A Better Secret
“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.”
You’ll often see the last verse from the passage above -- verse 13 -- quoted as someone’s favorite verse or life verse. It’s kind of heroic sounding: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Paul’s confidence in God’s power in his own life helps us to believe we can also do anything in God’s power. And we can.
It’s no wonder the verse shows up on plaques and posters. For some reason, I always associate it with athletes. Call in the cheerleaders!
But we don’t often hear people talk about the verse in the context of this whole passage. The “everything” Paul is specifically referring to is contentment. I’d rather think of the everything as having to do with overcoming huge odds to pull off an unlikely success -- reaching the summit of the mountain, winning the game in the fourth quarter, coming back from a devastating illness, overcoming great hardship.
But in this context, the “everything” seems to be about feeling content in Christ even when I don’t reach the summit. Or when we lose in the 4th quarter. Or when that devastating illness just won’t go away. Paul says, “I’ve learned to be content when I’ve got plenty of cash and all my needs met right now -- AND I’ve learned to be content when I’m all the way broke and don’t know where my next meal is coming from.”
The puts a different spin on the verse, doesn’t it? It’s not about having God’s strength to win it all. It’s about having God’s strength to remain content -- peaceful, satisfied, trusting, joyful -- even when all the evidence points to the fact that I might have lost it all. That’s when we need the most courage.
Notice something else: Paul says, “I have learned the secret of being content . . .”
Contentment wasn’t something that just came naturally, even to him. He had to learn it. He called it a secret. And what’s the secret? Well, the short answer is that he could “do” anything (even being content) through God’s strength“ The long answer is in the passage we looked at last week: verses 4-8. I won’t break it all down again, but the outcome of learning to actively trust God even in the worst moments was to have God’s own peace, beyond understanding, guarding our hearts and minds.
You’re an insider. You also know the secret to being content in every circumstance -- even the lousy ones. The harder question for you and me: Will we practice the secret? Will we choose, in God’s strength, to be content even when we’re losing, failing, falling apart? Will we practice trusting God in exchange for His impossible peace even when the worst thing we feared actually happens?
Or will we refuse to be at peace, content, satisfied, joyful until the right things line up the way we want them to? Will we demand that God meet our minimum standards for a ”good enough“ life before we’ll accept His peace in the status quo?
The best choice is obvious. But for me, anyway, it’s not he one I always pick. I’m not sure why. I’m going to try to do it today. Want to join me?
--Phil. 4:11-13
You’ll often see the last verse from the passage above -- verse 13 -- quoted as someone’s favorite verse or life verse. It’s kind of heroic sounding: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Paul’s confidence in God’s power in his own life helps us to believe we can also do anything in God’s power. And we can.
It’s no wonder the verse shows up on plaques and posters. For some reason, I always associate it with athletes. Call in the cheerleaders!
But we don’t often hear people talk about the verse in the context of this whole passage. The “everything” Paul is specifically referring to is contentment. I’d rather think of the everything as having to do with overcoming huge odds to pull off an unlikely success -- reaching the summit of the mountain, winning the game in the fourth quarter, coming back from a devastating illness, overcoming great hardship.
But in this context, the “everything” seems to be about feeling content in Christ even when I don’t reach the summit. Or when we lose in the 4th quarter. Or when that devastating illness just won’t go away. Paul says, “I’ve learned to be content when I’ve got plenty of cash and all my needs met right now -- AND I’ve learned to be content when I’m all the way broke and don’t know where my next meal is coming from.”
The puts a different spin on the verse, doesn’t it? It’s not about having God’s strength to win it all. It’s about having God’s strength to remain content -- peaceful, satisfied, trusting, joyful -- even when all the evidence points to the fact that I might have lost it all. That’s when we need the most courage.
Notice something else: Paul says, “I have learned the secret of being content . . .”
Contentment wasn’t something that just came naturally, even to him. He had to learn it. He called it a secret. And what’s the secret? Well, the short answer is that he could “do” anything (even being content) through God’s strength“ The long answer is in the passage we looked at last week: verses 4-8. I won’t break it all down again, but the outcome of learning to actively trust God even in the worst moments was to have God’s own peace, beyond understanding, guarding our hearts and minds.
You’re an insider. You also know the secret to being content in every circumstance -- even the lousy ones. The harder question for you and me: Will we practice the secret? Will we choose, in God’s strength, to be content even when we’re losing, failing, falling apart? Will we practice trusting God in exchange for His impossible peace even when the worst thing we feared actually happens?
Or will we refuse to be at peace, content, satisfied, joyful until the right things line up the way we want them to? Will we demand that God meet our minimum standards for a ”good enough“ life before we’ll accept His peace in the status quo?
The best choice is obvious. But for me, anyway, it’s not he one I always pick. I’m not sure why. I’m going to try to do it today. Want to join me?
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