It's a Trap!

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (1Tim 6:9).

Long, long ago, in a land far, far away, a rebel leader suddenly realizes the evil empire has suckered his troops into an ambush. In “Return of the Jedi,” Admiral Ackbar quickly understands Darth Vader has played him for a fool and shouts the legendary line, “It’s a trap!” How did he not see this coming?!?

In another long, long ago, in a land far, far away, another leader sees the danger ahead of time. In a letter to a young pastor named Timothy, Paul carefully points out the hidden threat ahead. “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (v9). The lure of money is incredibly tempting. Getting rich sure seems worth the risk. But before you get bamboozled into taking the bait, listen to the apostle and Admiral Ackbar. “It’s a trap!”

This wasn’t just a good idea or a suggestion from a highly paid consultant. Paul and Timothy have personally witnessed the damage done by those consumed with a quick cash grab. It wasn’t that long ago that a team of spiritual snake oil salesmen weaseled their way into Ephesus Community Church. These hucksters distracted the followers of Jesus with a phony gospel filled with kooky myths, monotonous genealogies, religious flimflam, and downright demonic doctrine (1Tim 1:3-4; 4:2-3). As profitable prophets, they understood that there’s no business like God’s business (1Tim 6:5).

The apostle has already given the old heave-ho to a pair of these false teachers named Hymenaeus and Alexander and handed them over to Satan (1Tim 1:20). When the Lord had an assignment for Paul in Macedonia, he turns over the helm in Ephesus to his young protege Tim (1Tim 1:3). Continue the reforms, find new leaders with godly integrity (1Tim 3:1-13), keep the main thing of following Jesus the main thing (1Tim 3:15-16; 4:3-16), and institute Gospel style care of the elderly (1Tim 5:1-16).

Eventually it was greed that brought down the false teachers. They bought the lie that “godliness is a means of gain” (1Tim 6:5). They worshiped at the altar of More. They didn’t realize they had a terminal case of affluenza. They didn’t understand the secret of godly wealth is appreciating what you already have. Contentment in Christ is not only the vaccine but also the cure for the disease (1Tim 6:6-8).

For those who fail to get their affluenza shot, greed is their downfall. Paul describes them as “those who desire to be rich” (v9). The Greek word he uses translated “desire” is boulemenoi. It paints a picture of someone who doesn’t just have a vague desire to pad their portfolio. No, this is a person who intends on piling up cash and has put a plan in place. They don’t just think being rich is a great idea. They have a strategy. Spoiler alert! This isn’t going to end well. 

Our enemy loves to bait his trap with Benjamins. Don’t believe me? The apostle points out that those making plans to get rich quick will “fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (v9). Yeah, we’re not talking about doing something for kicks and giggles. This isn’t seeking thrills on a zip line, going sky diving, or hang gliding. Paul uses the word “fall” (Gr. empipto) which means to unexpectedly drop into a pit or suddenly experience disaster. When talking about what you should and shouldn’t do on your God ordained day off, Jesus said, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls (Gr. empipto) into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?” (Mt 12:10). If you’re wondering, that sheep didn’t intentionally swan dive into the trench. It never saw it coming. And when we fall under the temptation of money, we won’t either. 

If the fall isn’t bad enough, the landing area is worse. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Check out Paul’s not-so-subtle description of your destination. Temptation. Snare. Senseless and harmful desires. Ruin. Destruction. Doesn’t sound like a day at the Magic Kingdom, does it? While we could take an in-depth look at each of these terms, let’s take a closer examination at one. “Snare” is the Greek noun pagis. We’re not talking about a piece of Ringo’s drum kit. This describes any kind trap, net, noose, or pit.  It’s concealed danger. Something that catches fast and holds tight. A booby trap. A hidden mine. A roadside I.E.D. A bear trap slamming shut on your ankle. The empire’s tie-fighters have locked onto your spaceship. Can you hear Admiral Ackbar? “It’s a trap!”

