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Gospel-Driven Encouragement for Homemakers

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Learning Contentment

by Marci Ferrell
Christian Living Encouragement

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Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

~ Philippians 4:11-12

As I've been meditating on Philippians 4:11-12 on contentment I'm reminded that there isn't a program where we can automatically be contented people. No 5 Steps to Contentment or Learn to be Content Retreat Weekend. Contentment in our walk as believers is learned, just as Paul learned it, so do we as we walk this walk with the Lord. It does not come naturally to us. We know deep down the secret to contentment is to keep our eyes on the Lord in every situation. It's when we take our eyes off Him is when we fall into this sin.

“So what does contentment mean? It is an inner sense of rest or peace that comes from being right with God and knowing that He is in control of all that happens to us.”

~ Steven J. Cole

I've noticed there aren't many books on Christian contentment and a classic is one by Jeremiah Burroughs called The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. The title made me pause and think how well he defined contentment as a rarity even in our life as believers. It is a rarity, and usually, we walk in a spirit of discontentedness.

“Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.”

~ Jeremiah Burroughs

Being in Need:

The apostle Paul is writing this letter from prison (every time I read his letters that thought alone convicts me) but he is encouraging the Phillippians that it is a blessing to give. Paul's thankfulness to them was in their giving, and it was good for them to be givers. It is good for us to be givers and generous in what the Lord has given us. Paul was genuinely needy in this instance, and their help to him was good, but he didn't depend upon it.

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It should be the same with us, it's a blessing if we receive something, but it's okay if we don't. It shouldn't be expected. Many times we deal with discontentment because of unmet expectations. Whether tangible goods or just expectations we put on others that we think they should meet. Paul's contentment even in a hard situation was because of the freedom he had in Christ.

Learning Contentment:

The use of the word “learned” here in Phil 4:11 means to learn by experience, to discover and so to genuinely understand and accept the teaching as true and to apply it in one’s life. Just like the apostle Paul, we may need to go through many difficulties and trials in our lives to learn in Whom our true contentment is found. The more eternity captures our hearts, the more content we will find ourselves. The temporal circumstances that can cause us to be discontent will have less of a hold on us as we continue to mature spiritually.

“We have here an account of Paul's learning, not that which he got at the feet of Gamaliel, but that which he got at the feet of Christ.”

~ Matthew Henry

Our prayer should always be for the Lord to wean us from the dependence on the things of this earth. Our circumstances on this earth will be less than perfect, and they're always changing. There is tremendous comfort in the reminder that God doesn't change. We will never find contentment in the external but in the eternal relationship with the living God who does not change. It's one thing to know this, but it is another thing to live it out because it has been learned.

We will never find contentment in the external but in the eternal relationship with the unchangeable living God.Click to Tweet

We are a forgetful people and need to be reminded that Christ is sufficient and it is Christ who is living and working in me and because of that supernatural work within me He enables me to be content in and through any situation. One of the definitions of the Greek use of the word “content” here is independent of external circumstances. We can live independent of circumstances when we are living dependent on Christ. 

Being Brought Low:

In some translations the word used for brought low is abased, and it's defined as belittled or humiliated. I don't know about you, but I would not be quick to be content if I'd just been humiliated. It can also mean to be in want or need or a humble, lowly estate. During times of being brought low is when we need to be reminded of the Lord's sovereignty in our lives and causing all circumstances to work for our good and His glory. We cannot lose hope in Him during these difficult times but turn to Him knowing that His purposes can be fully trusted. 

How to Abound:

To live in prosperity is the Greek word “perisseuo“ and it means to overflow, to be in affluence, to excel or to be in abundance with the implication of being considerably more than what would be expected. This can be a hard lesson because in these times we can grow dependent upon ourselves, begin to think of ourselves as higher than we ought and become prideful. The temptations may be greater than when we're in want.

