I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances
Philippians 4:11 - “ Contentment does not depend on what we have; it depends on who we are.” - Theodore Epp
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“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
Philippians 4:11 NIV
In this, the last chapter of Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians, the apostle has just expressed his gratitude to the church for their renewed financial and moral support of his ministry. One of the church leaders, Epaphroditus, visited Paul during his imprisonment in Rome along with Timothy (Philippians 2:25), and became a blessing to Paul at a risk of his own life due to illness. Epaphroditus is heading back to Philippi with this epistle in hand.
So what is Paul talking about? In the previous verse, he mentions that “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.“ Here he’s assuring them that he is not “in need,” as he has “learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
Paul is reminding the Philippians that he’s not thanking them for their giving because he was needy (although he was in need), but that it is good for them to give — it’s a Christian attribute. He wasn’t depending on their gift to survive, nor was he relying on them to meet his needs. But he is properly thankful, appreciative, and rejoicing that they have chosen to ease his imprisonment through their gift.
The last part of the verse is the key to understanding its meaning: “for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Paul hasn’t always had the ability to be content in all situations. He “learned” to be that way. A little word study is helpful here. “Have learned” is the ancient Greek μανθάνω (manthanō), which Precept Austin notes:
means to learn by experience, to discover and so to genuinely understand and accept a teaching as true and to apply it in one’s life. Manthano indicates that one directs his mind to something which produces an external effect. In the present context the idea would be that Paul learned through his experiences and came to know and experience the contentment he describes. His spiritual contentment was not something he had immediately after he was saved. He had to go through many experiences, easy and difficult, in order to learn who was the Source of true contentment.
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And so we see that this satisfaction apart from external conditions is something Paul learned. It may have taken some time, but Paul's training has been consummated and he is no longer dependent upon worldly things for satisfaction. All believers can expect to go through the same training process for as "citizens of heaven", God wants to wean us from dependence upon the decaying delicacies of earth.
What does it mean to “be content”? In the original Greek, the word was αὐτάρκης (autarkēs), which literally means “sufficient to self”. Being self-sufficient can be further defined as independence from external circumstances and all people. Paul is expressing the true contentment that comes only from our Lord, which enables believers to be satisfied with anything and totally at ease in any situation. Autarkēs, as Paul used the word, describes a believer who has Christ indwelling and needs nothing externally to be satisfied in life. All he or she needs is within.
Contentment is at the heart of this verse, and I think 20th-century radio evangelist Theodore Epp did a great job of explaining how we learn contentment as we go through our lives (also from Precept Austin):
Nowhere does the Bible suggest that we should be content with unsatisfactory conditions. But because of our personal relationship with Christ we can be content in them. As different situations arise and we learn our lessons one after another, we will also find it possible to be content in every situation.
Contentment is one of those concepts that is easier to define than to experience. This is probably because the tendency is to seek contentment in possessions rather than in a person.
We assume that contentment comes from having things, but it is possible to have deep contentment without things.
So often we think contentment would be ours if we were promoted to the next higher position or if we were able to buy that object we think we need so much or if we could be accepted in a certain circle of friends.
But as we advance in these areas, we discover that contentment is elusive because we are seeking it in the wrong places and in the wrong way.
Contentment does not depend on what we have; it depends on who we are. It is a spiritual attainment, not something that results from purchasing power. As someone has said, “Contentment is a state of heart rather than a statement of account.”
As we are transformed by our faith in Jesus Christ, we come closer to the peace and contentment that we all seek.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the lesson of contentment found in today’s verse. Help me to embrace my circumstances, whether they are good or challenging. Teach me to rely solely on You for strength and peace in my life May I find joy in all situations, knowing that You are always with me. AMEN.