In Philippians Chapter 4, verse 11b, the Apostle Paul gives us the biblical recipe for how to be content.  

The Secret of Contentment (Part I) dealt with what Paul had learned throughout his life that he could rely on in times of trouble so that he could experience true contentment. He learnt that he could rely on Gods Power, Providence, and Promises. For Paul, true contentment was ‘Initiated from his Experience’ of God.

Today’s concluding Part II highlights that Paul experienced true contentment in his life, regardless of what was happening around him or what situation he was in. This complementary revelation enables us to see that the experience of true contentment is also ‘Independent of our Environment.’

“In whatsoever state”

It is so easy to get caught up in the thought, even as believers, that if every day was sunny, if I woke-up feeling 100% healthy and refreshed, if the kids were well- behaved, if the car was full of fuel, if the house was clean, if the lawn was mowed, if everything in my life was just right, then I would be content.

Paul does not say ‘when everything is going well, then I am content.’ He said that regardless of his situation or surroundings, he experienced true contentment.

Paul’s contentment was not conditioned on the circumstances that prevailed around him. The position he was in; whether he was prosperous or in poverty, whether he was abounding or being abased, whether he was hungry or full, whether he was free or in bonds… he was not a victim of his circumstances, but rather a victor despite his circumstances.

I have heard it said that there are two types of people in the world… Thermometers and Thermostats.

A thermometer does not change anything around it. It simply reacts to its environment and registers the temperature… going up and down, depending on what is happening around it.

But a thermostat regulates the surroundings and changes them when they need to be changed to suit the thermostat. Regardless of what is happening externally, the thermostat ensures whatever is in its environment and in its control remains constant.

The Apostle Paul was a ‘thermostat believer’ – Instead of having spiritual ups and downs as the situations around him changed, he remained a steady servant of Christ, with the same heart, zeal, and motivation.

If we want to experience true peace and contentment in our lives then we must be ‘thermostat believers,’ not thermometers. Our contentment must not be subject to what is happening in the world around us, but what is happen within… in our relationship with God. Consider the following biblical examples of contentment when the surrounding circumstances were far from being ideal:

• Christ was content while He slept in a small boat amid the violent storm.
• Joseph was content in his faithful service to his father in Canaan… as a slave in Potiphar’s house, in prison, and in Pharaoh’s Palace in Egypt.
• Daniel was content in the Kings palace and the lion’s den during his captivity in Babylon.
• Job was content in his worship of God when he had everything and when he lost all… saying, “The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In conclusion, contentment is a state of mind, heart, and spirit. It is something that is powerful enough to give you the strength and determination of faith that makes it possible to enjoy every moment and everything that God provides. But sometimes this ‘sense’ of contentment can be elusive in the life of every believer.

It is fair to say that in life we will all be faced with challenges that will cause us to ‘feel’ discontent. If we consider the challenges we face in the context of what the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11b, then we too will experience true peace and contentment.

Mat Mikhail
January 22, 2024