What Does It Mean to Be Content?

 

"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."                                                                                 Philippians 4:12

 I recently traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah to attend a conference for work, and let me say this first, "Thank you Salt Lake City for the kindness of your people and the beauty of your picturesque scenery! In the days and weeks leading up to my travel several friends and acquaintances had expressed how beautiful SLC was and how much I was going to love the Rocky Mountain backdrops. The snowcapped mountains in late April did not fail to disappoint, and a beautiful four-mile hike confirmed the majesty of the Rockies! As beautiful as the Rocky Mountains are and as inviting as the city of Salt Lake City is, I missed my home sweet home, which led me to an epiphany of sorts that prompted today's Flat Tire Ministries thought.

 

What does it mean to be content? In the verse above, Paul explained that he had gotten to the place where he was "content" when he had pretty much everything he needed, and also when he was in need and had nothing. Hungry or full, destitute or overflowing, Paul said he had learned the "secret" of being content. Why did Paul call being content a secret to be learned? Probably because so many of us don't possess the contentedness in our hearts that allows us to realize what we do have and how fortunate we are to have what we have. 

 

Early on in my visit to Utah, I started thinking about our own Great Smoky Mountains, a subrange of the Appalachian mountain range, and how beautiful they are. In contrast to the Rockies, the Smoky Mountains just have a different feel to them. Salt Lake City sits in a basin with the Rockies forming the bowl in which the city sits. Visiting the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee or North Carolina you don't get the feel of being surrounded by the mountains, it's more like a blanket that covers the region. The Smoky Mountains form a magnificent backdrop for amazing sunrises and breath-taking sunsets and the wide array of flora and fauna make it even more enjoyable to visit and admire. Sorry Rocky Mountains, but I'll keep my Smokies!

 

Yet my point isn't about which mountain range is the best, the point is that too often I get up in the morning and look out at the Smoky Mountains and that is about all I do, look. It took a trip over half way across the United States for me to realize just how fortunate I am to live in East Tennessee. I had heard a great deal about the Rocky Mountains, I had studied their formations in Geography classes, and I had viewed breathtaking photographs of their jagged, snow cased peaks. In my mind I just wanted to see it, I was certain I would be awestruck and that I was. But, I missed home. I realized that I had not been content with what I have right here at home. I had placed the everyday beauty of what East Tennessee provides aside for what I thought would be so much better with the Rockies. I wanted more, I had lost my appreciation for what I did have, and fortunately for me, I was wise enough to realize that I had coveted where I should have been contented. 

 

In your life what are you wishing you had "better"? Better car, bigger house, new job, new spouse, more money, any of those resonate? Being content isn't relegated to material objects, better health status, or a different life altogether also fit in the contented spectrum. Too often we want what we don't have, thus we are not content with what we do have. Being content doesn't mean that we should feel guilty about wanting to improve or increase, it just means that our driving force in life shouldn't be what's next, but more about what are we doing with what we have been given. Being content means I shouldn't be complaining about having to eat beans three times a week, but more about being grateful for the beans that are providing nourishment to my body and a full stomach so I don't go to bed hungry tonight. Being content doesn't mean that wanting a new house is wrong, but it does mean that as long as I am living in the house I am living I am grateful, thankful, and feel completely blessed for having the roof over my head and the comfort that our home provides. 

 

Being content is elusive for way too many people, our social culture forces us to want more, want bigger, better, and newer. God tells us something else. In the book of Hebrews, the message is clear, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”" Hebrews 13:5. Regardless of your situation you should be content because God is with you in every instance and in all circumstances. God wants you and I to be content, to understand that as we live our lives and we begin to thank God for our lives regardless of what our lives feel like in our minds, we are blessed and we should be content. Trust me, being content without God in the driver seat is a challenge, I know, I tried and it just doesn't work. My prayer, "God thank you for who I am and what you have given me in this life. Thank you for the beauty of your creation and thank you for allowing me to enjoy the world in which you have placed me to live at this moment in my life. May I focus on what I have and what You have done in my life, and allow Your purpose for this life you have given me to be where I place my efforts. Thank you. Amen."

Be content.

Coach Carter