But instead of blowing you out of the solar system, the result of this ambush is something else entirely. When we take the money bait, it will “plunge people into ruin and destruction” (v9). The enemy isn’t taking prisoners. It’s taking them down. All the way down. The word the ESV translates as “plunge” is buthizo, which paints a terrifying picture of being thrust down under the surface and dragged down to the bottom. When Jesus joined a commercial fishing crew, they miraculously hauled so many fish onto their boat that “they began to sink. (Gr buthizo)” (Lk 5:7). But the deadliest catch is in fact the lure of money. It will drag you to the sea floor of your own sin.

I’m not saying Paul would have sniffed out the empire’s ambush ahead of time. But he certainly sees the booby trap of greed before anyone else. Listen to the apostle. Listen to the admiral. “It’s a trap!”

Getting an Affluenza Shot

“For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (1Tim 6:7-8).

There’s a nasty bug going around. This crud is highly contagious. I’m not talking about West Nile virus. This isn’t Zika. And it’s not the bird flu. No, as a matter of fact, it’s not a new illness. It’s been taking people down for several thousand years and there’s no sign of it slowing down. It’s affluenza. Scientists define it as “a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.”

There’s a recent case that’s making headlines. A Texas teenager named Ethan Couch is using affluenza as his defense for driving drunk and killing four people. Whether that defense will hold up in court is something else altogether. Couch’s attorney attempted to link his reckless behavior with his parents’ affluent lifestyle. One of the symptoms of affluenza is your belief that you can outspend your sin and stupidity. 

As we mentioned before, this illness is nothing new. A wicked strain of it ran rampant through the church in Ephesus. The Apostle Paul and his young sidekick Timothy faced the outbreak head-on. Paul not only understood the dangers of this highly contagious disease but also that it is easily preventable. He writes to Pastor Tim and reminds him the very simple treatment for affluenza to keep it from spreading. “For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (v7-8). The key to containment of greed contentment in Christ. It’s a guaranteed affluenza vaccine. 

So just how did this Ephesian epidemic get started? The source of the infection was a team of spiritual hucksters who peddled a false gospel of goofball religion, conspiracy theories, and legalistic self-salvation (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-3). These false teachers were incredibly cocky and loved nothing better than to distract folks from following Jesus with all sorts of endless arguments and debates over things that really didn’t matter (1Tim 6:3-4). They quickly figured out that there’s no business like God’s business when it comes to turning a fast buck from unsuspecting suckers (1Tim 6:5). 

I would LOVE to tell you the carriers of this crud are no longer around. But I can’t. As long as church doors are open, there are going to be greedy charlatans looking to put the squeeze on believers. I fully realize I’m treading on tender turf when it comes to this topic. The so-called “prosperity gospel” is what happens when affluenza infects the followers of Jesus. The only people to prosper are the preachers and peddlers of this garbage. The sell a false message that turns our great Giving God into a supernatural vending machine that must deliver each time punch His buttons. Yeah, it doesn’t work that way.

Now before we limit the blame of this illness to a small sample size, we’re all carriers of affluenza. You. Me. Us. Them. All of us. If we trace the spread of the contagion, we’ll see that our first parents, Adam and Eve, are actually Patients Zero in this pandemic. God places them in paradise and tells them enjoy His entire creation (Gen 2:16). Go for it. There’s only one restriction. See that tree over there? Yeah, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Don’t eat any fruit from it. It’s fatal (Gen 2:17). That’s when a satanic snake convinced Adam and Eve that God was actually holding out on them (Gen 3:1-5). Suddenly they weren’t content with God’s overwhelming goodness. They ate. Sin takes the stage. Affluenza begins to spread. But don’t miss the announcement of the ultimate Cure that on its way. Or should I say His way. One is coming to heal us all (Gen 3:15)!

