Bible Study 1: What is Contentment?

1.1 Key themes⤒🔗

Contentment is to know and to feel that you have enough.
When you are content, you are satisfied–no matter what your situation.
Contentment is something that you must learn.
The secret of contentment is: that God is the one who will give you strength for everything.

1.2 Philippians 4:10–13←⤒🔗

^10. I have great joy in the Lord because now at last you have again expressed your concern for me. (Now I know you were concerned before but had no opportunity to do anything.)

^11. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance.

^12. I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing.

^13. I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.

1.3 Background←⤒🔗

The book of Philippians is a letter, written by Paul to the church in Philippi. Paul knew this church very well (Acts 16:9–40). They loved him and they often collected money to support him (Philippians 4:15–18).

At the time when Paul wrote this letter, he was in prison in Rome. Rome was far from Philippi. But after some time, one of the Philippian church members came to visit Paul. This member brought some gifts that the church had prepared for Paul. After Paul had received the gifts, he wrote this letter and sent it back to the church.

1.4 I have everything I need←⤒🔗

Our passage (Philippians 4:10-13) is found at the end of Paul’s letter. Here Paul is thanking the Philippians for their gifts. But he also tells them about his contentment. In verse 11 he says, “I have learned to be content in any circumstance.” In verse 12 he says, “In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment.”

What is contentment? Contentment is to know and to feel that you have enough.

When you are content, you are able to say, “I have everything I need.” That is what Paul says to the church in Philippi.

King David says the same thing in Psalm 23. At the very beginning of the Psalm, he says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” Because God is with him, he has everything he needs.

1.5 Content in any circumstance←⤒🔗

The world wants to tell us that we need this or that to make us happy. The world says, “You need this house. You need this job. You need these clothes.” That is Satan’s way of working. Remember how he tempt Eve. He made her believe that she needed something more–the forbidden fruit–to make her happy.

The world also tells us that our problems lie outside us. For example, if you are not happy, it is because you do not have enough money. Or if your life is a mess, it is other people’s fault.

But the Bible teaches us that our biggest problem is inside us. It is the sin in our hearts. Sin makes us ungrateful. Sin makes us stop trusting in God. Sin makes us unhappy.

So, how can we find contentment? We cannot find it by changing our circumstances (the things outside us). No, we will only find it if we change on the inside. Our contentment cannot come from a job, a family, a house, or money. Paul did not have any of these things. He was in prison! Sometimes he was even without food (verse 12).

No, contentment is something that we must carry around in ourselves. That is why Paul said that he is content in “any and every circumstance” (verse 12). When you have true contentment, you are satisfied in good times and in bad times.

1.6 You can be content←⤒🔗

Why was Paul telling the Philippians about his contentment? It is because he wanted them to be content as well! God wants all of his children to have contentment. It is not only for great spiritual leaders like Paul. It is for all of us.

Paul did not have contentment from the beginning. He says in verse 11, “I have learned to be content.” And in verse 12, “I have learned the secret of contentment.” Contentment is something that Paul had to learn. It is something that you and I can learn too.

1.7 The secret of contentment←⤒🔗

How can we learn to be content? Paul says that there is a “secret” that he has learned (verse 12). He gives us this secret in verse 13:

I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.

This is a famous Bible verse. Many people think that it means we can do everything that we want to do. They think that God will give them strength to achieve all their dreams. But Paul is not speaking about his own wishes and dreams. Paul is speaking about contentment. He says that he can handle all things and be content in all circumstances, because God gives him the strength!

If you want to be content, you must not trust in your circumstances. You must trust in God. You must not think, “If I have this or that, then I will be happy.” You must rather think, “Because I have God in my life, I have enough. Because God has forgiven my sins through Jesus Christ, I have peace. Because God is good, I trust that he will do what is best for me. Because God is here with me, I will rejoice!”

God is the one who will give you strength. When life is going well, he will give you strength. When life is hard, he will also give you strength. Whatever your life is like on the outside, God will give you strength on the inside. He will give you strength to thank him, trust him, and serve him.

That is the secret of contentment. It is a secret that each child of God must learn. You will not learn this secret by looking at the world around you. You can only learn it by listening to and obeying God’s Word.