WASTE NOT, WANT NOT (PHILIPPIANS 4:10-13)
Economic pain is in the air and in the pockets. Unemployment is up – as high as 7.1% locally. Employers cut 800,000 jobs in March. Low price leader Wal Mart is number 1 among Fortune’s 500 companies in 2008. Gas is marching toward $120 a barrel and $4 a gallon. The median price of a new home in March 2008 is down 13.3% from a year earlier. From a high of $635,000 last summer, my home is down to $450,000 and speeding downhill fast. Even my gardener got into the act, asking for $10 more.
Pork prices are up at 59.1 per cent from last year, trailed by beef, which rose 50.8 per cent, and other meat at 29.5 per cent. Eggs could reach $4 a carton.
And how about rice? Global prices for rice have more than doubled in the past year, as countries such as India and Vietnam placed limits on exports to safeguard domestic supplies and keep inflation in check (“Specialty Rice Sales Limited,” Press Enterprise 4/25/08. From $320 per metric ton at the end of 2007, rice shot to $1,150 by the end of April 2008, according to BusinessWeek (May 12, 2008 “What Spurred the Run on Rice”) Asian restaurant owners’ mad rush to Costco and Sam’s Club for imported rice caused one of the bulk retailers to issue this statement in respond to global supply and demand issues: “Due to increased demand, we are limiting rice purchases based on your prior purchasing history. Please see a supervisor to find your limit.”
This is as good a time and age for a lesson on contentment. The church in Philippi contributed more financially and emotionally to Paul’s ministry than all the churches he had founded or known. When Paul was in affliction (thlipsis), they shared or fellowshipped (koinoneo) in his sufferings (Phil 4:14), sending Epaphroditus with a gift (v 18) to take care of the needs of the imprisoned Paul (Phil 2:25). Even in the early days of Paul’s ministry in the region of Macedonia, not one of its church except the church in Philippi shared with him in the matter of giving and receiving; and when Paul was in Thessalonica, the Philippians sent him aid again and again when he was in need (Phil. 4:15-16). While Paul was cheered, he was careful to be content.
What is contentment? What is its benefit? Who are the discontented and why are they discontented?
Contentment is an Attitude to Learn
10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. (Phil 4:10-11)
The famous Aesop story of “The Boy and the Nuts” tells of a little boy who once found a jar of nuts on the table. ‘I would like some of these nuts,” he thought. “I’m sure Mother would give them to me if she were here. I’ll take a big handful,” so he reached into the jar and grabbed as many as he could hold. But when he tried to pull his hand out, he found that the neck of the jar was too small. His hand was held fast, but he did not want to drop any of the nuts. He tried again and again, but he couldn’t get the whole handful out. At last he began to cry.
Just then his mother came into the room. “What’s the matter?” she asked. I can’t take this handful of nuts out of the jar,” sobbed the boy. “Well, don’t be greedy,” his mother replied. “Just take two or three, and you’ll have no trouble getting your hand out.” “How easy that was,” said the boy as he left the table. “I should have thought of that myself.”
The Chinese liken a discontented heart to a snake swallowing an elephant.
First, contentment is an issue of the mind, not the heart. Paul expressed his great (megalos) (v 10) joy at discovering how eager the Philippians were to contribute to his ministry in financial ways and other means, sending gifts to him through Epaphroditus (v 18). His huge sigh of relief at their generosity was not due the monetary gift they sent, but the moral support they gave and the emotional concern they have for him. “Concern” (phroneo), which occurs twice in verse 10, is more “head” than “heart.” It is not one’s “heartfelt” expression, but “thoughtful” consideration in Greek, exercising one’s “mind” and “thinking” of others.
The apostle Paul reiterates he was not in want or “need” (v 11), needy or poor. This Greek word (husteresis) occurs one other time in the Bible, describing the poor widow who gave out of her “poverty” (Mark 12:44). The contrast to “need” or “poverty,” surprisingly, is not rich, but contentment (aut-arkes), which is from “autos” (self) and “arkeo,” the latter occurs eight times in the Bible, translated thrice as “enough” (Matt 25:9, John 6:7, 14:8) and “content” (Luke 3:14, 1 Tim 6:8, Heb 13:5), and once for “sufficient” (2 Cor 12:9) as well as “satisfied” (3 John 10), but autarkes occurs only once in the Bible, in verse 11.