Meanwhile back in Paul’s letter to Tim, the apostle reminds the young preacher how “we brought nothing into the world” (v7). I’m not sure how many of you had the blessing of being in the delivery room for the birth of your children (I do realize that when it comes to moms, the answer is 100%!), but I don’t remember seeing any luggage carousels. We don’t roll into this world as newborns with any checked or carry-on baggage. We don’t even have anything in our pockets…since we don’t have any pockets!!!

At this point, Paul fast forwards from the maternity ward to funeral home. Just as we arrive into this world without a single possession, we leave empty-handed as well. “We cannot take anything out of the world” (v7). My hearse won’t have a trailer hitch. My coffin won’t be pulling a U-Haul trailer. Oh, it’s not like we don’t try. We just can’t. God won’t let us. 

This idea of “naked in/naked out” is a mega-theme throughout the Bible. When Satan sideswiped God’s servant Job (at God’s invitation, mind you!), the man from Uz STILL worshiped the LORD. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed by the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). One of the songwriters of the OT wrote a similar lyric. “For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him” (Ps 49:17). Solomon is the wisest and wealthiest dude who ever walked the earth. Despite a portfolio that would make Bill Gates blush, this king new his treasure was temporary. “As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand” (Ecc 5:15). 

Paul reminds us that we simply need to find satisfaction in the necessities of life. “But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (v8). Do I have enough to eat? Do I have water to drink? Do I have clothes to wear? Do I have a place to sleep? Has God given me the basic necessities of food, water, clothing, and shelter? It all comes down to wants and needs. Am I obsessed over getting everything I want? Or am I grateful to have all that I need? That’s the key to kicking affluenza.

When we have appreciate having everything we need, we’ll be “content” (v8). The apostle drops a Greek word here (Gr. arkeo) which means to have enough, satisfied, or be sufficiently supplied. It’s from a root word (Gr. airow) which means raising up a barrier to establish a defense. Contentment builds a wall against want. The key to containing greed is contentment in Christ. 

Check out some of the other uses of arkeo in the NT. John the Dunker encouraged Roman soldiers to stop putting the squeeze on civilians by running protection rackets. Instead, “be content (Gr. arkeo) with your wages” (Lk 3:14). In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, Paul tells how he has pleaded with Jesus to remove a painful thorn in the flesh. Instead of pulling it out, Christ left it in and told the apostle He did it in order make sure the former Pharisee would only rely on God’s goodness. “My grace is sufficient (Gr. arkeo) for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2Cor 12:9). The writer of Hebrews tells us to not get sucked into an obsession with money but “be content (Gr. arkeo) with what you have,” remembering God is your ultimate treasure and will ALWAYS be with you (Heb 13:5)!

The key to containment of greed in contentment in Christ.

Scripture is absolutely jam-packed with finding our satisfaction in our Savior. Jesus made this a major point in His most famous message. “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will wear, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing” (Mt 6:25). The Rabbi/Carpenter reminded the crowds that God feeds the birds. Aren’t you more important to him than they are? Check out the flowers. They are gorgeous, but they’ll be gone in a few days. Stop freaking out. God will make sure you have something to wear. There’s absolutely no reason to wig out when it comes to your what you eat or your wardrobe. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Mt 6:33).

We all might want to take a lesson from a guy named Agur son Jakeh. Late in the Book of Proverbs, he shares his two-pronged prayer which was the key to his contentment. “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God” (Prov 30:8-9). Don’t give me too much. Don’t give me too little. Give me just what I need, God. Do you have the guts to pray that prayer? Yeah, I’m not sure I do either. I pray one day that I will.

Affluenza still threatens every church and every follower of Jesus. But there’s one sure fire cure. Satisfaction in our Savior. Contentment in Christ is the key to containment of greed. It’s the ultimate affluenza vaccine.

There's No Business Like God's Business

“imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1Tim 6:5-6)

I’ll never forget the sign hanging along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. The Stairway to Heaven Gift Shop. Yeah, you read that right. On the same street where Jesus carried His cross stood a slimy souvenir stand selling tacky t-shirts that said things like “I Got Stoned in the Gaza Strip.” That’s when our guide David uttered words I would never forget. “There’s no business like God’s business.” Ain’t THAT the very sad truth!

