“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned,in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).
TEXT — Philippians 4:10-13
Message
A rich industrialist was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. “Why aren’t you out there fishing?” he asked. “Because I’ve caught enough fish for today,” said the fisherman. Perplexed, the rich industrialist asked the fisherman: “Why don’t you catch more fish than you need?” the rich man asked. “What would I do with them?” said the fisherman. The probing rich man, not understanding the fisherman’s calm disposition replied: “You could earn more money and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you will have a fleet of boats and be rich like me.” The fisherman asked: “Then what would I do?” “You could sit down and enjoy life,” said the industrialist. “What do you think I’m doing now?” the fisherman replied as he looked out into the calm sea.
Paul’s admonition in our text today speaks to the life of contentment devoid of any form of greed and lust. Too many people are strategising how to get wealth without taking time to even enjoy what God already gave them. The fisherman’s calm disposition is not an absence of needs but a recognition of God’s providence over our lives. As an itinerant preacher, Paul the apostle needed all the help he could get from the churches in Asia Minor. However, rather than burden these budding churches with incessant request for his personal welfare, Paul trusted in God’s providence to care for his needs. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me, he maintained. This spiritual philosophy rids us of anger and anxiety resulting from unmet expectations. It also calms our nerves knowing full well that God understands what we need and will supply according to His riches in glory.
Another lesson from our text is not to depend on any human being but fix our gaze on the living God. Many people are disappointed today when a promise made by man goes unfulfilled. Paul the apostle will have believers look unto God, not man, to meet their necessary needs. Even when God uses man to supply our needs, our text reminds us to focus only on God, who made the giving possible. In today’s topsy-turvy economy, our only haven is the divine supply not subject to human manipulation. In Proverbs 3:5,6, King Solomon exhorts us to always “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
The pathway of godliness is also the pathway of contentment. A satisfied soul is never greedy, not looking to add other people’s treasure to his own. We rely on God to cope with our demands in and out of season. A fulfilled soul is never in a hurry, even in a seeming delay
Thought for the day
Contentment is the godly man’s sense of wealth and badge of happiness.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
