Philippians 4:12-13 “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 all this through him who gives me strength.” [NIV]
So what is this “secret of being content” Paul is referring to in his letter to the Philippians? If you’re like me, you sometimes experience days when your sense of contentment seems to fly right out the window. Then you scroll through Facebook and discover everyone else on social media seems happier than you. Their family ties are stronger. They experience more success in work, in weight loss, in how many friends they have. For goodness sake, their food even looks better!
Few things fuel discontentment more than comparing ourselves to others. If we hope to learn Paul’s secret, we have to resist the temptation to assess our situations in regard to other people. Paul never wasted time on wondering why his life was filled with beatings, stonings and shipwrecks while other believers suffered less (1 Corinthians 11:5). Or why he was sent to the Gentiles rather than the Jews. Or why he spent years confined in prison—writing—rather than being “in the arena.” As far as we know, he had no idea people would still be reading those writings 2,000 years later.
Paul’s contentment rested in simply doing his part. He stayed in the lane God assigned to him. As long as he knew he was right smack dab in the middle of God’s will, nothing else mattered. It deflected every arrow of discontentment shot his way.
It will do the same for us.
Nothing lifts the weight of discontentment from me more than reassessing my position. Am I, as far as I know, where God wants me to be? Am I doing what he wants me to be doing? We each have a unique mixture of assignments, experiences, failures and successes comprising who we are. We shine the light of Christ in different ways into different spheres of darkness.
Contrary to popular opinion, we don’t have to “have it all” or “do it all” to be content. We just need to stay in our lane. Nothing else brings the satisfaction we long for.