EP 33: How to Cultivate Contentment

The holiday season is going to look very different for many this year. So, how exactly do we celebrate in the face of COVID? Let’s talk about it by taking a look at the call of pursuing contentment in Christ according to Philippians 4:4-13. Hit the play button to tune in and be encouraged! 

Welcome

Hello! And welcome back to another episode of the Daughter of Delight podcast. Also, happy day before Thanksgiving! This holiday season is going to look very different for a lot of people this year because of COVID- myself included. So, I thought it would be good for us to spend time marinating in the truth of God’s Word when it comes to contentment and being thankful in all things. If you can, go ahead and grab your Bible, a notebook and a pen. It’s that kind of episode, sis! We are going to plant ourselves in Philippians 4:4-13 today, and trust me when I say there is a ton of wisdom to glean from here. And thanks be to God for that!

Announcements

Before we get started, I want to share two things with you.

01: HOW TO SUPPORT THE DAUGHTER OF DELIGHT PODCAST

First of all, I want to talk about how you can give thanks to God for the work He is doing in and through the heart of Daughter of Delight. There are a few ways to show your support, and let me be the first to say I would be so incredibly thankful if you were to pick one to do just that. 

+ BECOME A DOD VIP VIA PATREON

If you would like to support me in my ministry endeavors financially, you can do so by becoming a Daughter of Delight VIP via Patreon. Currently, there are 3 tiers to choose from. Each tier includes early, ad-free access to podcast episodes and, depending on the tier you sign up for, there are some extra fun bonuses included in addition to early access as well. Your financial support will help me continue to make time to create sound, Gospel-centered content and keep Daughter of Delight running and thriving in the ways that it needs. Please consider sacrificing a cup of coffee each month to contribute to something that is so much bigger than we could ever imagine! If you would like to become a DOD VIP, you can do so via the link located in the show notes! 

+ RATE & REVIEW THE PODCAST

The next way you can show Daughter of Delight some love is by leaving an iTunes rating and review and/or sharing it with a friend. I have no doubt that God is using this podcast to bless the ears and feed the hearts of those who need it, and I fully believe you taking the time to rate, review and share it with a friend is part of how God is leading others to the podcast. Because He wastes no thing, amen?

+ SHOP DAUGHTER OF DELIGHT

Finally, this may be hard to believe because I am terrible when it comes to getting the word out about it--and honestly, I just wear a lot of hats--BUT, the third and final way you can support Daughter of Delight is by purchasing something through the online shop. YEP, it’s true. Daughter of Delight has a merchandise store with all kinds of good stuff. We’re talking cute and comfy sweatshirts, long sleeve and short sleeve shirts, dad hats (these are my personal fav), coffee mugs, tote bags, goodness there’s just so much to choose from! Please consider shopping small to help support ya sister in my pursuit of the call to digital ministry God has laid on her life. Thank you in advance for considering these very things! I am so grateful for your support, Sister. The fact that you are even listening to this is a tremendous blessing. I thank God for you! 

02: REVIEW OF THE WEEK

Finally, before we dive in to our Philippians passage for today, let’s take a moment to hear the review of the week. This review is from Caitlyn S. and she says,“Love following Elle’s Instagram, but I am so happy to know she has a podcast as well!! She sticks to scripture, and pours God’s truth from her heart. I lve how relatable she is, and truly believe she is doing God’s work by inspiring others with her words. Highly recommend! Thank you Elle for all that you do!!”Thank you SO much Caitlyn. I’m going to be honest: there are days where I feel like I am laboring tirelessly; days where I feel like people don’t understand just how much goes into running an online ministry like Daughter of Delight. It’s hard, and I have wanted to throw in the hat and walk away more than I would like to admit. But God. Oh, but God. He gently taps me on my shoulder, beckons me to turn,  reminds me to breathe,  and encourages me to run back into His love-filled embrace. Your review is an encouragement to me in that I am not unseen. Not that it’s about me anyway, because it’s definitely not, but I’m so thankful that you have reminded me that I am undoubtedly doing God’s Work. And whereas that may not be an easy thing, it’s one of the most beautiful things. It’s hard and holy work, and I’m so grateful to be used by Him in this way. From the very bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to leave this review. 

