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Lesson 21: "The Secret of Contentment", Phil. 4:10-13
June 11, 2020
READ Phil. 4:10-13. True contentment is a rare occurrence in our American culture. We seem to always be needing something in order to be content. Perhaps that dream job, the bigger house, the newer car or the more expensive clothing. In some cases our need is more personal. We need to lose weight or have plastic surgery, or to build more muscle to be truly happy.
Humanism; a philosophy that believes their is no higher power than man, perpetuates much of today's striving for material or achievement driven contentment. The Bible calls it the, "eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" principal. (1 Cor. 15:32) (Eccl. 8:15) This principle arrives at the conclusion that there is nothing greater than this life, so live it for yourself.
Then there is the non-stop barrage of advertising we are exposed to. The main strategy of all advertising is to meet an unmet need in your life. It doesn't matter what that need is, or if it is real or only imagined, in the eyes of the advertising agencies America is full of "needy" people.
Paul had needs just like all of us have. Yet unlike most Americans today Paul was not "needy". By the time he finished his two-year house arrest in Rome, Paul had spent nearly five years of his life incarcerated. No way to make a living. Totally dependent on God to meet his most basic needs.
One day, Paul had a visitor in Rome. It was Epaphroditus the minister of the church of Christ in Philippi. He came bearing a gift(s) for Paul. (Phil. 4:18) Now Paul was "full" and "abounding". He obviously needed this gift, but yet when you read the text you find that even being without he was still content. He has found true contentment. Why? Because he has learned the "secret" to contentment. He shares that "secret" with us here in this text.
Here there are three principles that Paul gives the Philippians and us that will lead us to that secret. The first of these is found in v.10 where Paul says, "I rejoiced in the Lord greatly." Why? Because of the gift he had received from them. Though it came from the Philippians Paul still knew it was from God.
So this first principle is that Paul had confidence in God's provision. James tells us, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from God." (Jas. 1:17) The Lord Jesus tells us in Mt. 6:11, "give us this day our daily bread." The word "bread" here is used to represent our every basic need, not just bread. Later in Mt. 6:25-33 the Lord counsels us not to worry about the basics of life, but instead to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Mt. 6:33)
While God promises daily provision, He only gives what you and I need and it comes according to His timing, not ours. God made this point daily to the Israelites during the exodus when He sent them manna each day. Moses reveals a great truth about this provision in (Ex. 16:17, 18) where we find that no matter how much they gathered, it was always enough!
It had been a long time since the Philippians had sent Paul any gift. In fact it was not long after Paul and Silas had left Philippi for Thessalonica that they apparently sent multiple gifts to them. (Phil. 4:16) But their stay in Thessalonica was a brief one according to Luke, so it had likely been eight or nine years since that last gift. Yet, Paul knew their gift was by God's choosing, not theirs. They had "lacked opportunity". The Greek word here for "opportunity" also means "a season"; again God had made their gift available just when it was needed by Paul.
The second principle to true contentment is found in v.11, here we find that Paul had "learned in whatever state I am, to be content." Even with less Paul was content. In v. 12 Paul "knew how it was to be abased". To be "laid low." He was adaptable. Yet content.
This type of contentment does not go well with worldly people. This is why the average American household has nearly $6,000 in credit card debt. The key to making a household budget work is to live off of less than you make. Yet many Americans have credit card debt, student loan debt, auto loan debt and mortgage debt all at the same time! The Christian who desires contentment MUST understand that life has seasons of abundance and seasons of drought. In any circumstance be content with what you can afford!
Even though Paul had a right to make a living by preaching the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:14). He had ministries where the brethren either could not or would not support him. In Corinth Paul relied on other churches for his living. (2 Cor. 11:8) In Thessalonica, though the Philippians helped out, Paul still had to work daily to get by. (1 Thess.2:9) So the Apostle learned how to live with less.
Thirdly, Paul had declared himself to be independent from circumstance. How did he do this? In v. 12 he states, "I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." The Greek word here rendered "learned" is not the usual word for "learned" as to "understand". Instead it refers to "initiate by instruction". It was commonly used to speak of learning the rites of initiation into the secret societies that ancient Greece had.
Even today in America we have a few "secret" societies. There are certain rites of passage one must learn in order to gain admittance. Two that were common are the Masons and the Odd Fellows. What Paul literally means is that I have "learned the secret that MUST be learned in order to be content!"
So what is that secret? What must I know in order to find true contentment? It is found in v.13 where Paul states, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." The Greek text here suggests that Christ is the strength that strengthens Paul. In meditating on this I was reminded of what the Lord had told Paul after He refused to remove Paul's thorn in 2 Cor. 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Paul knew this. He understood a principle that is utter nonsense to those outside Christ. Literally in a time of need Christ may do one of three things to help you. First, He may give you provision to meet the need. Second, He might give you strength to do without the need being met. Or thirdly, He might by His grace supply that need through others. In any event or circumstance Christ is the secret to being content.
Study Questions:
1. What are two influences at work in our culture that cause us to be "needy?"
2. The gift that Paul had received from Epaphroditus came from what church?
3. "Not that I speak in regard to _________, for I have _____________ in whatever state I am
to be ________________."
4. True or False, no matter how much manna the Israelites gathered it was always enough?
5. Phil. 4:10 suggests that the timing of the Philippian's gift was by whose timing?
6. True or False, there is a secret that we MUST learn to be truly content?
7. Whose "strength is made perfect in weakness?"