Contentment is one of those things we always seem to be chasing, like attorneys chasing ambulances, except the attorneys apparently catch the ambulances!

Philippians 4:11 “… I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

Contentment doesn’t come “naturally” or “automatically” to the Christian. Even the great apostle Paul had to learn contentment.

What comes “naturally” or “automatically” are things like griping, muttering, complaining, and grumbling, all children of the parents known as “Never Enough” and “I Deserve Better.”

You know these folks well. They live in your house if you have kids. They also live in your house if you live there!

Many of you ladies got to hear Debbie H. at the Mother’s Day luncheon. As Mindy and I caught up with Debbie, I was struck at how much contentment Debbie had learned since we were with her family last summer!

They moved to Tennessee almost two years ago. She left behind some of the best friends she may ever have, a church that admired and loved her, schools that were blessed by her gifts and heart, and a community where people looked up to her and her family. All that was left behind, 2,000 miles behind.

You have heard me talk about “only God can meet your deepest needs.” In the normal flow of life that can sound fuzzy. “How do I do that? How does God meet my needs?” How do we learn contentment? Paul gives us a clue in the next verse.

Philippians 4:12 “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.”

Here’s the point: We’ll never really know God is all we need until He’s all we’ve got.

Paul learned contentment, that God was really sufficient for him, when he was at the end of his rope.

He also learned contentment when he “had it all,” all the world had to offer. Either way, whether stripped, or in the lap of luxury it’s still not enough. We need God.

When you find those “old guys” known as “Complaint” or “Down in the Mouth” hovering around your doorstep, just know that in your heart of hearts, you’re hoping that what the world has to offer will be enough. It can’t be, at least for very long.