There's a verse in the Bible that has always intrigued me quite a bit.  It's found in Philippians 4 near the end of Paul's letter.  He is taking a moment to thank the Philippian Church for their concern and care when he goes off on a tangent about how he has "learned in whatever state He's in, to be content".  This is a bold statement that has caused me to think a great deal about a great deal.  What's the difference between contentment and happiness?  What is contentment, and what does it look like?  How is it possible to say this given the frailty and uncertainty of this life?  In fact, this passage (like many from Paul's letters) often cause me to wonder if he only wrote letters when he was feeling really solid in His faith and life as a Christ follower.  Was this statement one that transfered from pen to paper easily in a moment when He was deeply experiencing God's presence, or had he really learned to be content?

If I'm honest, many of these questions are simply my life projected onto Paul's account.  I know that I often find myself speaking truth with boldness only to find myself frustrated or confused on the very points I was so sure of days or weeks prior.  The possibility of attaining contentment as Paul describes it is something that I am quick to speak of, because I believe it is attainable.  I also believe it is deeply desired by many of us (myself at the top of that list.)  While I am able to say that with complete confidence, I'll admit I still feel far from able to say, that I too have learned to be content.

God has really been challenging me in this area of my life lately (a fact that I find strangely exciting… mainly because His challenge almost always means I'm moving the right way towards understanding.)  I have a hard time being content.  Instead I'm often overwhelmed by a desire for something bigger, better, newer, more exciting, more earth shattering, etc.  This is not to be confused with the act of dreaming, which I feel is a huge part of who God has created me to be, but with an inability to really rest in what He has given me in the present.  A great example is my never ending tendency to setup, rearrange, and add to my recording studio setup… never taking time to enjoy and use what I already have to record and express what God has put on my heart in music.  I'm beginning to see how important contentment is to this life.  It truly is a foundation on which we can find rest, identity, and fullness of life.  Only when we're content can we fully embrace today; the people in it, the jobs we put our hands to, the lessons that God wants to teach us… life, and life to the full!

In Paul's first letter to Timothy he encourages him with these words:

If we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

Imagine, needing nothing more than the bare essentials of life to know contentment.  I believe Paul when he told the Philippians that he'd learned this, and I'll show you why.  I believe he learned the deeper lesson of contentment… that contentment is a gift from God, not a virtue that is obtained from any other source.  Paul referred to this truth as "a secret" that he'd found. 

I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty of little.  For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.

And there in lies an ancient and never changing secret.  Contentment, like all of life as it was intended, is found in Jesus.  So, while contentment is what I desperately desire, it is not what I seek.  Instead I fix my eyes on Jesus… the same God who taught Paul to say "I have learned in whatever state I'm in to be content."