How to Pursue Contentment in Christ

Okay, Sister. Let’s hop to the meat of today’s episode!Since we are going to be planted in Philippians for the remainder of our time together today, I want to give you a brief overview of this letter and its purpose.  

About Paul's Letter to the Philippians

The apostle Paul authored this letter to the church of Phillipi. Paul’s first connection with the Philippians is recorded in Acts 16. You may or may not know this, but something special to note is that God gave Paul a vision in Acts 16, which resulted in Paul and his colleagues traveling to Phillipi. During their time with the Philippians, God moved and the church of Phillipi was established. Needless to say, Paul shares a special bond with them. Neat, right?! Another thing to note is that Paul actually wrote this letter to them while in prison. Which prison he wrote from is not clear. Some think he wrote from Ephesus but a stronger case can be made that he wrote from Caesarea. Naturally, imprisonment carried with it a social stigma, so it would have been easy for the Philippians to turn their backs on Paul. Instead, they remain faithful to him. As a result, Paul writes this letter to the Philipians and recognizes them for their loyalty to the gospel.

Contentment According to Philippians 4:4-13

With these things in mind, let’s transition into the reading of our passage for today. That is, Philippians 4:4-13. I will be reading from the ESV translation.4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 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. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. -Philippians 4:4-13 (ESV)

The Four Takeaways of Philippians 4:4-13

Sister, if you can’t already tell, there is SO much to glean from the verses we just read.I want to share four important takeaways from this passage in Philippians with you, but I also want to make sure that you know these are not the only takeaways. I encourage you to spend time in this passage on your own, and all of Philippians for the matter, when you get a chance. 

01: Rejoice Always

The first takeaway I want to focus on with you is found in verse 4. Let’s take a look at it:Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (ESV)Now, if you’re anything like me, you have or may even be wondering right now how on earth to rejoice in the Lord not just when it’s convenient for us, but always.

• Maybe you have a family member who has died from COVID.
• Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with yet another painful autoimmune disease, which I can absolutely relate to by the way. 
• Perhaps you just had your heart broken.
• Or, maybe you just lost your job and you have no idea what’s next and very little time to determine what that is.

These are only a few of the many, many experiences people are enduring right now. Yet, as we’re told in Philippians 4:4, we are to rejoice in the Lord always.If this were truly impossible for us to do, it wouldn’t be a command of God’s Word.But let me also add that it is completely impossible to do in our own strength. It is only by the power of Christ in us that we can rejoice.

HAPPINESS VS. JOY

As we live Kingdom-minded, we come to realize and may even have to learn the hard way a few times that joy and happiness are not the same thing.Happiness is fleeting and completely contingent on our circumstances. Joy, however, is eternal and all-accessible to us through the power of what Christ accomplished on the cross with us in mind. Our joy rests in the Lord, not in this life. And this is why it is completely possible to rejoice in Him always. When we choose to rejoice in God always, especially when things get hard and the temptation of our flesh to focus on the weight of our feelings shows up at our doorstep--we are choosing to submit ourselves to His sovereignty; we are choosing to trust that no matter what happens in this life, our citizenship is in Heaven; we are choosing to embrace that what we experience in this life, even on our darkest day, is but a mere taste of what Christ endured for our sake; for our sins. He took on the full weight of it all and we will never know what that’s like because He died our death; He died the death we deserve so that we wouldn’t have to. The world is full of tribulation, but Christ went before us and conquered it all. Let that sink in. He reigns! My dear sister, it is the will of God for us to rejoice always. May our faith in Christ give us the strength to do just that. 

