The secret of being content

Those oft quoted words from Paul…”…for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am…I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11, 13, HCSB)

This morning as I was reading chapter 4 of the letter by Paul to the church in Macedonia (to the Philippians), I was struck by how different these two statements look when one reads them in the context of the whole section from verses 10 to 20. I’ve definitely been guilty of just quoting these two verses (verse 11 and/or 13) by themselves to people, but the essence of what they say isn’t found in themselves alone! (I guess like all parts of the Bible!) The whole passage reads:

¹⁰ I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it. ¹¹ I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. ¹² I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have 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. ¹³ I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me. ¹⁴ Still, you did well by sharing with me in my hardship.

¹⁵ And you Philippians know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone. ¹⁶ For even in Thessalonica you sent gifts for my need several times.¹⁷ Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that is increasing to your account. ¹⁸ But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided—a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. ¹⁹ And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ²⁰ Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Paul is thanking the Philippians for their genuine love and generosity towards him. He’s been travelling around the Mediterranean region doing church planting and sharing the gospel with whoever he comes across. To this cause, he travels almost like a vagabond, without a permanent home (because his is in heaven!) but going from place to place. As a result, he works as a tent maker to order to provide funds for his journeys. It seems clear that Paul is touched by the Philippians care for him (verse 10) and their eagerness to provide for his needs also (verses 10b, 15-16, 18). What a challenge there! (Tangent: Paul encourages them in their giving because it is “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” since they were giving even when Paul had not asked for it (verse 17)!)

It is in this context that we learn about Paul’s “secret of being content”. Often we (including me!) talk about this idea of LEARNING TO BE CONTENT in things like “I just lost my job…I need to learn to be content now” or “My marriage isn’t working as I thought it would…I need to learn to be content here”. In no way do I seek to undermine these situations, but I think that Paul is not specifically talking about FEELING CONTENT. He is specifically talking about PROVISIONS. This is clear in verses 11-12 where the “circumstances” are “both how to have a little…how to have a lot” and “whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need”.  In fact, I checked up the Greek word for the word “content”, which is autarkēs, which means “self-sufficient” (there you go!). So the “secret of being content” (verse 12) is really an open secret: “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me”. It is Paul’s confidence that as he serves God faithfully, stewarding generously and wisely the things that God has given him (his skills as a tent maker, his commission from the Lord Jesus as a good news bearer to the Gentiles, his voice, his hands, his feet…), that God will allow him to do all things by God’s strength. Let that sink in because it blew me away!

…to know Christ and to be called to serve Him was “unsearchable riches” (Ephesians 3:8). How far we know the secret of contentment and to what degree we are proving the sufficiency of Christ for all the demands of our lives are always challenging questions for us as Christians.

Carson, D.A., France, R.T., Motyer, J.A., and Wenham, G.J., New Bible Commentary (Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), p. 1259.

It blew me away because what Paul is saying is that our learning to be content comes in our choosing to be faithful and bold in sharing the gospel with others in our lives. When and as we do this, we will know the contentment of being provided for in our needs. It is not about feeling content in hard circumstances, but it is about confidence in God’s sovereign provision in circumstances of need and abundance as we faithfully serve him. The outlook is for others, and not for ourselves. As we serve others by sharing Jesus with them with all of ourselves (as Paul did), we will experience contentment in the sufficiency of Christ 🙂

Is it possible for men and women to be friends?

I’ve been pondering this question more recently: is it possible for men and women to be friends?
And…
http://resurgencecdn.com/resurgence/2012/09/25/can-men-and-women-be-just-friends provides a great response with much practical wisdom!

Reflections on the life and witness of Dawson Trotman: a man of God (Part 1)

I’ve been reading this wonderful book that my friend Steve encouraged and gave to me to read, called “Daws: A man who trusted God” by Betty Lee Skinner. The book starts slowly, but as you get into this man’s mind, the man who started a global movement called The Navigators, through the thoughtfully written words of Skinner, you cannot help but yearn to be like him. It’s so challenged me in very practical ways at very timely moments over the last month or so that I’ve journeyed in reading it. Here I will share some of the things that have challenged me personally (though there are just too many things to put in this one post!). My hope and prayer is that you’ll be compelled to buy this book or ask to borrow it from me (as my friend Jayne and I have now gotten a few copies so that we can lend it to others!) and read it yourself!

1. “He fervently wished to be a useable instrument in the Lord’s work – that wonderful work of winning souls. With this goal in mind, prayer was power, not a ritual; he would discipline himself to pray, whether the inclination was there or not…he was learning that discipline insured his obedience, serving as bridge between knowing what he should do and doing it without fail.” (p. 51)

Fervent and devoted prayer and discipline. These two things are so evident throughout Dawson’s life since he became a Christian, and they increasing became so. Like the men who did great things in Jesus’ name like Hudson Taylor, Dawson became convinced that they were able to be involved in these great things because they were committed first and foremost to prayer. Throughout the book, Dawson personally pushes himself to get up at 4am, 5am to pray for a few hours before getting into the things of the day. There are instances in his journal where this is evident: “Slept till 7 o’clock (shame). Because of this I must begin the day with but a few minutes of prayer. This is sin.” It might seem legalistic but as Skinner writes, Daws saw this as anything but! He saw discipline as the key to his obedience to Jesus. As I read, I learnt of how those many hours of devoted prayer were honoured by God as He moved in Dawson’s life to make his such an effective servant in later years. He himself became the answer to many of his prayers! I was so challenged by this. I’m not someone who can sit still for a very long time. I like to constantly be moving and doing things. But so did Dawson! And yet what a man of prayer! I’ve been challenged to start my mornings in patient prayer before the Lord because of Dawson’s example.

