“Keys To True Contentment”
Philippians 4
Sermon Series: “More…Or Less”
Introduction: Paul’s letter to the Philippians is an amazing piece of writing because he is in prison, chained to a Roman guard, and he is writing extensively about joy and contentment. He presents a very high standard for us in regard to our attitude. I can’t claim to measure up to his standard or example, but all of us are called to strive to live with joy and contentment. Let’s examine what the Holy Spirit says through the Apostle Paul about true contentment.
1. The Nature of True Contentment: Contentment is being internally satisfied. Kenneth Wuest writes, “The word ‘content’ is the translation of a Greek word used by the Stoic school of philosophy which taught that man should be sufficient to himself for all things. It means ‘to be independent of external circumstances.’ It speaks of self-sufficiency and competency.” There is a great example in the movie, Cool Runnings. Cool Runnings is a comedy from the 1990’s that was loosely based on the story of the first Jamaican bobsled team to go to the Olympics. John Candy played their coach, who was a former bobsled world record holder. He had won two Gold medals in the 1968 Olympics and two more in 1972. However, he was later disqualified and stripped of his medals in 1972 for cheating. One of the Jamaican bobsledders could not understand why someone who had already won a gold medal would cheat so he finally got up the nerve to ask his coach. The coach replied, “I had to win. I learned something. If you are not happy without a gold medal, you won’t be happy with it.”
2. The Source of True Contentment: Wuest continues writing, “But Paul’s self-sufficiency was not of the Stoic kind. It was Christ-sufficiency. Paul’s independence was not Stoic independence, but dependence upon Christ. He found his sufficiency in Christ. He was independent of circumstances because he was dependent upon Christ.” Verse 13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” If you are not content, maybe it is because of Who is missing instead of what is missing. Also, we tend to get this backwards. Paul made it very clear in chapter three that he was discontent when it came to knowing Jesus, and he was letting go of everything and pressing forward to know Jesus better. However, we tend to be content spiritually and dissatisfied materially. Admiral James Stockdale said, “Be content with what you have, never with what you are.”
3. Keys to Experiencing True Contentment: True contentment comes from Jesus. Here are some keys to actually experiencing what He has to offer us:
A. Concern for others in the Lord (v. 1-3, 10, 14-19). Contentment is about perspective to a large degree. It will be difficult for us to ever be content if we only think about ourselves. Plus, ministering to others helps us to see that many people are in worse circumstances than us which can help us be more content.
B. Worshipping the Lord (v. 4). Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” That means we are to rejoice when things are bad as well as when things are good. We don’t rejoice because things are bad, but because God is good even when things are bad. Paul practiced what he preached (Acts 16, see also Psalm 73).
C. Let Jesus give us peace through prayer and thanksgiving (v. 6-7). Peace and contentment are very closely related. Prayer leads to contentment because we can be confident that God will meet our needs (v. 19, James 4:2). Thanksgiving leads to contentment because we see that what we have is a gift and blessing from the Lord.
D. Learn from our experiences that Jesus is enough (v. 11-13). It is interesting that Paul said that he “learned” to be content if the circumstances were good or bad. This means that he was not always content. He learned from the good that everything is a blessing from God. He learned from the bad that God’s grace is sufficient and that God works all things together for good (2 Corinthians 12:9, Romans 8:28). He learned to be content in the moment, not if something happens in the future. Ultimately, he experienced these things because of his obedience.
