This morning I awoke pondering Paul’s words written to his beloved Philippian church:
“[For] I learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” (Philippians 4:11)
What spurred my imaginative pondering, I cannot unravel here; but whatever that provocation, once again I faced the questions: What did Paul learn? What was the secret of his contentment? How could he be content in plenty or in want? – and this last question I found haunting; for I know that I/we live in a land of plenty.
Oh, I know that American poverty exists; but it is “American” poverty. It is not Bengali or Malawian poverty (these I’ve seen). It is not the poverty that ekes out life on $2/day: the poverty of the millions, who share the global village with us. I know that American poverty exists, but I am haunted by the fact that we Americans seem often discontent. We are the wealthy of the world, whether we know it or not, and yet we live in a land that encourages us to be discontent: we must have the latest … the newest … the most … the best … until we find that we must then rent a storage unit, in order to contain our less-than-new possessions.
In the immediate context of Philippians 4:11, Paul wrote of his contentment as derived from his relationship to the One who strengthened him (4:13), no doubt Christ Jesus. However, with this acknowledgement, my question still lingers: How did his relationship with Christ provide contentment? Of what did his relationship consist that my relationship often does not?
As I confronted this last question, my mind turned not to verse 13, but to the previous verses, where he encouraged the Philippians not to be anxious but rather to pray with thanksgiving, and thereby experience “the peace of God” (verses 6-7). Thanksgiving was/is the entrée to the peace of God. Moreover, he next encouraged the Philippians to focus upon whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, and lovely. Focus upon these, with thanksgiving, he enthused, and “the God of peace will be with you” (verse 9).
That, I believe, was/is Paul’s secret to contentment: to focus upon what is true, honorable, etc., realizing that these find their source in the One who is true, honorable, just, pure, and lovely. This is not Orphan Annie sunshine; rather, this focus invites a multi-faceted view, leading to the One who is the Truth.
I’ll share more of this in my next blog.
Faithfully,
Stan