Contentment

During my two years so far at the shelter, I’ve met a lot of different people coming from a variety of circumstances and backgrounds.  I’ve sort of become used to the stories and attitudes that I see there; I don’t mean to say that I’ve become ok with everything difficult that I see, but I find that I am usually prepared for most of it.  I recently met a couple though, that honestly caught me off guard.  They weren’t aggressive, disrespectful, or rude; if I had to summarize them in a few words, it would be that they were completely and utterly discontented, and yet were entirely unmotivated.  They had left their hometown because of dissatisfaction their life and came to the shelter in a different state, but when they were presented with the reality of what it would take to improve their situation, they opted simply not to.  They ended up moving on to another city and what makes this story so sad to me is they are now back with us at the shelter.  They have a different worker, but apparently nothing has truly changed, as they are desiring to go back to their original starting city.  I had really never seen this before, such a lack of desire to move forward and such a dissatisfaction with everything in their life.  This discontent spilled over into their marriage, into almost every interaction with staff, and into every accommodation or service that the shelter provided.  There seemed to be a problem with literally everything in their life. They are not satisfied with their room, with their meals, with each other. There is literally nothing in their life they are remotely content with!


I’m writing all this because this couple’s mindset has caused me to think a lot lately about contentedness and what that looks like in my life as a follower of Christ.  What came to my mind immediately was Paul’s thoughts on this very issue in Phillipians chapter 4 11-13: “… for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  I love that Paul doesn’t make any exceptions to this, he clearly states any and every circumstance, there is really no room here for “but you don’t know about” or “but you can’t imagine…” etc.  And if you read in Acts, you see Paul was hit with a huge variety of circumstances and people in his life, but he continued to do God’s will.  How?  He sums it up in one simple sentence, that I sometimes feel is mis-used: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  What is the “all this?”  Paul has been talking about contentment during this passage, it seems to me he is clearly and to the point defining “the secret” of his contentment and that is only through Christ.  It’s not through Christ and… but only through relying on Him and His strength.  In other translations it may say “I can do all things…”  I feel like this can cause this verse to be not completely understood; I’ve heard people quote this verse when referring to passing a test, winning a basketball game, doing well on a job interview.  I don’t mean to say that God can’t or won’t help you with these life scenarios, but we need to be careful and not miss the specific context and the message that Paul was trying to get across.  He’s talking about being content, in every situation, and that is clearly the “what” that he can only do through Christ!


After all, Christ was the model of contentment and desiring His Father’s will, Paul talks about this in Phillipians chapter 2 5-8: “With your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!”  What a model!  I mean if anyone had the right to be discontented, it would have been Christ!  He sought the Father’s will above all else and found contentment there.  Only our relationship with Christ can give true meaning and purpose, and without purpose, there is no true contentment.  We have been given the most incredible gift: the ability, even though you and I are evil to the core, to come and be a child of God!  This was given to us by the selflessness of Christ!  In that knowledge, in this gift and hope that this gift brings us, that is where and how we find contentment.  Paul earlier in Phillipians chapter 4, gives an awesome outline of what this looks like or how it is put in to practice, starting with an all-familiar verse: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!”  What are we taking joy in?  Not our circumstances, the people in our lives, our belongings, but in the Lord himself!  If we wondered what that would look like in our life, Paul goes on “Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  And what will this rejoicing in the Lord and the impact of that on our life (gentleness, prayer/thanksgiving) result in?  “and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  What a wonderful picture, praise God!


Please be praying for this couple.  Pray that they will come to understand the truth of Christ, that they will stop simply reciting clichés and seek to understand what they are saying.  Pray that they will come to find true rest and purpose in Christ.  Pray for myself and all the staff, that God will use us in some way to minister to them. I don’t want their second stay at the shelter to be just another pointless, dissatisfying thing in their life.


Ashley
jude.three.blog@gmail.com