"But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again: though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everything and in all things I have both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phillippians 4: 10-13
For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content . . . These words haunt me. I am discontent. Perhaps I am alone in this, but I doubt it.
I want more than I have. While I surely have more than I've had, I still want more.
I have a great marriage. I want it to be better. I have a nice home, I want a larger one. I drive a nice car - that I dinged on the garage door - I want a newer one. I have a good job. I want a great career. I have good children - all factors considered. I want them to be great.
I have a good relationship with God. I want to live completely in God's will for my life.
So now what?
Can I want all these things and still remain - like Paul - content in where I am?
Paul's statement about contentment was not a conclusive one. He does not suggest that because he is content, that he will remain in that state. He goes on to say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
So, no matter at what state he currently exist, he knows he can survive it because Christ stengthens him. We hear that last statement a lot in church. We repeat it. We stake our lives as Christians on it - but do we believe it? Do we surrender to it?
Paul says he can do all things. Not just some things or a few things, but all things.
If that is the case, and we believe it is the case - then the discontentment that I'm facing is my own fault.
John 10:10, another often repeated scripture, tells us that Jesus came so that we might have life and have it "more abundantly." Perhaps it is this promise of abundance that makes contentment so difficult to imagine. If we are, indeed, going to have life and have it more abundantly then why be content where we are?
The two ideas are connected by the statement, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." In the moments when we have less than we desire for ourselves (which for me is almost always), we can find comfort and rest knowing that no matter where we are, Jesus is there too. And if He is there, there is nothing to stop us from pushing forward.
My husband has a reminder that comes up on his phone - PUSH - Pray Until Something Happens. As long as I am PUSHing toward the abundance that I was promised, then "where I am" shouldn't bother me. I should be just as content when I have little as when I have much.
And I know that is easier said than done. I know this because even as I write this - I wonder whom I'm trying to convince, you or me. I type this sermon from my head and I know it's serving as a pep talk to myself. I remind myself that "where I am" is not a bad place. And that even if it were a bad place - it wouldn't always be bad. I remind myself to PUSH and that unless I am PUSHing, I might always be where I am. I remind myself that all things - ev, er, y thing is possible through Christ who strengthens me.
I'll challenge you not to take my word for it. Try PUSHing and see what happens.
