| |
...and to thank them he wrote this letter. He also used the situation to teach them important principles regarding money. The first principle was contentment.
“Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”
Contentment
When I was a young believer I heard someone say “There are two ways God tests a person with money: He withholds it, and He gives it in abundance.” I remember thinking, “I much prefer the second test to the first.” Years later, I am not so sure.
Paul had experienced prosperity and paucity and had no preference; he was assured that God would empower him either way. He had learned the secret of biblical contentment.
The dictionary defines contentment as “the state of being satisfied with the way things are.” Biblical contentment is a little different from that. There are many times in our life when we should not be satisfied with the way things are, maybe most of the time. The world is broken, and we have a commission to do what we can to put things right.
Then what is biblical contentment? It is the state of being totally satisfied in our relationship with Christ, regardless of what are circumstances are.
Paul used the phrase “I have learned” twice in this passage. Biblical contentment must be learned because it does not come naturally. It goes against the grain of our natural inclinations for stuff.
This proclivity goes back to our first parents who, motivated by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, took the apple from the tree. Material things satisfy the lust of the flesh because they make life more comfortable. They satisfy the lust of the eyes because they look good to us. And they satisfy the pride of life because other people see us with them.
Therefore, we learn biblical contentment by removing the cultural sources of discontent. One of the great sources of discontent is the underlying attitude in the Western world that a man is measured by his material possessions. This attitude is what feeds the advertising schemes of commercial businesses. A newspaper reporter once asked John Rockefeller how much money a man needed to be happy. Rockefeller thought for a moment and then said, “A little bit more.”
Generosity
The second principle was generosity.
The Philippians had been sending money to Paul for twelve years. They began as soon as he left Philippi around 49 AD.
“In the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.” (Philippians 4:15, 16)
They sent him money when he was ministering in Corinth around 50-52 AD.
“And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia (Philippi) supplied what I needed.” (II Corinthians 11:9)
They send him money to care for the poor in Jerusalem around 56 AD.
“We want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.” (II Corinthians 8:1-4)
Now, around 61 AD, they had sent money to Paul again.
“How grateful I am, and how I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but for a while you didn't have the chance to help me.” (Philippians 4:10)
Paul responded to this continuous pattern of generosity by assuring them of God’s blessing.
“God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
This kind of generosity is rare, but there are some examples. In 1731, John Wesley began to limit his expenses so he would have more money to give to the poor. He records that his first year his income was £30 and his living expenses £28, so he had £2 to give away. The next year his income doubled, but he still lived on £28 and gave £32 away. In the third year his income jumped to £90, and again he lived on £28, giving £62 away. The fourth year he made £120 lived on £28 and gave £92 to the poor. His income continued to increase until one year he made over £1,400. That year he was a little extravagant. He gave away £1,370 and lived on £30.
|
|
