In the Shadow of the Cross

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“…I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who give me strength.”(Philippians 4:11-13 NIV)

Paul, the apostle had learned to be content in whatever his circumstances were, but not in his own strength, but in the Lord’s. Paul had been in the extremes of situations, from comfort to prison; from walking on dry land to being ship-wrecked, and every place in-between.

Contentment eludes many of us. This economic climate we see ourselves in is taking its toll on people. Folks are losing their jobs, losing homes, losing hope and strength. Times are quite tough for many Americans right now. I am not sure what words I can offer that can encourage and uplift, other than to remember what Paul said in his letter to the Philippians. Notice that he said, “…I learned…”, this presupposes that he did not know this contentment at some point in his life, he had to learn it. He most likely learned this from experience. In his many travels, where he suffered and was hungry, he survived and was able to continue on from a realization that he was not in control, but rather the Lord was his source of strength, the source of his ability, and stability. He learned this. What is incredible for us is that now we have the advantage of his realization, his writings and his conclusions of what he learned.

Our strength over our circumstances is Christ; that is the bottom line. This is Paul’s conclusion of what he learned. It is through His strength, His power, His love that we can overcome our circumstances!

But can we be content? What is contentment? It is to be satisfied, not to wish to have more that we already have. You mean my ‘laundry list” that I keep in my wallet or purse of what I will buy with my lottery winnings is probably not a good thing to keep?

Yes, that is what I mean. Driving a ten-year old car, so what! House isn’t in the best neighborhood…. big deal!

The writer of Hebrews, maybe that was also Paul, had said, “Keep you lives from the love of money and be content with what you have; because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;

Never will I forsake you.”

So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, what can man do to me”

(Hebrews 13:5-6 NIV)

Americans have a hard time with this. The culture is telling us that we are dissatisfied with our lives, our homes, our cars, our jobs. Our televisions and radios are promoting products that we really don’t need, but we feel we ought to have. Advertising is big business, selling us the notion that we are miserable unless we buy their products.

Our Bible tells us the opposite. Be content with what you have. If you a Christian, your wealth is beyond words to describe. Paul had mentioned in his letter to the Romans that our present suffering are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us and that our hope lies in Christ and the hope of our glory with Him.

So as Christians, what do we have? First of all, we have Christ’s strength. If you don’t have, you didn’t take it. When one abides in Christ, one obtains His strength. Abiding in Christ is: trusting, obedience, worship, thanksgiving, being Christ-centered and focused on Him, abandoning oneself and following Christ. Secondly, the list of what Christians have is too long to contain here in this article. A Christian is incredibly blessed…re-read Ephesians chapter 1 for a review of what a Christian has been given.

Here’s the best part of all! A Christian’s blessings don’t stop here on earth. Again, Paul mentioned this in Romans 8, regarding the liberation of creation and the redemption and glorification of our bodies while with God in eternity. Glorification in heaven is quite an overwhelming topic, so much so that I’m not fully sure how to describe it, nor am I fully sure of what it all entails. But Paul sets us straight, our current situation is nothing compared to God’s glory He will share with us in heaven. What is it? I have no idea! But it is where God is, so it must be beyond description and earthly comprehension! So, we can start first with abiding in Christ and resting on Him as our source of strength and thus contentment, followed up by an awesome promise of heaven. Those two should be sufficient to breed an enormous amount of contentment.

However, we are human, and as humans we miss the mark so many times. Continually being in a state of contentment eludes us, particularly when life continually throws curve balls at us. First of all, realize that the curve balls will come. They are inevitable. Job helps us remember that. Being a Christian and abiding in Christ doesn’t come with a full ride scholarship, card blanche, a get out of jail card, nor a guaranteed rabbit’s foot.

Jesus, said that we would have troubles, but to take comfort for He had overcome the world. So the curve balls will come in fast, but our Lord also promised another comfort, and that is; we will not suffer trials that are too great for us to handle.

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it”

(1 Corinthians 10: 13 NIV)

Trials/tests cultivate us and are for our benefit so that we can grow in faith, as we grow in faith we continue to please God in what our faith produces, such as patience, long-suffering, kindness, love, mercy, praise, and a by-product of this is an increased faith. Faith leads to us to rest and contentment through the ongoing manifesting of our trust, and living in the hands of a loving Father and realizing that there is no better place to be. As such, faith continues, trust continues, contentment flourishes. Our contentment is resting upon Christ and His gift to us and in His righteousness, and power over life’s circumstances, distress and death.

Yes, but I’m not perfect, I’m a flesh and blood person who messes things up… all the time. Aren’t we all! There are a few things that keep the fire of contentment burning inside us since we all need help in this area. One thing is; continually thank God for His loving-kindness and His providential care. We are not getting what we deserve. We deserve death as a result of our sins, but instead we are blessed and allowed to live another day. Stand back, look at your life, examine it thoroughly and be thankful.

Look at others and their situation and interests. Plug into their lives… yes, that is easier said than done. Well then, start small. Start with your family members. Esteeming others before ourselves is the idea here. Are you married? Esteem your spouse wholeheartedly. Do you have kids? Serve them with a loving heart. Our culture is saying the opposite; we are to grab what we can for ourselves, do things that please me and leave others out in the cold. However, esteeming others brings a great sense of contentment and blessing. Ask any long-time volunteer, why they do it, and they will most likely say something like...”I like who I am when I help others”… or, “it’s a great feeling to be able to help others”.

Ultimately, as a Christian, I believe I am content in be a Christian. I thank God that I’m a believer, that His Spirit convicted me and opened my eyes and heart to Him. Being a believer is a tremendously different than being a non-believer. Not just in the belief itself, as even the demons believe. It is what the believing fully means. It’s isn’t the concept of easy-belief, or that all one needs to do is believe, as if it is a one-time event. Belief is far more than that. That may be a good topic for another day.

The point I am trying to make is that a believer (and all that it entails) can rest assured in their salvation. As such, they can rest assured in their being with God in heaven. The story of Lazarus and the Rich Man reminds us of that great difference between eternal torment as a non-believer and the eternal bliss of a believer. As Paul eloquently pointed out to us in Romans and in Philippians, nothing can compare to the glory of God and the place of where it will be present for all time.

Living in Christ’s strength, realizing the assurance of our salvation, our faith that God is for us and not against us, the continual thanksgiving and praise we give to God, and the promise of heaven… would that not be sufficient to bring a life-time of contentment?

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