LEARN TO BE CONTENT

Tuesday 8 October

Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. Philippians 4:11 (AMPC)

And God is able to make all grace (every favour and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (AMPC)

You may be wondering what relationship grace has with contentment. As we unpack these two verses we will see something that joins the dots so to speak.

In Philippians 4:11 the word content, ‘autarkes’ in Greek, means self-sufficient, strong enough to need no aid or support. It also means to be independent of circumstances. Lastly, it means which to be content with your lot.

In 2 Corinthians 9:8 the word self-sufficient ‘autarkeia’ derived from ‘autarkes’ means: a perfect condition of life in which no aid or support is needed, sufficiency of the necessities of life and a mind contented with its lot.

When you look at the context of Philippians chapter 4, we see it is about giving and receiving. In the post text, Apostle Paul says ‘I know how to be abased and how to abound, to be full and to be hungry, to have little and to have much.’

Therefore he is not writing about being content with your lot but about being independent of circumstances. He goes on to declare in verse 13 that ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me’. Paul also says in verse 19 ‘my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’

The most important thing he was stressing to them was to be conscious that they were connected to a heavenly supply system according to God’s riches and not theirs. The awareness of this reality would create an expectation for supernatural intervention and open them up to financial miracles above and beyond their financial means. It’s the same for us today.

The same writer said ‘God is able to make all grace abound to you.’ Notice brother Paul wasn’t saying God shall supply ‘our needs’ but ‘your needs’ which tells us that he himself lived with this supply consciousness no matter what finances he had. Brother Paul says ‘I have learned to be content,’ irrespective of circumstances, he was resolute in God’s ability to come through for him no matter what.

When brother Paul writes to the Corinthian church, he uses the phrase ‘God is able to make all grace abound to you’.

It’s the same for us today in Christ. When we have a grace consciousness in the area of our finances and practice generosity as the epistles teach, we become a conduit for financial blessings to flow from us to others and to flow to us from His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!’

APPLICATION

Study Philippians chapter 4:10-19 and 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 to gain a greater appreciation of self-sufficiency and grace in the area of giving and receiving.