What does it mean to be content (Philippians 4:11)?

Answer

There is a tale of a king who suffered from a painful ailment. His counselors advised him of the only cure—to find a contented man, get his shirt, and wear it night and day. So, the king sent messengers to find such a man, with orders to bring back his shirt. After months of searching the kingdom, they returned empty-handed.

“Did you find a contented man in all my realm?” asked the king.

“Yes, O king, we found only one in all thy realm,” they replied.

“Then why did you not bring back his shirt?” the king demanded.

“Master, the man had no shirt.”

(Condensed from Tan, P. L., Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, Bible Communications, Inc., 1996, pp. 272–273).

The story’s point is that contentment is a rarity, yet something we all desperately want and need. What, then, does it mean to be content? The apostle Paul seemed to have the insider’s scoop: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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” (Philippians 4:11-12).

Paul’s statement, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,” is truly astonishing considering the circumstances he endured and situations he encountered while serving the Lord. He was beaten, whipped, stoned, shipwrecked, tossed in the open sea, harassed by enemies, and betrayed by false believers. He endured hunger, thirst, and even nakedness, just like the man with no shirt (see 2 Corinthians 11:24-28).

The Greek term Paul used, translated as “content” in English, describes a state of being satisfied or satiated with.

Things as they are. Paul had “learned the secret,” meaning he had discovered the mystery of contentment. This expression implies acquiring special information.

Contentment is learned, and we attain it through experience. Like Paul, James had learned to be joyful and optimistic through trials and testing because he saw them as privileged opportunities for growth—to become “mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4). Paul’s deficiency, his weakness in hardship, was an opportunity for God’s “all-surpassing power” to shine forth through him (2 Corinthians 4:7-9). He had discovered that the indwelling power of Christ provided him with strength, grace, peace, and contentment regardless of what life threw at him (Philippians 1:6;Philippians 4:13;2 Corinthians 12:9;Ephesians 3:16). When Paul encountered a roadblock or faced a storm, he drew on the deep well of resources springing from his faith in God and his life hidden in Christ (Philippians 1:21;Philippians 3:10;see also John 15:5).

The author of Hebrews described contentment as being satisfied with what we have, knowing that God will never fail us or leave us “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”, (Hebrews 13:5). Paul told Timothy, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” 1 Timothy 6:6-8.

Paul found contentment in every situation because his life was rooted in Christ and focused on eternity: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18;see also Colossians 3:1-3.

To experience contentment as believers, we must resist the urge to become overly attached to worldly possessions «and those who use the world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passes away. », 1 Corinthians 7:31. The opposite of contentment is anxiety and worry. Jesus advised His disciples, “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” «Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? », Matthew 6:25, ESV. If our heavenly Father provides for and takes care of the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, surely He will also look after us, His beloved children. Jesus added, “These things consume the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will provide everything you require” (Matthew 6:32-33; NLT; see also Philippians 4:6). Trusting God in all things, even when we lack material possessions, is the key to finding contentment.