Contentment in all circumstances: Philippians 4:10-14

We have said before that Philippians is one the most personal letters that Paul ever wrote to a church, an indication of a deep relationship of trust, affirmation and affection. In chapter one, he recognized their partnership with him in the gospel. He was making reference to financial support that the church gave towards his church planting work. In today’s passage he expresses gratitude for a gift they had just sent to him through their messenger, Epaphroditus.

Paul continues to teach this church by his example, the values of being like Christ. One of these values is contentment. He says “I have learnt to be content whatever the circumstances”. Let us focus on this value:

How do we learn to be content? Contentment as used in this passage is an attitude of the heart that is born of another spiritual practice called simplicity. Simplicity is an inward reality that comes from the security of our relationship with Christ. We said that Paul had learnt to nurture only one ambition: to become like Christ. This put everything else in perspective for him. Whether he was being opposed, attacked, or in need, Paul was neither distracted, intimidated or anxious. He had great sense of personal security through his relationship with God. It did not depend on what he owned or lacked, or what people thought of him, or how they treated him, or what he was deprived of.

Simplicity does not mean that we become ascetics. An ascetic person regards possessions as a hindrance to spiritual life and renounces them. There may be a few people called to denounce all their wealth so they can be liberated from the slavery to it (like the rich young ruler that Jesus told to go sell all his possessions and give to the poor), but on the norm it is not a mark of spirituality for most of us. God’s intention is that people should be well provided for. Simplicity means that we intentionally put material things in their right place—only after God and after human relationships. The call of simplicity is to seek the kingdom of God in childlike trust, thereby producing an inward spirit of trust and contentment.

Living in poverty or being poor also does not mean we are living in simplicity or contentment; it is not a mark of spirituality either. I know some poor people who have a terrible poverty mentality even when things are going well for them. They always want a little more help, a bit more wealth.

The kind of simplicity that produces contentment is characterized by three inner attitudes. One, whether much or little all that we have is a gift from God (and by implication if we do not have, God is aware of the need); secondly, what we have is cared for by God and thirdly what we have is available to others as they need it.