Philippians Explained | I Can Do All Things Through ChristSample

Philippians 4 | The Secret of Contentment

Host: Welcome to Through the Word, leading you on a journey through the entire Bible, one chapter at a time. Today Kris Langham guides us through the New Testament book of Philippians. Now to Pastor Kris.

Philippians chapter 4! And this book just keeps getting better. Today the secret of contentment. Content is a beautiful word. It means satisfied. Satiated. At peace with my life and settled. When someone asks you, “Do you need anything?” and you can genuinely say from the core of your soul, “I’m good.” Content is a rare jewel in this world. And right here in chapter 4, Paul delivers the secret of contentment. What is it? Stay tuned. Verse 6:

“Do not be anxious about anything…” (Philippians 4:6).

Hold there a second. Anxiety. Worry about the future. That awful uneasy sense in your chest, because something might go wrong. The Word of God says:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (4:6).

I think that sometimes we worry because we feel like we have to do something. I can’t fix it, but at least I can worry. So God gives us something else to do: pray. Ask God, thank God, and trust God. And in verse 7:

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7).

Now that is a beautiful promise. Peace, the opposite of worry. God’s peace - the one that transcends all understanding, that doesn’t have to understand why or how, and just trusts God – that peace will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The peace of God is a shield. It guards your heart. It guards your mind as well, protects it from doubt and worry. I have to admit, I was a worrier. One of the side effects of thinking too much. And I can’t tell you exactly how all this works, I can only tell you that it does. I pray, I trust, and I know His peace. So instead of worry, pray. And instead of thinking about all the problems:

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right…think about such things” (4:9).

And then verse 10 onward is the thank you part of the letter. Paul owes the Philippians thanks. They came through for Paul. Again and again they supported him, with money, prayer, letters. Now Paul is careful to point out that he’s not just manipulating them for more money. This is genuine gratitude. Verse 11:

“I am not saying this because I am in need, 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” (4:11-12).

Did you catch that? The secret of being content. No matter what, content. And he wasn’t zapped with it by God, he learned it. Learned it from experience. Paul knew need, and he knew plenty. He had to go through it to learn it.

Corrie Ten Boom – who endured a German concentration camp for hiding Jews – said, “You’ll never know that Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have.” From the looks of it, contentment may be harder to find when you have plenty. But no matter, Paul says the secret works either way.

And what’s the secret? Well, if I’m reading it right, the secret is in verse 13:

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (4:13).

I’ll read it again, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” Now Paul is not saying, “I can do anything I want because I have magic God power.” He’s talking about being content in hard times. He’s saying, “I can do this. I can persevere. I can stand firm and keep my joy and hold onto God’s peace and be anxious for nothing – I can do all this through Him – because He gives me strength. Strength is how you move – how you bear burdens and carry you cross – how you press on to lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold of you.

When life hits hard - He strengthens me, and I am content. Ask me if I need anything, anything at all. I’m good. Really good.

Host: Thanks for joining us for today’s quick audio guide. You can find the full audio guide for this chapter and hundreds more on the Through the Word app and website. Our apps are free and free to share, so tell your friends and take the journey together. And remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing Through the Word (Romans 10:17).

Bible quotes in NIV unless otherwise stated.