“These are both hard lessons to learn; I do not know which is the more difficult of the two. Probably it is easier to know how to go down than to know how to go up. How many Christians have I seen grandly glorifying God in sickness and poverty when they have come down in the world; and ah! how often have I seen other Christians dishonoring God when they have grown rich, or when they have risen to a position of influence among their fellow-men! These two lessons grace alone can fully teach us.”

~ Charles Spurgeon

Contentment in Every Circumstance:

How did Paul learn the secret to contentment that he refers to in Philippians 4:12, through faith in Jesus? This wasn't automatic but came in time as he, and we walk with the Lord through all the various circumstances of our lives. The good and the bad. If we continue in the Philippians passage in chapter 4 to verse 13, it is the all familiar “I can do all things through Him [Christ] who strengthens me.” This is true if we are in Christ. We need His strength to teach us contentment in every situation.

This should be our goal as believers, that we would allow Christ to satisfy us independent of our circumstances. We need a correct biblical balance here as we think this through. We can do all things but by constant dependence on Christ who dwells in us.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

~ 1 Corinthians 15:10

The Secret:

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

~ Matthew 6:33

This excerpt I'm sharing sums it up better than I ever could:

Legend has it that a wealthy merchant during Paul’s day had heard about the apostle and had become so fascinated that he determined to visit him. So when passing through Rome, he got in touch with Timothy and arranged an interview with Paul, the prisoner. Stepping inside his cell, the merchant was surprised to find the apostle looking rather old and physically frail, but he felt at once the strength, the serenity, and the magnetism of this man who relied on Christ as his all in all. They talked for some time, and finally, the merchant left. Outside the cell, he asked Timothy, “What’s the secret of this man’s power? I’ve never seen anything like it before.” “Did you not guess?” replied Timothy. “Paul is in love.” The merchant looked puzzled. “In love?” he asked. “Yes,” said Timothy, “Paul is in love with Jesus Christ.” The merchant looked even more bewildered. “Is that all?” he asked. Timothy smiled and replied, “That is everything.”

~ Adapted from Leonard Griffith, This is Living

What is the secret? To be captivated and in love with Jesus more than anything or anyone. Whatever our needs, may we trust fully in the sufficiency of Christ and there is where we will find contentment in our souls.

 
 

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Related posts:

  1. EP 46: Our Need for Contentment
  2. One Reason Why We Lose Our Joy
  3. Contentment is a Choice
  4. Learning from Elisabeth Elliot: A List of Resources


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Comments

  1. Ronda Carter says

    at

    What a great reminder! I know that I regularly quote and rely on Philippians 4:13 but your article has made me realize that I need to concentrate on 11-12, and rely on Christ in each and every circumstance. Thank you for this lesson.

