Between all of the great pioneers of our faith in Christ Jesus, the ones who walked this road first, whom God has appointed and guided in the time when the good news were first preached to the world, Paul is by far the most inspiring to me. By the will and grace of God, Paul has left us with scripture that are undeniably soul shaking.
Most of us are familiar with the very famous verse found in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” This verse has carried so many of us through difficult times, but today I want to take us back just a few verses in Philippians 4. This chapter is so full of rich scripture, but let’s just look at verse 10 to 12 for today.
Here Paul writes to the Philippians of the day.
“I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 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.” Right after this Paul goes on to say that he can do all things through Christ who gives him strength.
When we read about his journey, it is clear that he did not have an easy time preaching the Gospel, he has seen and lived through things many of us would never be willing to endure, but despite that, he was still content in all his circumstances. What is contentment? It is being satisfied with what you have. It is easy for us to say that we are content too, but are we really and why is this so important anyway?
We live in a world where things are constantly expanding and improving, and with that, our wants and needs increase too. We find ourselves in an ocean of things that we could want, in a system that forces us to have a bigger basket of needs. It is easy to feel that you do not have enough, to feel that you need just a little more and then you would be happy. You see it’s not wrong to have needs and it’s not wrong to have certain desires either, but when our perceived lack deprives us of our contentment, then our lack is not to blame, our attitude is.
When we are feeling like we are a step away from what would be enough to make us happy, even when we are thankful for what we do have, then we are still miles away from contentment, because there is a difference between being thankful for what we have and being happy with what we have.
Being happy with what you have doesn’t mean you should be happy about what you have, it is saying you should be happy despite what you have. If we truly want to tap into the full power of what Paul is saying in verse 13, then we need to understand that what Paul is saying, is that you can do whatever God is leading you to do, despite what you have. You can enjoy the peace and grace of God despite what you have, you can have and give love whether you have plenty or need plenty.
Let us learn to detach our happiness from our circumstances. We are going into a wonderful time of the year, and I know many of us feel like we have nothing to be joyful about, but let us learn to love and enjoy the grace of God and let us trust that God will provide in our needs. In the meantime, let us remember another precious verse from this chapter: Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
God bless you,
Miryna van As