02: The Antidote to Worry

The next takeaway I want to focus on is found in verse 6. It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”Alright, this one is for all you worry warts out there! Have you ever been so anxious about something that it completely consumed you? I know I have. In fact, if you were to ask me to name the thorn in my side I would immediately respond with anxiety! I am a worrywart and I definitely got that from my momma.

My BAttle with Anxiety

I have struggled with anxiety since I was a child. It has presented itself in different ways as I have grown, but it’s still a daily battle.I absolutely hate it, but at the same time I know it does not own me, nor does it get the final say. That being said, the next time you find yourself in a place of worry and overthinking, I want you to recall the antidote to your anxiety-ridden heart. That is, thanksgiving. 

FAITH OVER FEAR

Dear sister, when we worry about every little thing and allow it to distract us from being present in the moment at hand, we’ve got a problem that needs to be addressed. The problem is, we are focusing on our fears more than we are on our faith. This kind of anxiety is incompatible with trust in God. The two cannot coexist. When we make and keep the Kingdom of God at the center of our lives, God will meet all our needs. As Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (ESV). God takes care of His own, precious sister. We may not get what we want in this life, but we can trust that He will supply our every need. If you are struggling with anxiety as you are listening to this, I urge you to lay it at His feet today and ask for the strength to truly trust in Him. You are safe in His arms forever, sis. Remember that.

03: The Immediate Answer to the Prayer of Anxiety

The third takeaway I want to take a look at with you is found in verse 7, which says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (ESV). The takeaway at hand here is this: The immediate answer to the prayer of anxiety is peace!We may not be able to fully understand everything in this life and why certain things happen as they do, but we can peacefully experience them in Christ. Meaning, we do not have to understand everything in order to choose peace. Just like we can rejoice in all things, we can choose peace in all things because of Christ and Christ alone. Verse 8 tells us that our peace in Christ enables us to live Kingdom-minded, which results in purposeful action. Take a look at it with me real quick. It says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (ESV).May we choose the peace that is ours in Christ Jesus and pursue the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. All for the sake of Christ. Amen? 

04: The Secret of Life is Contentment in Christ

The fourth and final takeaway I want to share with you today is found in verse 11. “ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (ESV).My dear sister, the secret of life is contentment in Christ! Like Paul, we can face all circumstances with contentment because of the power of Christ in us. 

How to Cultivate Contentment

Contentment isn’t an emotion; it’s a learned behavior. Practicing contentment comes down to perspective. It’s choosing to acknowledge the call of Colossians 3 to seek and set our minds on the things that are above; to take off the old self and put on the new by embracing a relentless pursuit of Christ Jesus in all things, no matter what life throws our way, because He is the only One who can and ever will satisfy; because we are dead to sin and alive in Christ! It’s recognizing that we are safe in the arms of our Savior and, like I said earlier, that this world is but our temporary home. It’s rejoicing in what Christ has done for us and what He has made possible for us because of His sacrifice. 

Our Citizenship Rests in Heaven

As Philippians 3:20 tells us, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (ESV). My dear sister, let us live as the citizens of heaven that we are. As we await the return of King Jesus, let us cultivate a heart of contentment in Christ so that we can view this world and the life it offers us through His eyes. The Savior of the world is also our greatest Comforter. He is with us and for us every step of the way. Rest in Him. Rejoice in Him. Go in peace because of Him.

Thank You

Thank you so much for giving today’s episode on how to cultivate contentment in Christ a listen. I pray it challenged you to prioritize pursuing contentment in Christ, because He truly is the only One who satisfies and can gift our weary hearts with the very peace they so desperately long for as we journey our way through this lost and broken world.Next week, we are going to talk all things Advent! I’m so excited for this special season and look forward to enjoying a chit chat about just how special it is with you next Wednesday. Talk soon!

Did You Enjoy Today's Episode On Contentment in Christ?

Check out last week's episode on the dangers of a diluted gospel here!Want more? Be sure to check out our Daily Delight Devotionals here!