“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. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” [Philippians 4:12-13 NIV]
Different translations render the phrase “I have learned the secret of being content” in various ways. The KJV says, “everywhere and in all things I am instructed,” while the NKJV translates it this way, “everywhere and in all things I have learned.”
The Holman Standard (which I love), agrees with the NIV that there is a secret … “In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content.”
So, what is the secret of being content? Well, first notice one thing. Being content in any and all circumstances does not come naturally. We are instructed in contentment, and we are expected to learn it. Learning contentment comes through experience and cooperation with the Holy Spirit of God, not a how-to set of instructions.
The secret of contentment is not really a secret in the way we think of that word either. It is not something to be kept to ourselves. It is something to be shared.
The secret of contentment is Christ Jesus. It is a secret to those who do not know Him, but a revealed secret to those who accepted His call to follow.
More about the secret tomorrow.
