Contentment: Paul’s Secret To Facing Any Situation
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for 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, ESV
What is the secret to facing any situation in life? In ancient times, philosophers would try to find it through reason and contemplation, while others would go on pilgrimages to consult with oracles in order to find it. We could even consider Ecclesiastes to be Solomon’s search for this secret. But the Apostle Paul stated with confidence that he had found it (Philippians 4:11-13). Then, with little elaboration, he simply moves on from the topic. He says that he learned how to be content in any situation (verse 11), whether he had much or little (verse 12). That is astounding for a man who was often beaten and imprisoned, stoned and left for dead once, shipwrecked multiple times, often hungry and thirsty, and almost constantly in danger from all manner of threats, even describing himself as ever near death (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). How could he be content in all of that? To understand how Paul could be content in such hardship, we need to understand what contentment really means. If we can truly grasp Christian contentment and then achieve it, we like Paul will be able to face any situation. In doing so, we will find that true contentment is a rare treasure for which all Christians should stive.
What Contentment Is and Isn’t
What does it mean to be content? The Greek term Paul uses for contentment was borrowed from Greek philosophers who used it to denote complete self-sufficiency. They thought that if someone had all he needed and relied on no one else, he would be content. However, the Christian is not to be self-sufficient but completely dependent on God. That is the definition of faith. True saving faith goes beyond mere intellectual ascent (see James 2:14-26) and instead places complete trust in Christ such that if He does not uphold His promises, we are doomed to eternal ruin (see Romans 4 and Hebrews 11). Thus, faith is completely dependent on God and not on ourselves. Therefore, contentment to a Christian cannot be a worldly self-sufficiency that is dependent on no one else. Some may think contentment means to be free of want or desire. However, this cannot be the case since God Himself is perfectly self-sufficient and thus perfectly content yet is referred to throughout Scripture as having various (and often intense) desires (eg. Hosea 6:6, Matthew 9:13, John 17:24). Therefore, desires and contentment must be able to coexist. Paul exhibits this by relaying his own intense desires (eg. Romans 10:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:17, 1 Timothy 2:8). Earlier in the same letter, Paul shares his intense yearning for fellowship with the saints (Philippians 1:8). He also shares his desire to be finished with his work on earth and go to heaven to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23). He also talks of striving hard towards a goal (Philippians 3:12-14), but all the while he constantly speaks in the letter about his joy and rejoicing. Paul uses similar language throughout 2 Corinthians as well. This means that desires are not incompatible with true contentment.
So what is contentment for the Christian? Perhaps Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs defined it best in 1648 in The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. This is a wonderful book that I would recommend to every Christian. All of my references to Burroughs throughout this post are from that book. Here is how Burroughs defines contentment: “Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition”.[1] First, it is important to note that Christian contentment is an inward disposition that is independent of external circumstances. Second, this type of contentment is a gracious gift of God that is impossible to achieve without God granting it to us, which I will explain a bit later. Finally, contentment comes from both submitting to God’s Will and delighting in it, not only because He is the sovereign King over all creation but also because He is a loving Father who always does what is ultimately best for His children. This means that this type of contentment looks beyond self and ultimately relies on God, inextricably linking it to both faith and humility. This is the mysterious contentment that Paul both discovered and displayed. Burroughs goes on to point out that this type of contentment does not exclude complaining to God amidst difficult situations even as we trust His sovereignty and goodness in them (as is often seen in the Psalms). He also points out that being content does not preclude the Christian from seeking ways out of present circumstances or seeking legal recourse when appropriate. One example of this is when Paul used the privileges of his Roman citizenship to avoid a beating (Acts 22). The key here is that no matter what action we take in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, inner peace that trusts in both the sovereignty and goodness of God is the mark of true Christian contentment. In Philippians, Paul claims to have that contentment.
I Can Do All Things?
