The Secret of Contentment

More than fifty years ago I preached a sermon on Philippians 4:4-7, which I titled, “The Secret of Contentment.” “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I will say, rejoice! Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”). That was a difficult time for me, and what I needed to know about contentment I had yet to learn. Nevertheless, I did the best I could. I presented a five point sermon and spent the next 50 years (ten years on each point) learning what I was trying to communicate in that sermon. These years have taught me many invaluable lessons. Here is a modern version of that sermon.

1. "Rejoice in the Lord always” (v. 4). Think of how Paul suffered for Christ and how he was hounded by his enemies everywhere he went. J. H. Jowett, a great preacher in New York a hundred years ago, said in a sermon, “A wounded hare left a bloody trail in the snow; that was Paul, traveling across Asia Minor. But he learned to find joy and contentment in all circumstances. “Rejoice…always,” was his theme. This is what he practiced and this is what he practiced. The same peace is available to us; else Paul would not have offered it to us. In this suffering world, just think of all the things you have to rejoice about. And if not now, when? If you cannot have joy today, why would you suppose that you will find it tomorrow? If you can rejoice today, you can rejoice tomorrow and always.

2. “Let your forbearing spirit be know to all men” (v.5a). “Think of the most patient and forbearing person you know. Don’t you admire that person? Wouldn’t you like to show that kind of forbearance to others? Well, do it! No one can do it for you. And you cannot do it without effort. It is something one learns by experience. In this restless age a forbearing person stands out from the crowd because he can “put up with” the foibles, frustrations and failures of others. He can “deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness” (Heb. 5:2). There was a cartoon in a Christian magazine some years ago, showing a clergyman on his knees praying, “Lord, I have a crack in my indomitable spirit.” I laughed when I saw it because of its contradiction. If our spirits have cracks in them, let us ask the Lord to repair them, to raise us up and send us on our way, having learned the secret of contentment.

3. “The Lord is near” (v. 5b). Other translations say, “The Lord is at hand,” which led me to think that He is soon to come. It wasn’t until I read the New American Standard Bible (NASB) that I understood it to mean the Lord is near us, with us, at hand to help our spirits forebear. It blessed me to realize that what I couldn’t do by myself, I could do with the help of my Lord who is always near me.

4. “Be anxious for nothing” (v. 6a). “For nothing, did you get that? “But you don’t understand,” you say, “I can’t help being anxious. I’ll be all right when this crisis passes.” How are you ever going to learn to be content in crisis if you must always wait until they pass? “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide a way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it (I Cor. 10:13). Well, why don’t you trust Him. Do it and the mystery is revealed.

5. “Let your requests be made known to God” (v. 6b). If you detect a crack in your spirit or feel as if you are about to crack, don’t be anxious about it but “let your request be made known to God.

Conclusion: “Be anxious for nothing… and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7). “Practice these things, and the God of peace shall be with you” (v. 9). Live this way and you will have learned the secret of contentment. When one can say, “I rejoice in the Lord always” (v. 4) he can say, “I have learned the secret of contentment (v. 12). Contentment is not an entitlement, it is not a free gift, nor is it something to be deferred; it is a way of life produced by obedience to God and fellowship with Jesus Christ.