Finding Contentment

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

Just before Paul spoke these words to the saints in Philippi, he said, “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” (Phil. 4:12).

Paul says he knows what it means to be in need, and he knows what it means to have plenty. He has experienced both circumstances. The issue of being content is relevant in both scarcity and in abundance. Need often brings fear and worry because we determine what we have will not be enough. In abundance, there is often a desire for more, and if we are not careful, we will begin to seek more, striving for excess instead of resting content in what we have been given. The lie of the enemy is that if we just have a little more, we will be content, but the truth is, we always want more.

Contentment rests in the Lord. It trusts Him to supply the need, and in abundance, thanks Him, seeking to honor Him with all He has provided. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 tells us, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it.”

Jesus said in Matthew 6:32-33 regarding our need of clothes and food, “‘For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’”

Our encouragement in these verses is in whatever season we are living, whether need or abundance, God meets us there. He meets our needs, and He gives us wisdom and guidance to steward well what He has provided. In every season, He calls us to rest in Him. That is where contentment is found. Paul says the secret is he can do everything through Christ who gives him strength. That is our secret also. The Lord gives us strength for everything.

Notice in verse 12, Paul says, he knows both the circumstance of need and of plenty, but he has learned to be content “in any and every situation.” We can learn to be content. It may take a few tries to figure out and will certainly require our active attention, but if we desire the contentment He calls us to, the Lord will faithfully teach us. We must rest in Him, trust Him “in any and every situation,” and remember, our strength comes from Him.

-Jennifer