At the base of it, contentment is really an attitude of thanksgiving to God and trust in God, acknowledging His Sovereignty and bowing to His choice for my life.  When I am constantly complaining, either out loud to others, or within to myself, I am essentially telling God that I don't like what He has chosen for my life, I think His plan stinks and that I could choose better if given half the chance.

The thing is, I am not in control.  God is.  And no amount of complaining is going to change that fact.  It is only going to make me and those around me miserable.  The bottom line is that accepting my circumstances, whatever they may be, brings peace to me and my family.  And like the wisdom of God that is revealed in Proverbs 14:30 reminds us, "A heart at peace gives life to the body,  but envy rots the bones."  Contentment promotes a healthy lifestyle while living in a state of always wanting more will ruin my wellbeing.  Questioning God's plan for my life can never be good for me!

Empowered by God

I remember helping my daughters to learn to ride their bikes.  In the beginning, they did not have the balance or confidence to try to pedal all on their own.  I had to run along beside them, holding them up.  This is how God is with us.  We do not have the ability to choose contentment from our storehouse of natural abilities.  As I previously stated, my discontent is innate. 

But with God, all things are possible!  He is doing a new thing in my life!  I don't have to be stuck in the pattern of my old way of thinking.  Instead, I can put my hope in the Lord and soar! 

Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:30-31

I am not bound to my natural inclinations!  I have the choice to turn to my God and ask him to give me an attitude adjustment, showing me all that I have for which to be thankful.  Suddenly, the grumbling disappears and is replaced with a grateful heart. 

A child looks on the ground and sees a beautiful gem, while a more cynical adult sees a worthless rock.  I want to gain the outlook of that child, seeing the good and valuable in all that surrounds me.  And not so that I will live at peace, although that is a pleasant outcome.  Perhaps the most important reason for an attitude of contentment comes from 17th century scholar and author William Law.  "One who makes it a rule to be content in every part and accident of life because it comes from God praises God in a much higher manner than one who has some set time for the singing of psalms."

Learning to be content no matter the circumstances is possible with God's strength.  But it is also essential if I want to praise Him with my life.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can learn to accept things the way they are instead of wishing things were different.

How am I dishonoring God with my poor attitude?

Where can I better accept the circumstances in which God has place me?