In search of being content

Phillipians 4:11-13
"I am not saying this becasue 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 want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

I don't know about you, but this verse makes me just a little bit envious of Paul. He says he has learned to be content no matter the circumstance - a lesson I am definitely still working on.

Paul wrote the book of Phillipians around 61 A.D. to the church in Phillipi while he is in prison. That is the historical backdrop to this verse. It is while incarcerated that Paul penned the words, "I hve learned the secret of being content." I definitely struggle, as I presume many do, with being content. Usually I am not content - always searching for more. Waiting to fulfill "God's plan" rather than being embracing the journey. As Americans we are generally dis-content. The Television is not big enough, we are not happy enough, clothes are not nice enough, we just struggle with being content. For me, there is no lack of conviction when I read this verse.

Paul, one of the "greats" of the faith is in prison, he says he has enjoyed times of plenty and also endured times of suffering. Through all of this, he learned to be content. It is likely that most would have thrown in the towel after the first stoning, or humiliating rejection. Instead, Paul presses on stronger. Through glorious ups and grave downs Paul continues to run the race set before him - all the while learning to be content.

The key is that Paul learned to be content. As humans, being content is antitehtical to our nature. We are always looking for more. Maybe instead of spending valuable energy fretting over having more, we could embark upon learning to be content. In reality, nothing we have is our own. The fact that we have access to internet sets us above millions of others. God has given us more than we deserve through Jesus. We already have great riches through the faith offered through Christ. If we learn to be content and embrace the journey, we will look back and see that God has used us in great ways. Maybe through time, we might be able to endure the pitfalls of life, and still embrace the gift of being content.