We live in a society that is perpetually bombarded with the belief that those who have are those who are happiest. We live in an age where we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against ideologies that glorify unbridled self-indulgence. Daily, we are inundated with the same societal messages: happiness can be bought; it can be attained but only with the right things. The word of God, however, provides a different point of view.
This passage suggests that regardless of our current circumstances—even the unpleasant ones—we can be content in just about any situation. Not too long ago, I was watching a program on the Public Broadcast Station about a few teenagers who had the opportunity to journey to Ghana, West Africa. What they discovered altered the course of their lives forever.
Despite severely impoverished regions in the country, the region natives and locals shared all they had with the American strangers. They gladly gave what little they had to welcome the strangers to their villages. They never complained and much to the students’ surprise, seemed genuinely happy. When the students asked about how the locals cope with their dismal surroundings, one of the villagers said this: happiness is not about having all that you want, it is about learning to be glad with whatever you have. This is the same premise of the bible passage.
Whether you are driving a luxury car worth eighty-five thousand dollars or a used car worth eight-hundred and fifty dollars, you can be content with whatever you have. Jainism teaches implores us to avoid excessive possessions and over indulgence. Contentment is not based on the number of your possessions, the length of your collegiate title or your socio-economic status. Contentment is a choice. It is an attitude birthed from wisdom and it grants us the ability to look beyond the limits of today and see the promise of tomorrow. Contentment produces hope; hope produces faith and with faith we please God.
We need only look to Paul and Silas. They had been beaten, lied on and imprisoned. Yet Paul said that he counted his afflictions as joy. Hence, while shackled in prison, he began to worship the Lord with an attitude of contentment and the bible tells us that God responded, quickly. Not only were his shackles opened but so was the door to his prison cell! Contentment coupled with worship compels God to move speedily on our behalf.
We can do all things through Christ who gives us the strength. We can learn to be happy in the midst of life’s storms.
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