Assassins of Contentment
"I have learned to be content in
whatever circumstances I am."
Philippians 4:11 (NASB)
I don't know if any of you are struggling with being content, but as a special needs mom living in the midst of a pandemic, I certainly am. In January 2020 James Bruce was accepted for long-term residential placement at Rainbow Omega, a Christian group home for adults with intellectual disabilities. Originally Bruce and I were told that James Bruce would be moving to Rainbow Omega in three weeks. Rainy weather resulted in a group home construction delay, the Covid 19 pandemic and lockdown happened, and we’re still waiting on his move. Needless to say this isn’t the carefree summer I envisioned in January! But I am hardly alone in my spring and summer change of plans. How many of us in March really expected our mandatory 2-week “shelter in place” lockdown to eventually cancel an entire fall football season?
The Apostle Paul had lots of reasons to be discontent. When he penned today's words, “I have learned to be content,” Paul was sitting in a Roman prison literally locked down and awaiting execution. Paul was suffering for the Gospel (Philippians 1:7), but he wasn't just content. He was actually rejoicing! (Philippians 4:4) The whole theme of Paul's letter to the Philippians is "Rejoice" not in our circumstances or suffering, but in the Lord!
The Urban dictionary defines contentment as: "resting in who you are, who you have, and what you have." The Holman biblical definition is "an internal satisfaction which does not demand changes in external circumstances."
In 2015 author Darrin Patrick penned an article entitled The 6 Assassins of a Man's Contentment. Patrick wrote, "You have enemies as you try to live as a content man. Most of the time we think the enemies are from without- people around us and circumstances upon us. But the true enemies of contentment are within us, which is where contentment is either fed or starved. At the heart of contentment is an embrace of the present and a willingness to enjoy the good things we have right now. These enemies distract us from the present and prompt us to either idolize or demonize our past and future. We either worship or hate the past or future, but doing so makes it impossible to embrace the glory of the contented life."
Patrick's six assassins of contentment that are at work within us to destroy our enjoyment of the life God has given us today are:
Regret - Living in the past undermines our ability to make balanced and healthy stories out of our lives today.
Nostalgia - It recalls the successes and joys of the past, while suffocating our ability to enjoy the present.
Fear - We become so consumed by fear for tomorrow that we are paralyzed today.
Vision - A vision for the future is a good thing, but we must not be blind to the present and waste the opportunities God gives us today in the here and now.
Multitasking - It spends our attention across many initiatives, but keeps us from fully engaging in any of them.
Hurriedness- This is the frantic, mental, and emotional state we experience that accompanies our busyness. Hurried people can't celebrate because they are focused on the next thing on their to-do list. "Hurry always hurts" (Ann Voskamp).
After we identify our personal contentment assassins, what are some of the keys to cultivating contentment in our lives? Looking carefully at Paul’s letter to the Philippian Church, we see that Paul:
Chooses joy (Phil 3:1,4:4) in the midst of his suffering– Joy is always possible for the Christian because the Holy Spirit lives within us and joy is a fruit of the Spirit.
Controls his thought life – Every thought is captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) and Paul thinks about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).
Calms his anxious thoughts with prayer and gratitude- Philippians 4:6
Gains comfort from God’s love – Phil. 2:1
Displays confidence in God’s sovereignty (Phil. 1:27), peace, provision, and strength (Phil. 4:7, 13, 18)
Darrin Patrick was right when he wrote, “the true enemies of contentment are within us which is where contentment is either fed or starved.” Our choice today is the same as Paul’s from 2000 years ago. We can focus on our feeding our fears, regrets, nostalgia, and busyness or we can starve them and instead choose joy; control our thought lives; calm our anxious hearts with prayer and gratitude; and gain comfort, clarity, and confidence from God’s Word and His sovereignty. The choice is ours; the strength is God’s.
“When you go through a trial, God’s sovereignty is the pillow upon which you lay your head.” C.H. Spurgeon
Wherever we are today, the secret for cultivating contentment hasn’t changed: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) Christ in us, the hope of glory!
Amen and Amen,
Donna