Posted on 04/24/2013 3:00:51 PM PDT by fulltlt
Philipians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content.
being content is about acceptance....no matter my condition -—job or no job, house or no house, spouse or no spouse, health or no health-— in all of these states God is at work in my life and will help me. Does that help always look like what I want (or demand)? Of course not. What happens is that I learn to have gratitude for that which I do have . I learn what I need to do to change my circumstance ( and sometimes there is nothing that I can do but change my attitude). To be more focused on where I may useful to another than being focused on getting what I want. Being content is knowing deep in my heart and soul that no matter what happens I am right where I am supposed to be for the here and now.
Excellent!
For example,
2 Tim 4:13: The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.
He was cold. And he needed the parchments (books). If being "content" were an absolute, then he should have simply accepted being cold and not having necessary reading material.
Or, consider the Lord. In Matthew 5:39 he said, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Yet in John 18:22,23:
And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?
Jesus didn't exactly do what he told us to do in Matthew 5, did he? Somebody smote him, and he didn't simply turn the other cheek. He spoke out against the injustice.
These are objectives; things toward which we strive. We are constantly moving toward perfection.
Things just got strange here! I’ve been listening to a Christian youtube video by Darrell Myatt where he talks about going through hard times. Here’s the link:
Iran Already Past Nuclear ‘Red Line’ Expert Says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQUfWaxw3XY
As I was listening, for some reason I brought up FR to glance at the news stories. I was scrolling down and JUST AS I SAW THIS THREAD Darrell says “What do you think the lesson was that Paul learned...” and he quotes this passage! Just as I read your title “Be content no matter what???” I heard that. Skip ahead to 35:18 in the video and it’s there.
fulltlt, the Lord had you post that. I very much needed to hear it.
We have a serious illness in the family (pneumonia and some other things) and we have asking the Lord for healing and rescue. Sometimes waiting is hard. I needed that encouragement today.
Thank you!
PastorBooks
Notice that Paul learned to be content. It didn’t just come naturally or as a byproduct of circumstances. Contentment is a choice, a decision. We can teach ourselves to be content.
Paul was in prison in Rome and facing possible execution, but he was content. One of the ways we learn contentment is to be thankful for what we have and quit thinking about what we don’t have. Most people in prison would be focused on all the things they can’t do. I’m sure Paul was thinking about what he could do.
And Jesus said, "By My Stripes you were healed" and It is Finished
All here have replied well. Please remember that one should look at single sentences within the context of the paragraph they are pulled from; or chapter in this case. the commentaries furnished at http://www.biblestudytools.com/kjv/philippians/4-11.html
are also excellent sources for answering your question. To me, Paul LEARNED to be content with whatever he had in this physical world, for his focus was on life after death with Jesus, when this world and its items would be left behind. When one has the gift of salvation, whatelse really matters in the end.
Seems like not much would get accomplished if we all sat back in contentment in whatever state we were in.
Contentment is not apathy. The verse in question actually means to not be a whiner when faced with adversity.
Whining here on FreeRepublic???? No it couldn’t be.
If by that you mean that we all ought to take Paul’s advice to heart, there is no argument against that out of me.
being content does not relieve me of the my responsibilities...it is the surety of God’s protection and love no matter my condition. Never is it suggested that one should rest on on’e laurels and become slothful....to the contrary we are required to be of maximum service to God and our fellows (hence mush is required of us)
see my response at 14
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