Contentment

I was speaking to a Ugandan friend of mine last week and she was telling me that some of her friends think her husband is rich because he is always happy. She told what I already knew, that they are not rich but went onto explain that her husband was a very content man – whether they have enough food to eat or not, he is happy. They are a lovely Christian couple but they struggle the same as their fellow Ugandans with living in poverty. It challenged me because really in the greater scheme of things, what I consider to be a hardship is nothing compared to living in a house made of mud with no electricity and having to walk to fetch water each day.

Though my friends are not rich in financial terms they have discovered one of the greatest treasures, ‘contentment’. They love God and they trust in him to provide. This trust is not some wavering hope but a genuine trust in their God who does and will provide for them. For me, all I could think when she told me of her content husband was he was indeed a very rich man! He has a treasure that no one can take from him, a personal knowledge of God’s intimate love for him and an amazing reassurance that God knows him and what he needs and will provide.

On the mission field God knows that often many of us are living outside our comfort zones. He knows that many of us experience hardship, perhaps not always financially but there is a personal cost. For each of us it is different but the cost is there. Last week I reflected on ‘No Easy Ride’ and expressed that it’s okay for life not to be easy. I stand by that but I want to add-on that actually, even when life is not easy we can still be content. We can have that inner joy and contentment that only God can give.

So this week whether your missionary road is rough or smooth, whether you are climbing a steep hill or enjoying a leisurely stroll, learn the secret of contentment,

‘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 living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.’ Philippians 4:12-13

But also remember what Paul says next, ’Yet, it was good of you to share in my troubles’ (v14). As a counsellor I find this verse encouraging. Paul says he is indeed content but he also appreciates others sharing in his trouble. In this context Paul is referring to the gifts of money that the Philippians gave him, to assist him in his troubles. I think we can also read ‘sharing in my troubles’ to mean that it is okay to acknowledge our troubles and have others assist us not just financially but in the provision of emotional and psychological support. As Christians we can be genuinely content but still struggle and suffer. I’m thinking particularly of mission workers who perhaps struggle with depression. I want to say that to be depressed doesn’t mean you are not trusting in God or even that you don’t feel content, although seemingly contradictory to some, it is possible to be a depressed committed Christian.

So take courage and ‘share your troubles’ even as you trust in him who gives you strength. Talking about your troubles really can be very therapeutic – acknowledging feelings and exploring possible coping strategies, means you’re taking positive steps forward, rather than just hoping you’ll feel better tomorrow.