How to be Content in This Climate

In Philippians 4 we see these words …

“For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

Philippians 4:11(b)

I can hear you in your mind, “Paul, you can say anything, because you don’t understand what I’m going through.” And in my fellow Jamaican’s head I hear, “Paul, yuh mad! Yuh nuh si weh de gwaan? Di place tun upside dung! Wickedness tek ova! Carona deh run rampant! A what yuh deh talk bout, fi be contentid!” (What can I say, Jamaicans tend to be a little more descriptive and dramatic.)

Off the bat 40-Forwarders, let us be clear, Paul wasn’t making light of the people’s struggles and challenges. If anyone knew hardship, Paul did (read 2 Corinthians 11:22-33), but he LEARNT to be content.

L-E-A-R-N-T

Listen-Embrace-Act-Rehearse-Navigate-Tough it out

Of a truth, contentment doesn’t drop on you, it is a learnt behaviour. Contentment is acquired through consistent practice.

Listen

Our faith in God causes us to be content. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) What’s on your playlist? Is it feeding faith or fear? If faith, then contentment will be increased.

Put this one on your “contentment list” – My God is able (and willing) to keep me from falling (Jude 24).

My dears, contentment and discontentment are placed before you, choose contentment.

Embrace

It is always good to read preceding and proceeding verses of scripture. Hear Romans 10:16, “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?” Then verse 18 says, “Have they not heard?” Embracing is, listening to (truly internalising) what we have heard, and believing the report (the Word) of the Lord.

It is not enough to hear a thing. Take a moment (or two) to ponder what you have heard. We must, as we would say in Jamaica, “Mek it soak.” Allow Philippians 11:4(b) to settle in your heart and mind. A settled heart and mind is anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6).

My dears, contentment and discontentment are placed before you, choose contentment.

Act

Situations, circumstances and emotions should not determine or dictate our contentment. Paul penned (spoke) the words in Philippians 4:11 having been beaten, imprisoned, ship wrecked, set upon by robbers, having to deal with false brethren, and the list goes on and on. The Word was settled in Paul’s heart and he knew his heritage, “No weapon that is formed against him shall prosper,” (Isaiah 54:17) and therefore he was content. 

Here is another example of contentment in action. Some of you may be familiar with the story of when Jesus and the Disciples where crossing over to Galilee and there arose a storm. The rough seas, heavy winds and water coming into the boat caused the Disciples to panic, but contented Jesus was “in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow” (Mark 4:35-41).

I know it is rough, but I encourage you to, “be ye content!”

Having listened and embraced the Truth (the Word of God), take action – duh suppen – behave like you believe!

My dears, contentment and discontentment are placed before you, choose contentment.

Rehearse

40-Forwarders, talk truth, there are some people and some things that just rub you the wrong way! You see red and fumes are coming out of your head! This is where rehearsal comes into play – count to 10 and count 10 more if you must.

This is where “walk the talk” comes into play. Oh, this is not a one-time thing (a step). We have heard what Jesus has to say, we have embraced and accepted the truth, now we have to build the muscle by doing it over and over again.

Initially it may be hard, but it becomes easier after a while. Over time as we choose to not allow these persons or things to have such a hold over us (yes, it is a hold) then we know we are learning or have LEARNT contentment.

Not only have we heard, embraced, acted upon, but we are now flexing our contentment muscle; it is now a way of life. We are able to do what Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

Yippee, thou art loosed from their hold! Hold on to your contentment!

My dears, contentment and discontentment are placed before you, choose contentment.

Navigate

You have rehearsed and are on the big stage called life. “Weh yuh guh deh duh?!” (Translated: What will you do?!)

One song writer penned, “You’ve been lied on, cheated, talked about, mistreated, but God has got your back …” Is there an AMEN?!

Do like Paul, paddle through the perils of life’s tempestuous seas using the Word of God.

Work the Word!

My dears, contentment and discontentment are placed before you, choose contentment.

Tough it out

Life can (and does) throw us all sorts of curved balls, but Paul encourages us to be content. In other words, go against the dissenting voices, go against the status quo, don’t hop on the bandwagon, but instead choose to be content.

The fact of the matter is, the situation or circumstance may not be a laughing matter, but laugh anyway. Go ahead, throwback your head and have a belly bottom, water running down your face, can hardly catch your breath LAUGH!

We are able to tough it out and be content in rough waters because we:

• Believe the report of the Lord
• Know from whence our help comes
• Have His all sufficient grace
• Know the outcome – we win

My dears, contentment and discontentment are placed before you, choose contentment.

This contentment that Paul speaks of does not come out of self, it comes out of relationship with Christ Jesus. Paul was fully persuaded that absolutely nothing could separate him from the love of Christ Jesus, in Romans 8:35, 38-39 he writes, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? [38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This was the confidence he had and therefore he was at rest; he was grounded in this truth and absolutely nothing and noone could move him out of his state of contentment. The same can be true for you no matter the “climate” you find yourself in.

40-Forwarders, know and understand this truth, the enemy knows your triggers; he knows which buttons to push, when to push those buttons, and how to push them.

Deciding to, and walking in, contentment is one of our weapons of warfare. This is not the response the enemy expects. His intent is for us to “curse God and die”. Let us make up in our minds that we will not play into his hands.

In our contentment there is steadiness of heart and peace of mind; but not just any peace, but the peace that passeth all understanding. (Philippians 4:7) In this space (and place) our minds are staid on Christ and my dear 40-Forwarders, there is no better place to be! 🙂  

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Do you know how you know you have LEARNT? No matter which buttons the enemy pushes, no matter the combination, he cannot get a rise out of you.

Congratulations my dears, you are CONTENT!

Know anyone who needs to get on this contentment wagon, or who need to be encouraged to remain on the contentment wagon? Go ahead and SHARE this post. Before you go, drop some “contentment” tidbits in the Comments! 😉