Well, the idea of leveraging people’s faith to make a fast buck is nothing new. Paul and Timothy faced same kind of sleaze back in first century Ephesus. A posse of greedy hucksters had weaseled their way into the church and sold a boatload of spiritual snake oil to the followers of Jesus. They peddled a phony gospel in order to cash in big time. The apostle tells the young pastor how these false teachers were “imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain” (v5-6). In other words, we don’t use God to get what we want. God IS Who we want!

Don’t think could ever go down at your church? Think again, bruh. Ephesus Community Church was the model for congregations all around the Mediterranean Rim back in the day. Paul planted the church during his third big road trip (Acts 19). He told folks in the big port city that the resurrection Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth is not only the Jewish Messiah but He had thrown the doors open to God’s kingdom to anyone who turns to Him. 

The grace of God turns the town upside down during Paul’s time there. Over the next three years, all sorts of crazy stuff starts happening. Lots of folks place their faith in Jesus. Paul’s handkerchief heals the sick. Demons kick the crap out of seven dudes who think they’ve got the juice to pull off an exorcism. People who used to practice witchcraft burn their black magic books in a massive bonfire. As folks trust in Christ, they stop patronizing the local Greek temple. That freaks out the chamber of commerce and starts a riot. You can read it for yourself in Acts 19.

The Lord used the Ephesian church to not only transform this huge center of trade in what we now know as western Turkey, but to take the Good News all throughout the Greco-Roman world. While no church is perfect, this was seemed pretty close at the time. Paul wrote a letter to believers there from prison. The former Pharisee goes on to write not one, but two notes to his protege Timothy who was the pastor there. The resurrected Jesus told His best friend John to write one of his seven letters in Revelation to His followers there (Rev 2:1-7). And there’s plenty of historical evidence that this same John led the church in Ephesus near the end of his life. 

We know more about the Ephesian church than any other congregation in the New Testament. This church was big time. It probably hosted conferences. Think North Point. Imagine Lifechurch. Picture Newspring. But despite all that success, it all came crashing down thanks to a group of religious grifters who snookered suckers while Paul was in prison. Still don’t think it could happen in your church?

False teachers had fooled themselves into “imagining that godliness is a means of gain” (v5). And why not? That was certainly the successful business model back at the temple in Jerusalem. Religious leaders were making some serious cheddar by running a racket of selling only the officially licensed sacrifices to worshipers. Just like the gift shop in Jerusalem, there’s no business like God’s business. It ticked off Jesus so much that He cleaned house not once, but twice (Mt 21:12-13; Jn 2:13-17). Stop using God to get what you want. God IS Who you want!

Here in these verses, Paul twice uses a Greek word that we translate as “godliness.” Eusebeia refers to reverence toward God, devotion to the Lord, or the appropriate application of your belief and practice of your faith in general. NT authors drop the term when talking about living a godly lifestyle. It’s actually a compound word that literally means “good (eu-) worship (-sebia).” You find it used 15 times in the entire Bible and eight of those are here in 1 Timothy. Good worship is a mega-theme of this letter. 

The spiritual scammers in Ephesus saw good worship as a good way to make a good buck. It was a “means of gain” (v5). It’s right about here where we could go on a long rant about the preachers of the so-called Prosperity Gospel. They pitch a particularly appealing message of health, wealth, and happiness. According to them, God wants you to dress in designer clothes, live in a big house, drive a nice car, and wear a Rolex. If you name it and claim it, God will give it. Sounds pretty sweet, don’t you think? 

There’s just one little problem with all that. It’s called the Bible. While God certainly loves you more than you could ever imagine, He’s certainly not a uber-wealthy sugar daddy. He’s not a genie in a bottle waiting to grant your three wishes. He’s no metaphysical vending machine loaded with all your favorites. I wonder if Paul simply failed to have enough faith when he was floating around in the ocean after a shipwreck or getting the crap kicked out of him by his enemies (2Cor 11:23-29). 