The reason that Paul gives is one of the most well-known and misused verses in the entire Bible: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). It is often used by Christians facing any number of challenging situations as a rallying cry to overcome them. But that is not at all what Paul is saying, so this has led to a common satirical paraphrase among Reformed Christians: “I can do all things through a verse taken out of context”. To understand what Paul means, we need to do what we must do with every verse in Scripture: read it in its proper context (as I discussed in an earlier post on how to properly study the Bible). In contrast to most of Paul’s letters, Philippians is overwhelmingly positive. I have already noted how “joy” and “rejoice” appear frequently throughout the letter. This is mainly because Paul was not writing this letter to correct a particular issue in the church (like 1 Corinthians or Galatians) or to instruct people in the Gospel (like Romans or Ephesians). Instead, Philippians is a thank you note. When Paul was a prisoner in Rome and in need of provisions, the Philippian church donated to meet his need, sending Epaphroditus to Rome with their gift. Paul wrote Philippians in response, thanking them for their gift and encouraging them both about his own welfare and what their gift demonstrated about their progress in godliness. He explains how his imprisonment had actually served to advance the Gospel (1:12-18). Later, he gives a glorious description of the humility and subsequent exaltation of Jesus amidst exhortations for the Philippians to follow Christ’s example of humility in hope of future exaltation (2:1-18). He doesn’t get around to thanking them for their gift until halfway through the last chapter, first rejoicing in how the Philippians’ gift demonstrated their concern for him (4:10), while reminding them that regardless of whether they had given it to him he would have been content because of the strength Christ provides (4:11-13). He then recognizes their pattern of generosity toward him (4:14-15), emphasizing how their gift is a sacrifice to God and that God will supply all of their needs too (4:17-19) before ending the letter with a benediction (4:20) and final greetings (4:21-23). Therefore, the context of Philippians 4:13 is all about Paul’s situation of need that was then abundantly met by the gift of the Philippians. It has nothing to do with being able to overcome any challenge, but instead has everything to do with the ability to face any situation with the strength that Christ provides. This is an important distinction. Paul is not talking about overcoming all situations he faces, but being content in all situations he faces. Therefore, Paul is talking about how Christ has empowered him to be content, so therein we can find the way that we too can be content as Paul was.
How Christ Strengthens Us to be Content
The promise of Philippians 4:13 is that Christ will empower us to be content in any circumstance, not that He will empower us to overcome any circumstance. He does this in several ways.
God’s Sovereignty Over All
First, He empowers us to be content through His sovereignty. Jesus Christ rules the entire universe (Matthew 28:18) so comprehensively that not one subatomic particle can defy Him, since it is only by His power that they even exist (Hebrews 1:3). Humans and demons can sin against Him, but even that sin cannot prevent Him from fulfilling His purpose (see Romans 9 and Job). As the second person of the Trinity, He possesses all of the attributes of God, including omniscience (knowing everything) and omnipotence (having power over everything). And having power over everything, He perfectly orchestrates everything to advance His purpose, which is known as His Providence. The sovereignty of God is an invincible fortress. All those in Christ are in that fortress and can therefore say with the psalmists “what can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:4,11, 118:6). Therefore, Christian contentment begins by resting in the sovereignty of God over all things.
God’s Goodness to Us
But the sovereignty of God gives little comfort if it is not matched by the goodness of God. Scripture is filled with God’s sovereign wrath against evildoers—which we all are by nature—so true contentment can only come when we are sure that we are inside His impregnable fortress rather than facing the onslaught of His wrath. Paul points out that if God is for us, no one can be against us (Romans 8:31), but that is a big “if”. As Christians, our hope rests not in ourselves and what we can do, but in everything that Jesus Christ has already done on our behalf. Scripture repeatedly teaches that the Christian’s identity is being in Christ. God the Father is well pleased with Christ (Matthew 17:5), so if our identity is to be in Christ, He is well pleased with us because we are in Christ. And since God the Father works all things to the glory of Christ (Psalm 110, Philippians 2:8-11), that means He works all things for the ultimate good of all who are in Christ. Since we as Christians are in Christ, God is for us and not against us. As I explained a while ago, God is for us, which means every attribute of God works in our favor. Therefore, the Christian rests in the fact that the sovereign God works out everything for our ultimate good. This gives meaning to even the deepest suffering and therefore allows us to be content in any circumstance.
