Contentment
is hard to attain. Even the apostle Paul, a hero of the faith, had to learn to
be content (Phil. 4:11). It was not a natural character trait for him.
For Paul
to write that he was content in every situation is truly amazing. At the time
of this writing, he was in jail in Rome. Charged with sedition, treason, and
other serious crimes, he had appealed to the highest court: Caesar himself.
Without other legal recourse and friends in high places, he had to wait for his
case to be heard. It seems as if Paul had the right to be an impatient and
unhappy person. Instead, he wrote to the Philippians to say that he had learned
to be content.
How did
he learn this? One step at a time until he could be satisfied even in
uncomfortable environments. He learned to accept whatever came his way (v.12)
and to receive with thanks whatever help fellow Christians could give
(vv.14-18). And most important, he recognized that God was supplying all he
needed (v.19).
Contentment is not natural for any of us. The competitive spirit in us drives us to compare, to complain, and to covet. Few of us are in a predicament such as Paul’s, but we all face difficulties in which we can learn to trust God and be content.