According to Paul, the key to receiving God’s blessings is something else altogether. “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (v6). In other words, the cheat code is actually finding satisfaction in Jesus Himself. The term here is autarkeia, which means fulfillment, possessing the necessities of life, or not lacking anything. Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones are right. You can’t get no…satisfaction. Not without Jesus anyway. 

As Paul writes to the Corinthian church, God drenches us the tsunami of His grace. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency (Gr. autarkeia) in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2Cor 9:8). According to John MacArthur, ancient philosophers used this Greek word to word when talking about someone who was absolutely unflappable by external circumstances. Similarly, the followers of Jesus are to be unmoved by their situation after finding contentment in the One who is the ultimate source of satisfaction. Our fulfillment is in the Fulfiller. Or as the apostle has been known to say, “Our sufficiency is from God” (2Cor 3:5).

If anyone knows this, it’s the man from Tarsus. Despite being behind bars in Rome, Paul tells his Philippian friends he’s unlocked the secret of satisfaction. “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:11-13). 

Did you catch that? The apostle’s whole point of writing about the strength of Jesus has nothing to do with converting fourth and goal or knocking down a buzzer beater for the win. I’m not saying you shouldn’t write “Philippians 4:13” on your eyeblack or on a coffee mug. But it’s a good idea of remembering Paul is talking about how Christ gives you and me the strength of being satisfied in Him alone. Remember, we don’t use God to get what we want. God IS Who we want!

All throughout His Word, God wants us to want Him. Stop worshiping His gifts and start worshiping the Giver. King David loved writing songs about finding satisfaction in His Savior. “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup” (Ps 16:5). Another psalmist named Asaph sums up how only God alone fills the void in his soul. “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps 74:25-26). When His friends throw Jesus a house party in Bethany, one of the hosts named Martha blows her stack when her sister Mary just sits there with Christ and won’t help her. The Son of God tells Martha, “One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion and it will not be taken away from her” (Lk 10:42). Mary figured out that God is Who she wants.

Just like the false teachers of Ephesus, there are plenty of folks up to the same old scheme 2,000 years later. Using people in order to love money instead of using money to love people. Christ told His crew not to fall into the trap of serving both God and money (Mt 6:24). Can’t be done. Paul orders Titus to shut down religious hucksters on the island of Crete who “are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach” (Titus 1:11). The apostle Jesus called Rocky also saw false prophets who were out to make a profit “in their greed they will exploit you with false words” (2Pet 2:3). The bottom line about the bottom line? We don’t use people to love money. We use money to love people.

It’s incredibly easy to shift from enjoying the gracious Giver to simply enjoying His gifts. There’s nothing inherently evil about money. It can be a blessing used to bless others. It can also be false god to be worshiped. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to ruthlessly eliminate greed and find satisfaction in what we have. “Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Heb 13:5). Your money will leave. Jesus never will. 

Andy Stanley wants the followers of Jesus to learn to be rich. NOT get rich. BE rich. God has blessed most of us with more than the rest of the world could ever imagine. But more than that, we’re mega-gazillionaires when it comes to eternity. As followers of Jesus, we already have everything we’ll every need. We don’t use God to get what we want. God IS Who we want!

I Can't Get No Satisfaction...without Jesus

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Ah, the legendary Philippians 4:13. It’s kind of the Troy McClure of Bible verses. You probably remember it from such familiar places as football player’s eye black, coffee mugs, t-shirts, bumper stickers, and post game interviews. It’s your life verse, isn’t it? Come on, admit it. I’ll come clean, it was mine for years. (Which brings us to the idea of a “life verse.” What in the wide world of sports is a “life verse” anyhoo?)

There’s just one teeny weeny theological problem with all the press this verse has gotten over the years. Paul is NOT talking about Jesus giving you the power to score that game-winning TD in the fourth quarter. It has nothing to do with God stoking you with the ability to close that big deal with the sweet commission. How ‘bout claiming that verse to find that hunky husband you’ve dreamed about? Not so much. 

