I have to come clean. Sometimes, I get really annoyed by verses I read in the bible. Occasionally, I read one that makes me want to stick my tongue out and whack the writer on the back of the head. (Then I remember that what is written in the bible was inspired by God, and I wouldn’t dare whack Him in the back of the head.)
I’ll give you an example. I have always been quite annoyed with Paul’s claim in this verse:
I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. Philippians 4:11
I often think, in my most irritated, sarcastic voice, “Well, good for you, Paul.” Clearly, the man has not faced the kinds of things that I have faced. He has no idea how hard it is to be content in my life today. (In case you are inclined to agree with my wayward thinking… Paul was regularly harassed, beaten, and jailed for doing God’s will. He endured a shipwreck, a poisonous snake bite, a stoning that nearly killed him and many other terrible experiences.)
So why the ongoing annoyance with this verse? I tried out this verse, tested it, and failed it. I couldn’t figure out how to be content in every circumstance in my life. Even the encouragement that comes two verses later started to seem like a fairy tale because I couldn’t manage the contentment thing:
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
All things? Then why not contentment?
This weekend, at a Joyce Meyer conference, the frustration with this verse came to a screeching halt. Joyce was talking about “change” all weekend. In the last session, she was talking about how to do what you CAN do, and then wait for God to do what you CAN’T do. Not just wait for Him, but actually enjoy the time while you’re waiting. She reminded us that we are being transformed from “glory to glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:18) We just have no idea how much time will elapse between one glory and the next. The breakthroughs, the victories, the provisions often come in God’s timing (not ours) and we have to wait for each glory to come. We should have peace, joy, security in the waiting. We can be content between glories.
This is where Philippians 4:11 came in. She explained the verse in a way that I’ve never considered before.
First of all, Paul says that he “learned” how to live in contentment. He didn’t get it right the first time, and probably not the second or third time. Learning is a long process that takes time. It takes God’s grace and power to be achieved.
The greatest insight came to me when Joyce explained that Paul wasn’t talking about being content in his rotten circumstances because God had left him there to suffer and he should make the best of it. His contentment didn’t mean that he accepted the tremendous hardships that he was facing as the end result.
With God, glory is always the end result.
Paul was content knowing that God would come and deliver him to his next glory at the right time. He did not accept his suffering as a permanent state. He recognized that God always has an amazing plan to save us, teach us, transform us, and use us to display His glory.
I can have peace and still not have any clue what’s happening or what God is doing right now. I can have peace even when my tough circumstances aren’t budging. I can be content, knowing that God is working on my next glory and it will come at just the right time.
I’ll keep trusting Him and praising Him until it gets here.