I Gave At The Office Series

Also, unlike the people of Philippi, we’re not at a loss for how to get money to these good causes. Although we should be very careful about the programs that we support financially, there are legitimate ways for donating to worthy causes and ways to hold organizations accountable for financial integrity.

We also don’t lack opportunity because of poverty. I know that many are suffering as a result of the economic conditions, but none of us have experienced the kind of poverty that the early Christians experienced. Of course we can’t all give the same, but we can all be generous givers in life by being faithful with what we have.

No we face a different problem from the one the people of Philippi faced. Here is the problem we face: In our society contentment is not the norm. Contentment is a problem for us because we live in a discontented society. In our culture enough is never enough. Everyone wants just a little bit more.

But Paul writes, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” And then he lists some of the circumstances that he’s found himself in. “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.”

Living in a discontented culture, where everyone wants more, we need to understand two things about the contentment that Paul had. 1. Contentment must be learned. Paul said that he had “learned to be content” and he had “learned the secret of being content.” This suggests that there was a time when he was not so content, but over time he learned to be that way.

We too, must learn to be content. If you have a difficult time being content, and we all do at times, I have good news. You can learn the skill or the discipline of contentment. It is a learned attitude or skill.

Paul suggests that it is sometimes difficult to learn. It is not always easy to learn to be content. The phrase “I have learned the secret” is found no where else in the Bible and was used to describe an initiation process. If you’ve ever been through an initiation process with a fraternity or sorority or a club or some other group, there was probably a part of the initiation that wasn’t easy. There was some testing you had to go through to become a part of the group. It was your initiation.

That is the idea of this phrase. Learning to be content is sometimes a difficult task. We have to fight against the lifestyles of friends or acquaintances. We have to think differently from the marketing and advertising we are exposed to. There is possibly some self denial and delayed gratification that is a part of the process. It’s not always a fun process, but the reward is that it leads to a life of greater contentment which allows us to live with more joy.

If you struggle with being generous or struggle with contentment, perhaps you need to go through the initiation and learning stage. It may mean that you freeze your spending on certain items for awhile. It may mean that you downsize in some area of your life. It may mean that you give some money away to a charity or a person in need or your church or a missionary.