You Can Do It
From Pastor Lance Shumake's message on Philippians 4:10-13.
Sometimes when we say something we end up spending more time explaining what it is that we aren’t saying than what we are. You might say something like “You look nice today,” and then you realize that it might be a good idea to offer more explanation clarifying that you are not offering a back-handed compliment. It seems like Paul does something similar in today’s text; we see him spending a lot of time clarifying what he is not saying.
For context, Paul planted the church in Philippi ten years before this letter was written. And this church was a faithful source of support for Paul. But as time passed, for some reason, the church at Philippi stopped providing financial support to Paul. But as Paul is writing this letter ten years later, he is doing so under house arrest. And Acts 28:30 tells us that Paul is paying his own rent, while under house arrest, “He [Paul] lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him.”
And it is in this context that the church at Philippi is sending a gift to Paul through Epaphroditus. Paul is expressing his gratitude to the Philippians in this letter; it’s essentially the world’s longest “Thank you” note. And at Chapter 4, verse 10 Paul says “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me…” It looks like Paul is basically saying “Finally, you’re showing concern for me again.” But then we see Paul walk that statement back a bit as he begins to clarify what he is saying. In the same verse Paul continues, “You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.”
Paul indicates that that he is not faulting them, but rather assuming the best, saying that they “had no opportunity.” Paul gives them the benefit of the doubt and that is a good example for us to follow. Paul continues his explanation by affirming his gratitude and his contentment. The rest of this passage explores the idea of Biblical contentment.
Contentment was originally a political term that referred to a country that was so self-sufficient, it had no need of foreign imports. So when Paul is using the word content it is with this meaning in mind – a country that has no need for help from another, it has its own water, food, resources, everything it needed to thrive and survive. A content country had no need to place its hope in a territory outside of itself.
So we see Paul in prison and we would think he would be asking someone to help him, but Paul is saying, “No. I have everything I need right here, because Jesus is enough.” That is Biblical contentment.
Steve Lawson said it this way, “This speaks of a calm acceptance of his present lot in life. To be discontent would mean that Paul wants to be somewhere else than where the sovereign hand of God has placed him, and to have more than the sovereign hand of God has chosen to give him. To be content is to have a peaceful acceptance of where God has providentially placed him.”
Contentment is the idea that ultimately, regardless of the circumstances, I will be okay. I may not be happy about it, I may long for something better, but I will be okay, because Jesus is enough. Not only that, but I will be free to thrive and invest in others in any situation I find myself in. That is actually what Paul is talking about in verse 13.
Philippians 4:13 (I can do all things through Him who strengthens me) often gets taken out of context. You see it often in athletic events where someone will claim victory over an opponent because they can do all things in Jesus. But that is not the context of this verse. Philippians 4:13 is not talking about
conquering, but
contentment. In fact, it would be more appropriate to reference Philippians 4:13 after a heartbreaking loss rather than a pre-game rallying cry.
We’re going to examine three points of Biblical contentment.
Biblical contentment is being okay if everything changes, being okay if nothing changes, and it is attainable.
Being okay if everything changes (loss/disaster)
Imagine great loss that comes in the future. Biblical contentment says that no matter what comes in the future, no matter how bad things may be, I will be okay because I have Jesus.
We can spend a lot of our lives fearing the future. Sometimes we are afraid of failure, but contentment frees us from that fear. But Paul is not talking about idleness. Biblical contentment allows us to take a risk, it removes the fear of failure as we rest in Jesus.
Contentment also frees us from fear of disaster. We might trust in our own plans, our own preparations, rather than trusting in our Lord. Our hope can become placed in things that moth and rust can destroy. The real disaster that we should fear is not political or natural, but rather in investing our lives in chasing the things of this world.
When these fears come up, one of the things that can help is to ask the question, “What is the worst thing that can happen?” Death? Biblical contentment is living in the reality that “To live is Christ, to die is gain.”
Being okay if nothing changes (plateauing)
Biblical contentment means being okay if everything changes, but it also means being okay if
nothing changes. If today is the best it will ever be, contentment means Jesus is enough even in that. Even if you never get to do your favorite thing again, like riding a pony, or eat your favorite food, like ice cream, or if you never get drafted by the NBA, being content means Jesus is enough even then. Jesus is that good!
What if three generations from now, no one remembers who you are? What if that is the lot that God has for you? What if you are single and you want to be married? If that never happens, will Jesus be enough for you?
John Calvin said it this way, “If a man knows to make sure of present abundance in a sober and temperate manner, with thanksgiving, prepared to part with everything whenever it may be the good pleasure of the Lord, giving also a share to his brother, according to the measure of his ability, and is also not puffed up, that man has learned to excel, and to abound.”
Whatever situation you find yourself in, whether you have a lot or a little, being okay if your circumstances never change, that is the contentment attainable in Jesus. If nothing comes in from the outside, if nothing changes, I’ll be okay because Jesus is enough.
Attainable
Lastly, Biblical containment is attainable. That’s why the sermon is titled “You Can Do It!” Paul is saying that whatever comes my way I can do it, through Christ, who strengthens. Contentment is something we lay hold of by being aware of the goodness of Jesus, by being aware of the Gospel. Paul challenges us in Philippians 2: 5-11 to consider and remember what Jesus has done. Doing that propels us towards contentment.
[Phl 2:5-11 ESV] 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When you know someone did for you what Jesus did, and that Jesus is yours and you are His. That is enough. When you understand what Jesus has done, that is enough! Those other things just don’t seem to matter when you are living in the awareness of who Jesus is and what He has done. The more we understand God, the more we praise Him, the more we will learn to be content in whatever situation we find ourselves. Jesus is good, and no matter what else happens He is not going anywhere. In Him lies true contentment.
