Philippians 4:12 (CSB)
In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—
Early one morning, our doorbell rang. I went to the front door, and there stood a young man whom I had seen several times walking down the street in front of our house. He asked if I would give him a ride to the lawnmower shop in town (about 8 miles). He said he worked there, and he was going to be late for work (I think it was his first day on the job). As I’m driving him to town, we pass by a really nice house. Trying to fill the empty space of two strangers riding together, I said, “That’s a really nice house”. To which he said, “Yeah, that’s the same thing I think when I pass your house.”
I don’t think I will ever forget that moment. He was sincerely trying to pay me a compliment. But the Holy Spirit used his words to pierce my heart with truth—with perspective. I can’t overemphasize the significance of proper perspective.
Our struggle is that we tend to be content with the wrong things. The Apostle Paul had a good grasp on where we should find contentment. Paul was content with his union with Christ. But he was careful not to grow complacent in his communion with Christ. He was always pressing to know Christ more deeply and experience his salvation more powerfully. Paul demonstrated this in Philippians 3:12 (NLT), "I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me." Do you struggle with spiritual growth? It might be that you've grown complacent in your communion with Christ. Let's step back and consider the difference between contentment and complacency.
Contentment is an attitude of joy and peace of mind that is abiding and growing in Christ Jesus. It’s being satisfied with your position and identity in Christ.
Complacency is a state of spiritual stagnation, apathy, or contentment that comes with a lack of zeal, urgency, or growth in one's pursuit of a closer relationship with God. It is a condition where individuals become comfortable and satisfied with their current level of knowledge, faith, or spiritual practices without seeking further growth or transformation.
Experiencing contentment in your union with Christ is going to take practice. When Paul was writing about his secret to contentment, he was writing to the Philippians from a Roman prison cell. Most people wouldn't have described the Roman prison as a haven of tranquility and ease. But here we find Paul writing about contentment to the church at Philippi. It's safe to say that Paul was not happy with his circumstances, but his secret to contentment was rooted in his relationship with Christ.
Paul had practiced his Kingdom mindset. Through practice, Paul had learned how to apply the principles of God's Kingdom purposes to the good and bad circumstances of life. Paul had been through some rough circumstances in his ministry. He even at one point thought he and his ministry team were not going to live through it, as indicated by 2 Corinthians 1:8 (CSB), "We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself." But through this suffering, Paul said they learned something valuable. 2 Corinthians 1:9 (CSB): "Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead." Notice the shift in Paul and his ministry companion's thinking. Through this adversity, they were learning how to trust God. This is a shift from a worldly mindset to a Kingdom mindset. Paul said it not only changed their perception of the past but also how they think about the present and future. Paul has the assurance that God will deliver him in the future. 2 Corinthians 1:10 (CSB): "He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again."
An important aspect of Kingdom living is the ability to distinguish between contentment and complacency. We must understand that true Kingdom contentment is found only in our position and identity in Christ, not in the temporary shifting circumstances of this world. We must understand that in our pursuit of Kingdom contentment, this is not something that is stagnant but something that is found within the movement of following Jesus. So, I encourage you, dear reader, regardless of where you find yourself today, to embrace a Kingdom mindset, know that God is sovereign and working in your life, and know that as you seek first the Kingdom of God, you will experience a growing and expanding relationship with Jesus.