Philippians 4:11-13
How content are you? There are surely some who seem to have
all the pieces of contentment - career, health, family, wealth - but who are still
profoundly discontented. Contentment,
contrary to popular opinion, doesn't just mean being satisfied with what you
have. There is a “secret” to finding
contentment.
Man is “wanting incarnate.”
Satisfaction
vs Contentment
· Satisfaction is more a state of body
and mind.
· Contentment is more a state of soul
and spirit than mind.
I. The True Definition of “Contentment” Philippians 4:11
The greatest statement of Christian
maturity is Paul’s statement of contentment in any circumstance.
Contentment -
“to be easy of mind, to be free from worry, from guilt,
to be satisfied.”
Contentment is the result of knowing
God's plan for your life, having the conviction to live it, and
believing that God's peace is greater than the world's problems.
II. The True Secret of “Contentment”
Philippians
4:12
In v.12 “learned the
secret” means “instructed”
or “initiated into the secret.”
It was used for initiation into mystery religions that promised salvation
through secret knowledge and ritual.
Relating Christianity to the religious
language and concepts of another opens the door for evangelism.
Listening is the first step in effective
evangelism.
III. The True Source of “Contentment” Philippians 4:13
Though the text doesn't tell us who “him”
is, the overall context in Philippians leaves no room for doubt. Paul is
speaking here of Jesus Christ.
The source of contentment is not
grounded in knowledge, circumstance or resource but RELATIONSHIP.
All of nature depends on hidden
resources.
Jesus is not just a crisis manager
but a life coach.
