Day 3 - Finding Joy in Contentment
Reading Passage: Philippians 4:10-13
I so wish that the journey to find contentment in all circumstances was traveled without struggle. As we dive into the Apostle Paul’s journey with today’s reading, we learn more about the life he lived, leading him to find contentment no matter what came his way!
It takes grit and a proven track record of trust to realize that our circumstances do not determine the truth of how God meets us in both the joy-filled seasons and the desperate ones.
We walk out our days doing our best to celebrate the times we are winning at life. You know, the days where things are working out exactly how we hope they would (throws head back in laughter)?
Just in time for a reality check, waves of discouragement come crashing in on the party (sounds about right).
We have all been there… trying to remain faithful to trust in an all sufficient God, believing that He really is enough no matter what circumstances we are staring down.
We find ourselves working hard at making space for contentment in the moments when our circumstances refuse to go in a direction we can get behind.
Have you ever found yourself trying to cope with both needing much and having much?
I boarded a flight out of Alaska on my birthday with my three sons and husband to relocate our life and ministry to the humid, home cookin’, hospitable state of Tennessee.
Moving meant saying goodbye to my family, friendships, familiarity, and beloved mountain ranges that I for sure knew did not exist in Tennessee. I had everything I needed and more.
My face pressed up against the window trying to hide my tears from my boys who were excited for the adventure. I silently began to ask God to help me see the situation like He did. Hope was near and joy was possible even though my heart was a bit unstable—my God was steadfast. I was genuinely excited about what was ahead—but I was also not a lover of unknowns.
I began to see our new assignment, like the Apostle Paul came to understand in our passage this week, Philippians 4:10-13.
“I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know both how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need,”
As we understand the life of Paul, we will get an honest glimpse into what he had experienced throughout his journey of having little and also having plenty. Though his circumstances changed and consistency in meeting basic needs wavered, the contentment he chose could remain steady.
I too had watched God provide for our family and yet there had been times where we were waiting on the edge of our seats to see how on earth we would fund an adoption, pay a bill, and even have a roof over our heads.
During that birthday flight, I made a choice to embrace my own circumstances with confidence in who God was, not in how things might play out in our new location.
My pitty party turned to praise.
Whether I live near my people or far away.
Whether I am known or unknown in a new land.
Whether I am alone or surrounded.
Whether I had to rely on others to care for my family.
I mean... could I really experience contentment in the midst of sadness or as I was grieving my sister not being my neighbor? In the abandoning people and routines and a community that I loved?
It was hard - you ladies get it.
Even though I trusted God for our life, and breath, and provision, and EVERYTHING… I still wondered if I had what it took to start over.
Paul continues on in our passage to declare that his strength is provided by Christ alone! This is the strength that I want to live out.
“I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me,” Philippians 4:13 (CSB).
In a world that is constantly bombarding us with images of other people’s lives that seem better, richer, smarter and more perfect, we can’t help but be drawn toward a life of discontentment. We build a fabricated idea that we need to do more, be more and it can leave us tired, hopeless and lacking joy. But what if we could find our identity in Christ instead. What if we didn’t care what other people thought, but instead only cared for only one opinion. The only One’s opinion we should care about. How would that change the way we live? How could we apply what we’ve learned today?
Written by: Jenny Howell