Day 11- Contentment
"I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because 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 in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Philippians 4:10-13
Contentment is a choice. The Apostle Paul writes this letter to the Philippian church as he sits in jail awaiting trial for his faith. He is not waxing eloquent when he says “whatever your situation is, I understand.” In fact, if we were to look into the life of Paul, none of us would want to trade places with him! (2 Cor 4:7-10, 6:3-12, 11:23-29).
In this passage, Paul reminds us of a few things:
Verse 13 is one of the most often quoted verses of the New Testament “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” It is interesting that this verse is rarely quoted in the context of contentment. It is best interpreted as “I can learn to be content in any circumstance because God will give me the unfailing strength to do so.”
The simple life is a content life. God wants you and I to be content with what we have. He does not want us to continually strive after things that don’t matter and won’t last. Rather he wants us to find our trust in Him.