Contentment
Main Scripture Passage: Philippians 4:11b-13 “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and 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. 13I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
How do you spell happiness? Trick question??? Sorta, but I’ll come back to that later.
One day I ventured upon my daughter softly crying and feeling really down-in-the-dumps, and I asked what was wrong? Her response was that she didn’t understand why she couldn’t be happy all the time? Now she might have expected a hug and kiss and re-assurance that everything would be all right other than what next came out of my mouth. In a rare occurrence of parenting insight, I told her that her aim was off and that she should focus on being content. There were going to be really good, practically giddy days, and there were going to be some days when she would feel pretty blue. But if you aim for a mid-point of being content, then the highs won’t feel so high and the lows so low. It’ll be much easier to deal with this roller-coaster called life.
So am I saying that there is something wrong with being happy? Nope, not at all but in turning to scripture, Philippians 4 to be specific, Paul tells us starting in verse 11b, “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and 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.” And then he puts a bow on this thought in verse 13 with, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Paul is encouraging us to strive for contentment and not happiness.
Pulling on this string a bit further, particularly during this advent season, where is the core of your contentment? Does it start with a baby in a manger starting his journey leading to our salvation? In light of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as an atonement for our sins, it’s easy to see how Paul arrived at his conclusion that he could “be content whatever the circumstances.” Regardless of what we’re going through it pales in comparison to what Christ endured on our behalf.
So going back to my original question, “How do you spell happiness?”
I spell it CONTENTMENT!
How do you spell happiness? Trick question??? Sorta, but I’ll come back to that later.
One day I ventured upon my daughter softly crying and feeling really down-in-the-dumps, and I asked what was wrong? Her response was that she didn’t understand why she couldn’t be happy all the time? Now she might have expected a hug and kiss and re-assurance that everything would be all right other than what next came out of my mouth. In a rare occurrence of parenting insight, I told her that her aim was off and that she should focus on being content. There were going to be really good, practically giddy days, and there were going to be some days when she would feel pretty blue. But if you aim for a mid-point of being content, then the highs won’t feel so high and the lows so low. It’ll be much easier to deal with this roller-coaster called life.
So am I saying that there is something wrong with being happy? Nope, not at all but in turning to scripture, Philippians 4 to be specific, Paul tells us starting in verse 11b, “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and 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.” And then he puts a bow on this thought in verse 13 with, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Paul is encouraging us to strive for contentment and not happiness.
Pulling on this string a bit further, particularly during this advent season, where is the core of your contentment? Does it start with a baby in a manger starting his journey leading to our salvation? In light of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as an atonement for our sins, it’s easy to see how Paul arrived at his conclusion that he could “be content whatever the circumstances.” Regardless of what we’re going through it pales in comparison to what Christ endured on our behalf.
So going back to my original question, “How do you spell happiness?”
I spell it CONTENTMENT!
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