Finding Contentment In A Materialistic World

Contentment comes not from the things that we have, but from being satisfied with all that we have in God – all that we have in Christ, and the secret to finding that contentment – the secret Paul discovered is verse 13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That word "do" is interesting in the original language. It doesn't really mean to "do" something like change the brakes on your car or score a certain number on the SAT. It means to "have power or ability." Paul's point is that he is able to experience both abundance and need because of his union with Christ. So Christ is the source of his contentment, not what he has or doesn't have. So you see Philippians 4:13 has absolutely nothing to do with getting an A on a test at school or accomplishing a challenging task, and it has everything to do with drawing strength from Christ to be satisfied in whatever state of life God in his providence has ordained for you whether that be abundance or need.