How to Be Content in All Circumstances

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 all this through him who gives me strength. ~Philippians 4:11-13

More Than Motivation

This verse, more than most other verses, is quoted constantly. To the point of overdoing it.

But honestly, I get it!

It feels so uplifting to be able to say, I can do all things in Christ! I can accomplish this big goal! I can live my dreams! Christ will give me the strength to accomplish anything.

But if we look at it closer… that’s not what Paul is saying at all!

Context is Everything

Context is key. Context is king.

When reading the Bible, it is so important not to take it out of context. Without the context, we risk misunderstanding the true meaning of scripture.

If we look at the whole chapter in Philippians, or even step back and just look at a few verses, it makes no sense to assume that this verse is about accomplishing a goal.

Why would Paul talk about being content in all circumstances and then suddenly switch to talking about accomplishments?

Short answer, he wouldn’t.

The Trouble with Contentment

Paul has learnt contentment.

His contentment is not drawn from circumstances but rather from Christ. He is not looking to people, things, or even the weather to determine if he is going to be ok.

He is ok, because God is not going to leave him or forsake him. Paul is holding onto the only sure thing in this world: God.

Likewise, we too can cling to the only sure thing in this world. We can find our contentment in Christ.

One of the important parts of this verse is that Paul learnt how to be content.

One of the most powerful truths in this verse is that contentment didn’t happen overnight. Paul learned it—most likely by walking through each of the highs and lows he lists.

Which leads us to believe that contentment is a work of sanctification. It doesn’t happen overnight. Contentment is something that God teaches us.

Christ Strengthens Us In Every Season

As humans, we tend to look forward to the next season, thinking that perhaps if our circumstances change that we will be happier. If only I were married… if only I lived in a bigger house… if only my kids were bigger….

And experience teaches us that once those things we wished for come to fruition, there will be other things that will bog us down. Suddenly, we turn to longing for another thing to try to satisfy our need for contentment.

When our hope is in circumstances, accomplishments, shopping, or status, we are set up to fail.

Psalms 16 talks about how the “sorrow of those who take another god for themselves will multiply” (Ps. 16:4). When we look to other idols, or anything in our lives that isn’t Christ (even some good things!), we are set up to fail, and setting ourselves up for sorrow.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, will bring you satisfaction and contentment apart from Christ.

So Now What?

The Sunday School answer is to look to Christ, but what does that look like?

• When you consider your self-worth, think about what God has said about you, not what the world thinks of you.
• It means that when you feel like venting to someone about your difficult circumstances, perhaps you pray instead.
• It means pausing long enough to ask:
  What’s getting in the way of my contentment? What am I hoping will bring me joy? What do I need to lay down so I can be “all in” on Jesus?

Consider what it would mean to be content right now. What does that even look like for you?

A Different Kind of Victory

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

And that means that I can be content in all things through Christ, who strengthens me. Although that is not as motivational for a specific moment, it is a win for a lifetime.

Christ’s strength is not a strength that carries us through a race, a job interview or finals week, but rather a constant, consistent strength that carries us through for a lifetime.

That same strength will carry us through the hard times and the good times.

Relying on that strength makes all the difference in how we live our lives.