The most intriguing aspect of contentment is that it is learned (manthano), nurtured and not natural or normal. Learning is acquired and not assumed, attained and not attractive, application and not academics. It is practical, possible and progressive. Someone said, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent.” This is my second year fasting for Lent, successfully ridding soda from my system for a total of 40 days before Easter. On my first sip after fasting, I discovered how flat, sweet and undesirable soda is. The word “circumstances” is not in Greek; it is simply “in whatever.” We learn that things, by themselves, do not satisfy or suffice.
Contentment is an Advantage for Life
12 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. (Phil 4:12)
For a generation that defines hardship as not seeing the latest movie, not having the latest video game or keeping up with the Joneses, having less or doing without must be quite a challenge! Have you asked yourself what you can do without? For example, the personal computer may be an indispensable tool for many since its arrival on the scene, but hardly for everyone. The results of from a survey of 1,005 respondents on the subject “Couldn’t Live Without This Invention” couldn’t be any more surprising.
At the bottom of the list of eight inventions people could not live without, to the horror of young people, is the personal computer. Only a mere 7.6% says they could not live without it. Even a blow dryer – at 7.8% - is considered by respondents, no doubting many are ladies, as more important than the PC. Much more essential to folks - at 13% - is the microwave oven and aspirin, which is the only item not consuming electricity, garnering 19% of the votes. TV is at 22%, and telephone at 42%. Only two items have gotten majority backing. The light bulb gets 54% backing. What do you think is the most indispensable invention people could not do without? 63% of the respondents agree it is the automobile, compared to a mere 7.6% for the computer. (Business Week, Feb. 19, 1996)
Contentment is adjusting without regret to the challenges in life. The words “need” in verse 12 and in verse 11 are not the same in Greek. The previous “need” refers to the physical lesson, but the second “need” to the emotional response. The better translation is “humble means” (NASB). This is the regular and the only translation for “humility” (tapeinoo) in the Bible, seven of its eight times occurring in the gospels for Jesus’ teaching of humility to the disciples (Matt 18:4, 23:12, 23:12, Luke 14:11, 14:11, 18:14). Note that Paul considers himself a man of “humble means” and in “humble” circumstances, but never dirt poor. Humility is not the same as humiliation. Reversely, even in plenty, Paul would not regard himself as rich or wealthy. He merely has plenty or abundance (perisseuo) in Greek. In truth, most of us have scarcity or surplus, but never starved.
The “learned” in verse 11 and 12 are quite different. The second learned (v 12) is bound to the word “mystery” (musterion), thereby translated as “learned the secret,” not just “learned.” Paul did not use Greek for “secret” (kruptos, i.e. cryptic), which is refusing and disliked to be found, but mystery, which is waiting and happy to be found.
The four situations specified in Greek are “well fed,” “hungry,” “living in plenty” and “in want.” Most, if not all, of its 16 occurrences in the Bible describing the first situation are in the context of food and eating. Traditionally, in KJV, this word has been translated 13 times as “filled,” once as “full/well fed” (Phil 4:12), once for “fed” (Luke 16:21) and the last for “satisfy” (Mark 8:4). He did not confuse or equate full, fed and filled with fulfillment. I am always filled and full from a buffet, but seldom fulfilled or happy with its value or my performance. In fact, we are mostly filled up, not filled.
Hungry (peinao), too, is physical. All its 23 occurrences in the Bible is translated as “hungry.” “Plenty” (perisseuo) occurs twice in the verse 12 and once in verse 18 as “full payment.” Verse 12’s “in want” (hustereo) and verse 11’s “in need,” however, are similar; the former is the noun and the latter the verb. The verb is famously translated as “fall short” in Romans 3:23 and Hebrews 4:1. Other frequent translations besides “want” (Phil 4:12) or “need” (Luke 15:14, 2 Cor 11:9) are “lack” (Matt 19:20, Mark 10:21, Luke 22:351, Cor 1:7, 1 Cor 12:24), “gone” (John 2:3), “no better” (1 Cor 8:8), “inferior” (2 Cor 11:5, 12:11), “dependent” (1 Thess 4:12), “destitute” (Heb 11:37) and “misses” (Heb 12:15). Well fed and hungry, therefore, are the technical terms, but plenty and want are the non-technical terms.
