What is the secret to contentment? Last Saturday, our women’s Bible study explored this question as we studied Philippians 4. The Apostle Paul, writing from prison, concluded his letter to the Philippian church with these words:
“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4.11-13).
Paul learned the secret of being content in every situation. He wasn’t battered around by the winds of circumstances. Instead, he anchored his heart on soul-steadying truths that carried him through the deepest sorrows and sweetest pleasures of life. In The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs describes this contentment as a “sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.”
With that description in mind, how does Paul encourage us to pursue contentment, even if it feels elusive? Sometimes, searching for contentment can feel like chasing the Golden Snitch in Harry Potter’s Quidditch matches—that tiny, winged ball that is extremely difficult to catch. Yet, Paul learned contentment, which means there is hope that we can learn it too.
In Philippians, Paul teaches that contentment involves:
Resting in God’s sovereign plan, even when we don’t know the details. “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1.6). God is in absolute control of the unfolding story of our lives, and he is always at work for our good.
Trusting that the hardships we endure are not meaningless. “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (Philippians 1.12). Paul rejoiced that the pain of his imprisonment had a God-glorifying purpose. While we may not know the reasons for the hardships we endure, we can entrust every sorrow into the hands of our heavenly Father, who promises to be with us always (Philippians 4:9).
Living as a sojourner. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour” (Philippians 3.20). The discontented heart is short-sighted in its pursuit of pleasure, living as if this life is all there is. Paul reminds us that we are travellers in this world and that we are to fix our eyes on the incomparable joy of our eternal home.
Treasuring Christ as our all-satisfying strength. “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3.8). We often attach our contentment to our circumstances, thinking that if things only get better, we’ll be happy. Yet, the secret that Paul reveals is that we will never be truly content apart from Christ. He is the source and strength of the contented heart.
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