The Secret of Being Content

"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." - Written by Paul in Philippians 4:12

I've read these words many times but one day one word in particular caught my attention. It was the word "secret". My thought was this: 'if there is a secret to being content, why didn't Paul share it with us?' Did he not think this was something valuable to know? Think of all the discontented people out there that could have taken that secret knowledge and made themselves content. I would venture to guess crime rates, suicide rates, road rage incidents, etc. would go down. I would also guess that people would smile more, yell less, and love better. The 'secret of being content' seems invaluable and yet it's buried deep in Paul's mind. Or is it? Maybe we were meant to search for the secret.

I started looking at Paul's life to see if I could figure out what it was that made him content. He clearly didn't travel the path of least resistance. After his conversion experience on the road to Damascus, he could have simply accepted Christ, retired from persecuting Christians, and lived out the rest of his life as a good person. But that would not do for this man. That would not have satisfied him. He would not have been, shall we say, content. Paul went full steam ahead sharing the message of Christ. He endured many trials and hardships along the way (he was imprisoned, shipwrecked, and snake bitten to name a few). We could try to argue that no one could possibly be content in those situations and yet Paul said those words. And I believe him. What was your secret, Paul?

Did it have to do with the choices he made? Life is full of forks in the road - choices that have to me made. Choice A might be less desirable and a little painful. Choice B sounds better. But in your spirit you know choosing Choice A will please God more. That's the choice Paul would have made (over and over). And the reason why, I believe, is because he recognized that pleasing God would bring him greater satisfaction than pleasing himself. Think about when you were a child and you did something that pleased your mom or dad. Or when as an employee you caught the thankful eye of your boss for something you did which wasn't altogether easy. The reward in your hard work was the feeling of pleasure your received in pleasing those who matter to you. And, frankly, who matters more than God? How much greater is that reward - that feeling of pleasing our heavenly Father - the Creator of life itself? Does that feeling make the difficulties we endure on His behalf worth it?

Two synonyms for content (and I think theses are profound) are fulfilled and gratified. I believe those words say a lot about how Paul lived his life. The conclusion I come to in figuring out Paul's secret is that being content means finding your focus in God. It's living your life with an undeniable focus on pleasing God. When that becomes our life's ultimate goal we may just discover it is, indeed, the secret to being content. Referring back to our choices above: Choice B may not necessarily be a wrong or sinful choice - just a different path to choose. Choosing B could very well be good and safe. The difference, however, between the choices we make could mean the difference between feeling "pleased" and feeling "fulfilled". The benefit of one far outweighs the other.

Ten on Ten (March)

It is that time again. I can hardly believe it's been a month already. Well - here is my list of ten things I'm thankful for:

1 - "Tiny Blessings" (see previous blog article): There is a danger when our lives get clouded by busyness and/or emotions. It's easy to miss the little ways in which God is working around us. And when we stop looking or stop seeing the tiny blessings we can tend to feel abandoned. I'm thankful that I am looking again and have the pleasure and joy of seeing God's hand in my life (in the simplest of things).

2 - Lessons from God: Learning lessons from God can often be very difficult - not because of stubbornness to learn but because of the pain of self-reflection. I'm thankful that God helps me become, not only, the person I want to become, but also, the daughter He knows I can be. He loves me enough not to leave me where I am. If I am willing He will help me grow.

3 - Music - Christian music in particular: It can heal, inspire, remind me of God's wonderful and amazing existence, or simply allow me to offer my praise. I only wish I could sing.

4 - Chocolate, Pepsi, popcorn, Chick-fil-a and the like: The little pleasures of life should not be overlooked or taken for granted. These are simple, simple things and yet they make me smile. And all those little smiles add up to a great big warm fuzzy. My joy in these little things has an added benefit: my husband is thankful that I'm not high-maintenance. (Enstrom's Almond Toffee, by the way --- um! um! ---little bit of heaven.)

5 - TV: I know what you're thinking (or are you?). In reality it's not the TV that I'm thankful for - it's the simple "dates" my husband and I have while watching some of our favorite shows together.

6 - Friends: Sadly - most of my long-time friends live in other states. I don't get to see them much or at all. But - I am thankful that time and space hasn't taken away the value we have in each other.

7 -How do I put this? I'm thankful that I don't live in the same crazy world as the people on some "reality" shows. When I see clips of some of these people on the news or other programs I try to reassure myself that these idiotic, immoral, self-aggrandizing people don't actually exist - that it's all an act. But then I think - maybe I live in a bubble and these people do exist. And if that's the case - I'm glad I don't live where they live.


8 - Things that make me laugh: It could be just about anything. Laughter is good for the soul. And it's contagious. When my daughter finds something fall-down funny - it makes us all laugh. Try watching America's Funniest Home Video's with a child. You will have more fun watching them than the show.


9 - Answered prayers: I continue in my journey to be faithful in prayer for others. I have found it a true pleasure to see God working in their lives.

10 - The gym: - although I don't get there as often as I'd like (or should) I am thankful that I have the opportunity to work out and take care of my body. When I do get to go - my body and my mind feel refreshed.