The Secret to Being Content...

Verse of the Week: 

¹² 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. ¹³ I can do all this through him [Christ] who gives me strength. 

Philippians 4:12-13

The Secret to Being Content...

It was the first day of Junior High, I was so excited.  Earlier that week, Mom had gotten down the big box of clothes that my older sister used to wear for me to try on.  A lot of them fit, and I was so excited to finally wear some of the things my sister had worn.  I didn't mind hand-me-downs. Whenever I got to go through the box, I felt like I was getting new clothes.  Plus, a lot of the outfits were cute!  I remember finding a bright and colorful vest,  and pink shirt that my sister had worn four to five years earlier, and some nice gray slacks.  I had chosen the outfit I was going to wear for the first day of school.  To top it off, my mom had taken me shopping for some shoes, and I had found some cool shiny black shoes to go with my outfit.  I remember visualizing myself wearing my outfit while sitting on one of the tall stools in the lab of my science class.  Oh!  I could hardly wait!

When I arrived to school that day happily dressed in my clothes, I soon had a wake up call!  Most of the girls in my classes had dressed themselves in the newest styles: tight jeans that were below the belly button, tight fitting tops, high heels, and, the newest thing for Jr High girls, makeup.  Here I was in my weird vest, baggy gray pants that were hitched up above the belly button, and naked face (no makeup for me yet!).  To make it even more devastating, as I entered the classroom, I noticed that my teacher had the SAME shoes I was wearing!  I was so embarrassed, and felt like the classic nerd… minus the glasses.  I could have been the next Steve Urkel, or just name me after his cousin, Myrtle Urkel!  I soon disliked the clothes that I had at first loved.

So what happened?  What changed?  Why did I not like the clothes I originally loved?  Simple, it all boils down to one word, comparison.  You see, when we compare ourselves to others, it wipes out every ounce of contentment that we originally had before we looked at Jane Doe and decided that she had a better house, more stylish clothes, bigger car, prettier family, amazing cooking abilities, outstanding athletic abilities, and well..you name it!

God has some things to say about comparison.  Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 10:12:

 “ Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!”   

Let’s face it, humans are IGNORANT (God’s words, not mine!) when it comes to comparing ourselves.  We do it all the time!  We want to be the best and then boast about ourselves in front of others about how awesome we are.  If you look further into 2 Corinthians 10, you find out God addresses who we should be bragging about. 

¹⁷ As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” ¹⁸ When people commend themselves, it doesn't count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.

We shouldn't be boasting about ourselves, but boasting about God!

But let’s talk about contentment for a moment.  When we start wishing we could be like this person or dress like that person or act like this person or have what another person has, our contentment fades faster than the speed of light!  Think about Joseph’s brothers in Genesis 37.  Joseph was apparently loved by his father the most out of the 12 brothers, and to top it off, he had an amazing colorful coat (that apparently topped my colorful vest!) that was to die for! See what Josephs’ brother’s attitude was towards Joseph when they started comparing themselves to him:

 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. ⁴ When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. (Genesis 37:3-4)

WOW!  Hate is a strong word, but instead of being content with their lot, they began to compare and allowed jealousy to come into their hearts which grew to the point that they HATED their brother!  Eventually some of Joseph’s brothers tried to kill him!

You see, contentment comes when you stop focusing and comparing yourself to others and start focusing on Jesus.  Here is what Paul says about the secret to being content:

¹² 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. ¹³ I can do all this through him [Christ] who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:12-13)

When people read the last part of the verse, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength,” they think it means that I can accomplish anything or do anything with His help, but when you read the verses before it, it has a much deeper meaning.   The secret to being content is to draw your strength from Christ!  No matter what situation you face from wearing clothes that look like rags to the point of wondering where your next meal comes from, depending on Christ and looking at your circumstances through His eyes gives you renewed strength and insight beyond what the world sees. 

Brian and I are currently living in a one bedroom apartment.  We could be comparing ourselves to others and wishing for our dream 3 bedroom/2 bathroom home.  We could even go out and impulsively buy a home just so we can be like all of our friends, but we haven't.  Why? Because like Paul, we are looking at our circumstances through the eyes of Jesus.  After a lot of prayer, searching, and discussion, we both know that at the present moment, it isn't wise for us to buy a house yet.  Instead of not being content,  we are focusing on what is important like family, love, spending time together, and our relationship with Christ.  As a result, we are so happy in this cozy one bedroom apartment, and I wouldn't trade our time here for anything!

Stop comparing, look to Christ , and like Paul, we will have learned the secret to being content!