    • Marci Ferrell says

      at

      Thank you Ronda <3

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Marci Ferrell
"Self Pity is a death that has no resurrection, a "Self Pity is a death that has no resurrection, a sinkhole from which no rescuing hand can drag you because you have chosen to sink."⁣
~ Elisabeth Elliot⁣
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The above quote is taken from yesterday's Episode 105: Practical Steps to Overcome Self-Pity - link to the podcast episode in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows in my profile).
I know we can all relate to self-pity as women, wi I know we can all relate to self-pity as women, wives, and mothers.  How many times do we focus on our needs that aren’t met?  Unfair situations or circumstances?  Self-pity is a selfish tendency that takes our eyes off Christ and puts them on ourselves.  We forget that “God works all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” Are we able to give God “thanks in all things”?⁣
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Come take a listen to EP 105: Practical Steps to Overcome Self-Pity at the link in my profile (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image).
"Your household is the most important schoolroom y "Your household is the most important schoolroom your children will ever know. And the lessons they learn don't begin and end when you crack open the family Bible. They are always watching and learning from your example—often without even realizing it. That's a tremendous responsibility and opportunity for Christian parents—one that we must make the most of, for God's glory and our children's good."⁣
 ~ John MacArthur⁣
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Come listen to EP 20: The Blessings of Loving Our Children at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image).
"The visible church is where you will find Christ' "The visible church is where you will find Christ's kingdom on earth, and to disregard the kingdom is to disregard its King."⁣
~ Michael Horton⁣
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Read - Building Loving Relationships In Your Church Family at the link in my bio @thankfuhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image).
Isaiah 48:10:Behold, I have refined you, but not a Isaiah 48:10:Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;  I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.⁣
⁣
Israel is being refined for the honor and glory of the Lord. I need the reminder that everything the Lord allows in my life is for my good and His glory. All that He does and allows is to further His eternal purposes. ⁣
⁣
He continues to remove the dross from my life in the furnace of affliction, and through each trial and circumstance of my life, the hope is I'm becoming more and more molded and shaped into the image of Christ. ⁣
⁣
Susan Huntington shared on this passage:⁣
"...if our blessed God sees that the disciple, like his Master, must be made perfect through sufferings, ought we not to welcome every means which will conduce to this blessed end? Can we desire to be babes in Christ all our days? If it is a proof of sonship to be chastised, may it not prove a special favor to be greatly chastised? ⁣
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If we were asked what the greatest good is, should we not answer that it is conformity to God? If we were asked what the best circumstances are for the Christian to be placed in, should we not answer that they are those that will, most constantly and most effectually, promote his conformity to God? Shall we then pray for afflictions? By no means. We are weak, and are crushed before the moth. We should not pray for what we do not know that we could bear. ⁣
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We should habitually pray for conformity to God, and quietly leave it to Him to determine by what means He will effect this blessed end."⁣
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-Excerpt taken from my favorite devotional - Seasons of the Heart: A Year of Devotions from One Generation of Women to Another by Donna Kelderman (link to the book is in my profile @thankfulhomemaker - click on the link under the blue arrows, and then this image).
Preaching the gospel to yourself. It's a phrase we Preaching the gospel to yourself. It's a phrase we've all heard, and we all agree with, but deep down, we're like, okay, what does that look like? Or how do I make that practical in my day-to-day life when my marriage is hard? Or the kids are out of control? Or there's an illness in my family, or I'm just stuck in a sinful pattern? Or the house is in chaos, and I don't know where to begin? ⁣
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The reality is we're always saying something to ourselves in our minds, especially in those moments of chaos or difficulty. ⁣
Is what we're speaking to ourselves centered on the truths of God's Word, or are we buying into the lies of the world? ⁣
We need to be talking to ourselves and not just listening to ourselves. But what do we need to be talking to ourselves about? ⁣
⁣
This is what we're going to work through together in EP 69: Preaching the Gospel to Yourself - link in my bio @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image).
"Your worst days are never so bad that you are bey "Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace."⁣
~ Jerry Bridges⁣
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Read more at God's Blessing Does Not Depend On Our Performance at the link in my bio @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image).
How many times at church do you find yourself disc How many times at church do you find yourself discussing non-spiritual things? As believers, our relationships with others in the body of Christ are unlike anything non-believers will ever experience. It is such a joy when you come across another Christian that you haven't met before, and because of the common bond of Christ, it is as if you have known them forever.⁣
⁣
I have a favorite book that gets used quite often by Donald S. Whitney called Simplify Your Spiritual Life. In the section, Simplifying our Spiritual Life with Others, he guides us to drive the conversations into the spiritual. Wouldn't we all as believers like our conversations with other believers to be directed towards things related to knowing God, Bible reading and application, theology, evangelism, and prayer, to name a few.⁣
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Mr. Whitney shares some questions that are a natural help in directing your conversations with your brothers and sisters in the faith to the spiritual.  This is a handy list to keep in your Bible, planner, or purse.⁣
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The link to the questions is in my bio @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image).
"If there is one maverick molecule in all the univ "If there is one maverick molecule in all the universe, then God is not sovereign. And if God is not sovereign, He is not God."⁣
~R. C. Sproul
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