A Secret

“... I have learned to be content in all 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.” Philippians 4:11-12

Can you and I declare the above statement?

What about in those times when life is stressful, less-then-ideal, or just downright rotten? What if you have a job to work, a test to study for, and on top of that, nothing to wear? What if a friend has hurt you? What if a loved one has passed? What if you're lonely?

Is it possible to be content in all circumstances and in any and every situation?

The writer of Philippians 4:11-12 was a man named Paul. Now, lest we think Paul's life was all roses and cupcakes, making it oh so easy for him to be content, here is a bit about Paul: after going from persecuting Christians to being a follower of Jesus, Paul began to travel and start churches. To him, nothing compared to knowing Jesus (Philippians 3:8). He wrote many of the New Testament books to encourage believers. While he was doing all this, he was thrown in prison on several occasions, was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and there were times he went without food (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). At the time of writing Philippians 4:11-12, he was under house arrest.

Yet here Paul is, declaring he has learned the secret of contentment. Okay, so spill. What is the secret?
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Well, Paul does spill, and from God's Word we can learn the secret of being content:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”  Philippians 4:4-9 

Rejoice... That can be real hard to do when things aren't going well. But in these verses, we are given the reason to rejoice always: The Lord is near. Jesus is always with you, even when life has turned upside down.

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:8

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

To rejoice is to be glad and take delight. This doesn't mean being glad of a hard situation or a pain in our life. But despite those, we can be glad and take delight in Jesus and the promise that He is with us.

Release... In Philippians 4:6, we are commanded not to be anxious, or worry. That's a tough one. There's a lot about which we can worry. It may be finances or health, or going into a new situation, or what other people think of you. Worry takes a toll on emotions and uses a lot of energy, without actually accomplishing anything. Worry makes a person weary.

What do we do instead? We release worries to God by prayer. We bring our requests to Him, trusting He will provide and take care of us, as He has promised.

“Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? So do not worry saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.” Matthew 6:27, 31-32

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
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“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

In Philippians 4:6, just after the command to present our requests by prayer and petition, notice a key phrase: with thanksgiving. Our prayer time should not just be us requesting things of God. Just as we are to rejoice in the Lord always, we should also be thankful always; thankful that God is mightier than any problem, sin or shortcoming.

Rejoicing and thanksgiving go hand in hand. As we rejoice in the Lord, we become aware of His character and all He has done for us, and this leads to a grateful heart. As we give thanks to Jesus for His blessings, this leads to rejoicing in Him.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

Renew... Think about such things. Replace worrisome thoughts with thinking on the things of God; that which is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Worry takes our focus off Jesus and places it onto situations, possessions or people. By thinking on the things of God, found in His Word, we may be refocused on Christ.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2

“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

“I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways.” Psalm 119:15

Rest... Mixed in with the commands of Philippians 4, there are incredible promises. One is the promise of peace. And not just any peace, but the peace of God. This peace doesn't just come around when everything is fine and dandy and flee when life gets messy. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 says rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks are God's will for us. When we are in God's will, in step with His Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit will come forth: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:16-25).

Here is one more promise from Philippians 4: “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” (v. 13) Paul writes this right after declaring he has learned to be content in all situations. 

True contentment comes from Jesus; that's the secret, and that's the promise. Rejoicing, prayer, thanksgiving, thinking on the things of God found in His Word, all bring us to a greater knowing of Jesus, a deeper relationship with Him. Situations in life may seem to make contentment impossible, but when we choose to know Jesus more, despite our feelings or circumstances, the impossible happens, and we are content in Him.

p.s. This is the third post in the series Fulfillment in Jesus. If you enjoyed it and found it helpful, you may want to read the first posts: The Empty Places and Desire and Delight

The post A Secret first appeared on The Overflowing.
All Scriptures taken from the NIV, copyright 2011