Learn to Be Content (Phil. 4:10-13)

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Learn to Be Content (Phil. 4:10-13)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on November 5, 2023

Several years ago, when I was in seminary, I was required to watch a video called Affluenza. This video is a PBS documentary, and their website defines Affluenza as: “The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses.”[1] Let’s look at some startling statistics that were shared in the DVD:

  • “…the Average North American consumes five times more than a Mexican, 10 times more than a Chinese person and 30 times more than a person from India…”
  • The gap between rich and poor Americans is now the widest of any industrial nation.
  • One-fifth of the world’s population lives in dire poverty, slowly dying of hunger and disease. Millions of others desperately need more material goods. Yet, were they to consume as Americans do, the result would be an environmental disaster.
  • Americans throw away 7 million cars a year, 2 million plastic bottles every hour and enough aluminum cans annually to make 6,000 DC-10 airliners.
  • Eleven percent of teenagers own their own credit cards and 40 percent use their parents’ cards.
  • Americans have more than one billion credit cards.
  • Fewer than one-third of all Americans pay off their credit card balances each month. In fact, the average cardholder is $2,700 in debt and is paying 16 percent interest.
  • More Americans declared bankruptcy in 1996 than graduated from college.
  • Arguments about money play a major role in 90 percent of divorce cases[2]

Those are simply a few of the statistics from that documentary, and they have likely changed for the worse since the documentary was made over two decades ago. But aren’t the statistics startling? We live in an affluent society. I believe that Philippians 4:10-14 addresses some of our problems. Now, I realize that those statistics are simply trends, and many people, many of you, and many of us, are struggling to make ends meet without affluence. If that is the case, God bless you, and my prayers are with you. Still, Paul’s attitude in Philippians 4:10-14 will help all of us. As we look at Philippians 4:10-14, we will see proper gratitude and a proper attitude for living. Mainly, we will all see that Paul was grateful for God’s provisions but also willing to live on little as well as much. Paul knew that with God’s help, he could do without. As we look at this passage, I hope we can all take that lesson from verse 14. I hope we can all recognize that with God’s help, we can live in any circumstance.

My theme today is: Learn to be content.

Read with me:

Philippians 4:10–14 (ESV)

God’s Provision

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.

  1. First, notice that Paul is content (verses 10-12 and 14).
    1. Notice in verse 10 that Paul rejoices that the Philippians have concern for him. More than that, Paul rejoiced greatly that their concern for him has been restored. Paul says that they never lost that concern for him; however, they were not able to help for some time.
    2. Are we rejoicing when others have concerns for us? Paul modeled thanks and gratitude in this verse and later in verse 14. In verse 14, Paul will say that they shared in his troubles. In his troubles, they helped him out.
    3. In 1 Cor. 12:26, the Bible says that as a church, if one part suffers, we all suffer together. I believe as a church, holistically, we do this pretty well. This is one of our strengths, but only you can evaluate how you are doing with this. We need to support each other in prayer, as well as help in other ways when possible.
    4. Then as we are supported, be thankful, as I am sure many of you are.
    5. Now, the Philippians helped Paul, but let me tell you a little about their situation and Paul’s situation:
    6. The Philippians have faced persecution.
    7. By this point in Paul’s life, he had already been shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, and so much more (Acts 14; 2 Cor 11).
    8. Paul wrote this around A.D. 61. He was in prison, likely on house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:14-31). This was likely his first imprisonment. He will be in prison later in the Roman dungeon (2 Timothy), but not yet.
    9. So, even though the Philippians had faced persecution, they still were willing to reach out to assist Paul. Now, here Paul is in prison, writing his gratitude.
    10. Now, notice in verse 11 we see that Paul is content in all circumstances. Paul says it just like that too. But Paul says that he has learned to be content… This makes it sound like this has not come easy. Through the school of hard knocks and through struggles, he has learned to be content.
    11. Have you learned that lesson? I can honestly say that God is still working on me with this.
    12. Remember the statistics I shared at the beginning of this message. Did you hear the statistics about credit cards? I think I got my first credit card at the time this was made. And I know that many, if not all of you, don’t have problems with credit card debt, but it is a significant problem in our society. I remember being in college, and money was tight, and I was married. So, when the car needed to be fixed, we used the credit card. When we needed gas, we used the credit card. When I needed books, we used the credit card. Of course, some are needed, but what about eating out? What about movies? What about other things?
    13. Are we really content in all circumstances when we use credit, and other means to purchase things that we do not need?
    14. Now, as we look at verse 13, we can see why Paul was content.
  2. Notice that Paul is content because the Lord gives him strength (verse 13).
    1. Some call verse 13 the “Superman passage.” Tim Tebow put this verse under his eyes for the games, and there is nothing wrong with that as long as we have the verse in its proper context. People take this verse out of context and think that God will help them with anything they want. But that is not at all what this verse is saying. Paul had just talked about being content in riches and poverty, so now he brings up why he can be content. He can be content because God gives him the strength to be content.
    2. God gives us strength, but He is not giving us strength for whatever we want, no God gives us strength for what we need. Did you hear the statistic at the beginning of this message: One-fifth of the world’s population lives in dire poverty, slowly dying of hunger and disease? Millions of others desperately need more material goods. Some would hear that statistic and think, “Yes, but me doing without is not helping them.” That is somewhat true, though we can always support missions. But the main point is that we live with affluence all around us, don’t we? Because of what we see all around us, we think we need things that we just don’t need. Then we end up in financial trouble, or our children and grandchildren end up in trouble because we spend money on our wants, not our needs. No, when we put it in proper perspective, God will give us strength to fulfill His calling, and He will help us be content on less to fulfill His calling.
    3. Of course, it is easy for us to get confused with our wants versus our needs. The documentary: Affluenza states the following:
    4. The average American spends one year of their lives watching TV commercials.
    5. Children are the fastest growing segment of the consumer market. In 1995 alone, companies spent $1 billion marketing their products to young people.
    6. Each year advertisers spend millions of dollars trying to convince people to buy products. Most people don’t know that advertising is not free to the buyers of products. This business expense is added to the cost of the product so that we pay more at the store. In fact, you are paying for products you don’t buy!
    7. There are other, less obvious ways we “pay” for advertising. Ads play on our feelings of envy and anxiety. Ads often suggest that a person could be more successful, attractive, even lovable if they use “Brand X.” People, both young and old, need tools to separate the message from the advertiser’s intention to make a sale.
    8. I recently heard someone say that television is not there for the shows, but for the commercials. Also, please know that I am not being critical of society. People must sell and make money, but we must know the difference between wants and needs.
    9. So, let me get back to the passage at hand: Paul says that Christ gives him strength. Christ gives Him strength to do without.
    10. What about you and what about me? As we recognize wants versus needs we also can rely on Christ to give us strength to do without. We can rely on God’s strength. We are not living the Christian life alone. But God may call us to sacrifice.
    11. Then and always, we can rejoice greatly, and we can give great thanks to God, Who provides for our daily needs, and we can ask God to help us as we try to make ends meet and as we try to rejoice while doing without.

Closing:

So, remember that God will help us, but He may not help us with all our wants, but with all our needs. And remember that God will help us with contentment.

Remember Paul wrote Phil. 4:13 under persecution to a persecuted church. Phil. 4:13 is not about God helping someone score touchdowns, but it is about God helping us live the Christian life during times of suffering.

Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 

Pray

[1] http://www.pbs.org/kcts/affluenza/

[2] http://www.pbs.org/kcts/affluenza/treat/tguide/tguide1.html

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