2. “Impressed by the example of man who prayed that might lead one person to Christ each month, then one each week, and finally one a day, Dawson tried it. Lord, let me win one soul for You each month. Then one soul a week. God answered…Touch a life a day for God.” (p. 55, 67)

Dawson’s determination in prayer was backed up by his determination to see things through, and visa versa. Because of this, I’ve been challenged to be more bold in prayer that God might show me how He can do great things if I just ask Him! The incredible story that follows on p. 67 of the book was so timely for me. I read it while I was feeling a bit discouraged over a ‘missed opportunity’ that day…

Dawson had just climbed into bed when he realized he had not talked to anyone about Christ. Well, what if he spoke to two tomorrow? It wouldn’t do, he decided. Rather than fail his week’s assignment, he dressed and clattered off into his Model-T to find a listener. After several miles he saw a man with a briefcase who had just missed the train to Long Beach, and Dawson offered him a ride. “You many not believe this, ” he began after introductions, “but I got out of bed to come down here. It’s a rule of my life never to end the day without sharing with someone the most wonderful thing in life. I am a Christian.” The passenger heard the story of God’s love in Christ, then said thoughtfully, “Son, twenty years ago I started to search for God. I’ve gone to church nearly every Sunday for twenty years. Tonight you have told me about what I’ve been looking for.” If going out to witness that night instead of the next day merely to check off his daily chart was legalistic, it was legalism in the providence of God, for the next day he would not likely have crossed the path of the man who that night ended his long search for peace with God.

I don’t know how you’re feeling but when I read this my heart was surprisingly at peace and filled with joy! I was at peace because I was encouraged by the sovereignty of God in this hitchhiker’s life, and I was filled with joy because the burden of that missed opportunity became a privilege for the future of opportunities. One thing I picked up which I want to practise more is Dawson’s frankness about his ‘agenda’ (for lack of a better word) – he did not hide the fact that he was seeking to evangelise this man! In fact, God used it for the conversation to become about spiritual things! Dawson’s openness to being used by God in witnessing was honoured by the Lord.

3. Dawson’s trust in God to allow him to give generously was met by God’s provision

This was something that deeply shaped the rest of Dawson’s life (as is evidenced throughout the rest of the book) in how he spent money and looked to the Lord for its provision. He used to be a chronic gambler before he became a Christian. The following shows how his relationship with Jesus changed his views on money…

A monthly subsidy from Miss Mills helped finance Dawson’s schooling and gave him extra time for ministry. For his occasional need when funds ran short, he determined to follow the example of George Muller and Hudson Taylor [read their biographies!!], trusting God to supply through prayer.

Two days later the decision was tested. Due to lead a boys club in Torrance, he needed carfare – forty cents for the train and ten cents for the connecting bus. He prayed, sticking to his resolve rather than asking one of his schoolmates for a quick loan. Eleven minutes before train departure time he started walking to the station. Dashing around the corner of the building, he met Mr. Hale, the superintendent of men, who tossed something into his coat pocket. Dawson dared not look until he was a block away. Then he reached into his pocket and there it was – a half-dollar engraved with the words “In God We Trust”!

He was overjoyed with the precision and timing of such answers, for they proved that the communication lines to an omnipotent God were both ways. At Biola [the bible college he was attending] and the adjoining Church of the Open Door, offerings were taken regularly for visiting missionary speakers. With just six dollars in his pocket and five dollars rent due at Biola next morning, Dawson reach into his pocket for the one-dollar bill. Or should he give the five and trust the Lord would provide for the missionary and Dawson should keep his five. After a brief struggle he gave it. Next morning before daylight he was up on the roof where he usually went to spend time with the Lord, and there lay a five-dollar bill He has caused someone to drop in Dawson’s path. His pre-Christian gambling held no thrill to match this. (pp. 57-58)

Skinner so thoughtfully captures these two anecdotes for our reflection! Wow! I felt very cut to the heart when I read this because at the time I give monthly direct debit donations to a few different causes and I saw the ever decreasing figures in my bank account as I had not gotten any work for a while. This led me to consider perhaps pulling back on my offerings in this way. However, when I read these pages, I was led to pray “Lord, if you want me to keep giving and to be generously doing so rather than thinking of myself first, please provide whatever you think I need.” And sure enough, soon rolled in my tax returns!

There are so many more things that I’d like to share, but will have to leave that for Part 2! I hope the above encourages or challenges you in some way to respond in faith as Dawson Trotman did! Would love to hear your thoughts 🙂