Contentment is an Assurance in Lack
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Phil 4:13)
Coming down the stairs one morning, a British gentleman by the name of Lord Congelton overheard his cook conversing with one of the other servants. “I would be perfectly content,” the woman declared, “if I just had five pounds!”
Curious at what a perfectly content person is like, Lord Congelton decided to help his long-time employee. He pulled her aside later in the day and gave her a five-pound note--a fairly substantial sum at the time. The surprised cook thanked her employer profusely, whereupon Lord Congelton departed.
But once outside the door, Congelton paused to see what, if anything, the woman would say. Surely, he reasoned, she would express her thankfulness to God.
A second or two passed and Congelton heard the woman cry out, “Oh, why on earth didn’t I say ten pounds?!” (Today in the Word, June 25, 1996)
Here are some quotes on contentment:
“Contentment is a decision to be happy with what you already have.”
“Contentment is not receiving the things we want. It is the realization of how much we already have.”
“Contentment is when you are happy where you are, with whom you are and who you are.”
“True contentment is realizing that life is a gift, not a right.”
“If you are content, you have enough to live comfortably.” (Plautus)
“Since we cannot get what we like, let us like what we can get.” (Spanish Proverb)
“Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.” (Socrates)
“The secret of contentment is knowing how to enjoy what you have, and to be able to lose all desire for things beyond your reach.” (Lin Yutang)
“Contentment means that whatever we do not have we do not require.” (Alexander McLaren)
“To be content makes a person rich, but to be malcontent makes a rich man poor.” (Benjamin Franklin)
“Contentment means satisfaction on the inside, no matter what is going on outside.”
In chapter four alone, the word “all” (pas) occurs 11 times – five times in its focal passage from verses 12-19. Its scope includes “in ‘ANY’ and ‘EVERY’ situation”
(v 12), “I can do ‘EVERYTHING’ (13), “I have received ‘FULL PAYMENT’ and even more” (v 18) and “my God will meet ALL your needs” (v 19). It means God’s strength is good for all times, for all tasks and or all troubles.
The strength Paul refers to is spiritual and divine – through Him who gives me strength. Paul is contrasting the Greek for “do” and “gives me strength.” “Do” is actually the regular word for strength (ischuo) - literally or figuratively, but “gives me strength” (en-dunamoo), on the other hand, is from the word “power.” Traditionally, this word is rarely translated as “can do” – merely once, in this passage, but it is translated none times as “can (could),” six times as “be able,” thrice as “avail,” thrice for “prevail,” twice for “be whole” and once for “may.” The “do” is arbitrary; it could very well be “manage,” “handle” or “overcome.” Further, “do” misses the idea of strength (ischuo), which is from one’s inner being and not from more activity or productivity.
The nearest translation for “en-dunamoo” is “empower,” from the words “en” or “in” and “dunamis” or “power.” This word occurs merely seven times in the Bible, once in Acts describing Saul who grew “more and more powerful” (Acts 9:22) and six times by Paul, translated thrice as “gives/given/gave me strength” (Phil 4:13, 1 Tim 1:12, 2 Tim 4:17), twice as “be strong” (Eph 6:10, 2 Tim 2:1) and once as “strengthened” (Rom 4:20).
True contentment is not denying oneself of the supply of things, but depending on Christ for the supply of needs. It means more desire for Christ and less desire for goods. It means detaching yourself from earthly resources and attaching yourself to the Divine Source. It is not about what you have, but Whom you have. Covetousness is what possesses you, but contentment is Who possesses you. Contentment is having everything you need, but not everything you want, in Christ. It is not to be frugal, but to be faithful with what you have. It is commitment to what you have, not complain or compare what you have not. Comparison is contentment’s greatest enemy.
Conclusion: Contentment is a learned mindset and a learning curve. In conclusion, I will close with my two favorite quotes on contentment: “There are two ways to be rich – one is to have you want, and the other is to be satisfied with what you have” and “It is not the happy people who are thankful; it is the thankful people who are happy.”
Are you a good and responsible steward of God’s resources? Are you contented with the advantage your parents and friends have given you? Are you a contributor or a consumer? Is your happiness or satisfaction found in worldly possessions and pleasures, or is it rooted in God’s promise and provisions? Do you know the difference and distinction between a harmful “want” and a healthy “need”?
Victor Yap
Other sermons in the series and other sermon series:
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