“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Phil. 4:11)
It can be frustrating when things don’t go according to our plans. The stress can produce anxiety in our spirit. But Paul had learned the secret to calming his spirit no matter what his circumstances were. How did he do it? He learned to be content.
FIRST—He Was TEACHABLE.
He said, “I have learned…” Contentment doesn’t just happen; it is something we must learn. It is a lesson God is constantly trying to teach us. Sometimes we look at the lives of others and we get discontent with where our life is, so God has to bring circumstances into our lives in order to teach us a lesson about contentment. Instead of being covetous of what we DON’T have, He wants us thankful for what we DO have.
A lady, whose child was born with a disability, began to get depressed because of the different medical procedures her child had to undergo while he was young. After staying with her child at the hospital for weeks, her spirit began to change. When asked what had made the difference, she said, “The more I walked the halls and met other parents whose children were far worse off than mine, I began to thank God. There were parents having to deal with children who were facing things I didn’t have to deal with and it made me thankful.” Just like Paul, she had “learned” to be content.
SECOND—He Was FLEXIBLE.
Next, he said, “in whatsoever state I am…” If Paul was up on the mountain-top with everything going great, he was content. But he had also learned to be content when the bottom fell out and he was getting beaten or had been thrown into prison. Bro. Josh (my Youth Pastor) and I have a saying we say to each other all the time: “Flexibility is the key to Christianity.” The more flexible we are, the more content we will become.
Paul had learned the secret to the calmness of contentment. When we are content with where God has us, and with what God is trying to teach us, it brings a calmness to our lives that nothing else can bring because we realize that whether up on the mountain or down in the valley, God is still in control!