God’s Promised Provision for Us
God also strengthens us to be content by repeatedly promising to give us all that we need. In the same section of Philippians, Paul confidently states that God will supply every need of theirs (Philippians 4:19 cf. 2 Corinthians 9:8). In the Sermon on the Mount, after warning against the love of possessions (Matthew 6:24), Jesus promises that God will provide food and clothing—and by extension all other necessities—if we prioritize His Kingdom (Matthew 6:25-33). This removes our anxiety about these things, replacing it with contentment. However, it is important to note that God promises to give us what we need when we need it and not before. We are not to be anxious about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34) and ask God to give us the necessities of today (Matthew 6:11). God also only promises to give us what we need not what we want. Therefore, since God has promised to give us everything we need, we can conclude that if God has not provided something to us, we don’t need it. If we do need it later, He will provide it at that time. This requires us to love God more than any material possessions or blessings, which is clear throughout Scripture. Here are just two of many examples.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
-Hebrews 13:5-6, ESV
But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
-1 Timothy 6:6-10, ESV
The point is clear: God will provide what we need so there is no point in chasing after material possessions. It is not wrong to have them, but it is wrong when a love for them displaces a love for God. Jesus said we cannot serve both God and possessions (Matthew 6:24). But this is not a license to “let go and let God”, since God’s provision most often comes through the ordinary means of hard work. Therefore, trusting in God’s provision, we can be content with what we have right now.
God’s Commands to Us
This leads to another way that Christ strengthens us to be content: He gives us work to do. Much discontentment comes from focusing on the future and what could be. While it is good to plan for the future, it must not be our focus. This is especially important for people like me who are planners and strategic thinkers. As we plan, we must caveat our plans with “if God wills” (James 4:15 cf. Acts 18:21, 1 Corinthians 4:19). To keep us from fixating on the future, God gives us ample work to do now. The present duties of the Christian are enumerable, including mortifying sin, taking every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), constantly meditating on Scripture (Joshua 1:8), and many others. On top of this, Scripture commands various duties depending on the specific roles God has assigned. Spouses, parents, children, leaders, citizens, pastors, church members, employers, and employees all have duties specific to their roles. Obeying God in all of these present duties should keep us so occupied that we have little time or mental capacity to be anxious about the future. Paul says: “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him” (1 Corinthians 7:17). Again, this is not to say that we cannot and should not have visions and desires for the future, but those must not detract from our present duties. Burroughs says as much: “I know of nothing more effective for quieting a Christian soul and getting contentment than this, setting your heart to work in duties of the immediate circumstances that you are now in, and taking heed of your thoughts about other conditions as mere temptation”. God gives us contentment by occupying us with work.
God’s Gift of Himself
Christ also empowers us to be content by putting our focus on Himself and away from ourselves. Much discontentment comes when we focus on ourselves and think that we deserve various blessings and likewise do not deserve the trials we face. Instead, the opposite it the case. We really deserve nothing, and the more we understand that the more content we will be. In fact, Burroughs observed that we deserve worse than nothing: “By sin we become a great deal worse than nothing. Sin makes us more vile than nothing, and contrary to all good”. As sinners, we deserve eternity in hell right now, so that fact that we aren’t there is itself a great blessing we do not deserve. So everything we have and every experience we face—even hardship—is actually an undeserved blessing. Therefore, Burroughs rightly exhorts us to learn the lesson of self-denial. I realize that this flies in the face of our culture’s emphasis on self-esteem—which has even polluted many churches—but it is the clear teaching of Scripture. Jesus Himself said that to follow Him we must deny ourselves (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23). The only way we can be content is to shift our focus away from ourselves. Rather than grumbling about what we think we deserve, when we focus on God not ourselves and understand our own unworthiness, we will be truly content and thankful in all circumstances.
This is true humility, so humility and contentment are inseparable. In another post, I showed how Mordecai displayed this type of humility. While self-centered Haman was ultimately ruined by his discontentment, Mordecai’s humility allowed him to take everything in stride and keep on doing his duty. Even when faced with genocide, he was confident that deliverance would come one way or another (Esther 4:14). While he doesn’t mention it explicitly, we know that this type of contentment can only come from an unwavering trust in the promises of God. We are content when we realize that nothing but God can fulfill us, and if we have God we will be fulfilled no matter what we lack. Burroughs observed that contrary to the world’s perspective, contentment comes not from adding possessions and blessings, but by subtracting out earthly desires (or at least subordinating them to God). And as we are sanctified, our desires become aligned with God’s, and therein lies true contentment.
