Philippians 4:11-14
Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress.
Two immediate reactions most often arise when I read this passage. The first is that Paul, I suspect, was a pretty complicated fellow. It seems that he wants to thank the Philippians but not give the impression that he really needs them. That he wants them to know that what they do is important, but not too important. There is almost a peculiar defensiveness to his, “Not that I am referring to be in need…. In any case, it was kind of you…” interaction. I don’t know whether that’s fair to the Apostle or not, but it comes to mind.
The second, and more charitable, response is simply to be somewhat awestruck by Paul’s confession (perhaps a boast, but I’ll treat it as a confession) that he is content in all situations. This is even more true when I remember that Paul writes this not from his comfy home office but from prison. I would love to achieve that kind of faithful equanimity but, quite frankly, have not. So while Paul may come across as a bit of a mixed-bag in his relationship with the Philippians, he is nevertheless a content mixed-bag who has learned to trust God in all situations, and I greatly admire the confidence and faith he shows in saying, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
When reading the passage this time, however, I had a third reaction, this one triggered by another thing Paul says, “I have learned to be content with whatever I have.” Learned. This perhaps wasn’t something that came natural, but instead was something Paul learned. Trust, equanimity, faithfulness can be learned.
Might we also learn to be content in all things? I think we can, but in my experience learning always comes through practice. So perhaps one of the keys to learning contentedness is to recall that there have been, in fact, times when I’ve been perfectly content even when I didn’t have everything I thought I needed. And there have been times – lots of them, once I start to think about it – that I have seen others be content. I have seen someone grieve the death of a loved one, but also give thanks for a well-lived life. I have seen someone bear up under illness or calamity with amazing grace and trust. I have watched someone lose a job but not lose hope.
Calling to mind and naming these and other examples might be one way to practice our faith and learn contentment.
One more question: might Sunday morning be a great time to do this? That is, could we perhaps imagining that part of what we do when we gather together on Sunday is to remind each other of our faith, to share stories of contentment and trust, support each other when we are struggling being content with what we have, and in all these ways learn faithful contentment by practice?
We are all, when it comes to it, mixed bags of faith and doubt, contentment and longing, trust and fear – perhaps if we come together and share our stories and struggles we might learn together how also to be and do all things through him who strengthens us.
Prayer: Dear God, surround us with stories of faithful struggle and contentment, and give us the courage to share our faith stories as well, that together we, with Paul, may learn to be content with all things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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