God’s Promise of Eternal Blessing
Finally, Christ empowers us to be content by promising an eternity of blessing that infinitely eclipses anything we experience in this life. Therefore, He shifts our focus away from the troubles (and blessings) of this life to instead focus on the blessing of eternity with Him that will make everything we experience in this life worth it. Jesus told His disciples in the Upper Room:
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
-John 14:1-3, ESV
Here, Jesus is using wedding language, which is echoed throughout Scripture. Therefore, Christian contentment can be likened to an engaged bride longing for and busily preparing for her upcoming wedding. And since we are betrothed to only perfect and omniscient Husband, we know that any trial we face here is merely preparing us for that day when all trials will cease. This gives us a completely new frame of reference, as Paul describes:
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
-2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ESV (cf. Romans 8:18-25)
Paul goes on to emphasize the temporary nature of this life using the metaphor of a tent vs. an eternal building (2 Corinthians 5:1) that causes us to long for our heavenly dwelling (verses 2 and 3) when our mortality will be swallowed up in life (verse 4). All of our present trials are preparing us for a glorious eternity, and all of our present blessings are meager in comparison to the blessings that await us. In that promise we can be content. Burroughs echoes Scripture in likening the Christian to a sojourner and soldier. In both of those roles, hardships are to be expected, so we are wise to take on that mentality, which will enable us to be truly content in this life as we wait for the next.
Contentment Must Come Before Prosperity
Before I close, there is one more thing I must emphasize: the great danger in prosperity without contentment. I already alluded to this when discussing God’s promised provisions. Paul tells Timothy that those who desire prosperity “fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9). As I observed recently, times of abundance bring their own challenges and temptations that many are not prepared to face. Burroughs noted that while many saints in Scripture were made better through trials, very few were not made worse through prosperity. He holds up Daniel and Nehemiah as being in this small group, to which I might add Joseph. But the list of godly people made worse through prosperity is vast, topped by such giants of the faith as David and Solomon. Even with those who survived prosperity without being made worse by prosperity, there is no indication they were made better by it. When we read the stories of Joseph and Daniel, it is clear that they were content before they were prosperous. They did not become content in their prosperity. Therefore, we must become content before becoming prosperous if we are to have any hope of surviving prosperity. If we are not content with $1, we will not be content with a thousand, or a million, or even a billion. I think it is safe to say based on the narrative that God grew both Joseph and Daniel in contentment so much through adversity that they were able to survive prosperity, so we should likewise not expect prosperity at all, and certainly not without first being trained through adversity. God in His infinite wisdom knows the dangers of prosperity and thus is highly selective in who He gives it to. Therefore, He chooses very few of His children to be prosperous in this world and carefully prepares them for it. So we must be thankful for the trials that prepare us for any prosperity God might give us and be wary of the dangers of any prosperity that He does give us, viewing contentment itself as a bulwark against these dangers. If he never gives us prosperity in this life, we must trust that in His omniscience and goodness he is actually protecting us from ruin. When we combine this mindset with all of the ways Christ empowers us to be content, we can see how we like Paul can be content whether we have little or much.
In conclusion, true Christian contentment, being dependent on God and thus independent of circumstances, is achievable for any Christian in any situation. It is not freedom from desire or ignorance of circumstances, but is instead an inner peace empowered by Christ with the foundation of trust in the sovereignty and goodness of God. Therefore, we must strive for true Christian contentment. Burroughs observed that “to be well skilled in the mystery of contentment is the duty, glory, and excellence of a Christian”. So I will conclude with the words of Paul just a few verses later in Philippians: “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Philippians 4:19-20).
[1] This and all references to Burroughs herein are from Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Edinburgh, UK: Banner of Truth Trust: 1964 (orig. 1648)