Meghan Trainor may be all about that bass, but understanding Scripture is all about context. Flip open Philippians to chapter four. If you’re a chronic Bible highlighter like me, verse 13 jumps off the page thanks to a rainbow of colors, underlining, stars, and exclamation points. Now throw it reverse and back up to verse 11. Let’s take a scriptural running start at the passage. When we start reading there, it becomes pretty stinking obvious what our man Paul is talking about. Contentment in Christ in any situation. Satisfaction in our Savior no matter the circumstance. Seriously, if it meant God giving him powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men in order to bust out of prison, wouldn’t the apostle have done that already? It’s like Pete Briscoe frequently says. “A text without context is a pretext for a prooftext.” 

Paul tells his friends back in Philippi that he’s uncovered a huge secret to life (Phil 4:11-12). And it’s allowed him to be an ATV of contentment. He’s satisfied wherever he rolls. When he doesn’t have two shekels to rub together. When he’s rolling in the Benjamins. It just doesn’t matter. He’s good. He’s got everything he needs. You can imagine this important bit of information has come in handy since he’s been in the slammer for the past five years. 

It’s at this point Paul scribbles those legendary words. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (v13). A closer look at the original language provides a little better understanding of what’s going on here. First of all, he writes that he “can do all things” (v13). The apostle uses the Greek verb ischuo, which means to be able, have resources, or be strong. When John Mark tells the story about Jesus meeting the wild man living in the cemetery, he says, “No one had the strength (Gr. ischuo) to subdue him” (Mk 5:4). When the Gospel turns Ephesus upside down, Dr. Luke describes how “the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevailed mightily (Gr. ischuo)” (Acts 19:20). We’re not talking about barely eking out enough energy and barely pulling it off. This is no 95-pound weakling here. This is serious muscle. It’s beefy. It’s brawny. It’s ripped. It’s yoked. 

The apostle pulls back the curtain on the source of his strength. Is he drinking Muscle Milk? Maybe the key is creatine. Has Barry Bonds’ trainer slipped him either the clear or the cream? None of the above. He’s able to do this “through Him who strengthens me” (v13). If you have any doubt about the Person behind the pronoun “Him,” he’s talking about the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth. In several of his letters, Paul says he would test positive for Jesus, not PEDs. “I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord” (1Tim 1:12). Jesus gives us supernatural “power through His Spirit in your inner being” (Eph 3:16). And here’s the crazy part. The gift of His strength does its best work when we’re at our weakest (2Cor 12:9). 

Because of Jesus and our faith in who He is and what He’s done, we are able to take on any and all situations. Paul says it’s because He “strengthens me” (v13). The Greek verb here is endunamo’o. It’s a compound word that literally means to give someone or something else the ability to do something that couldn’t otherwise be done. To empower. To enable. To provide strength. Every single time it’s used in the New Testament, God is the One providing the power (Acts 9:22; Rom 4:20; Eph 6:10; 1Tim 1:12; 2Tim 2:1; 2Tim 4:17; Heb 11:34). Think of it this way. Jesus is our Enabler. No, He’s not that person in your life who sets you up to self-destruction. Just the opposite. He’s the Enabler who gives you and me the victory over our sinful habits and addictions. One Greek expert translates this verse, “I am able to face all conditions by the One who makes me able (to do it)” (v13). Our Lord is our Enabler. In a very good way.

For fifty years, the Rolling Stones have told everybody who would listen that they can’t get no satisfaction. It doesn’t matter how hard they try and they try and they try and they try. Maybe they should have checked with the Apostle Paul. He’s clearly found the one thing Mick Jagger and the boys have been looking for. Contentment that’s not restricted by any zip code, time of day, or economic situation. The man from Tarsus can’t get no satisfaction…without Jesus. Sorry about the not-so-subtle Jesus Juke, but that’s EXACTLY what Paul wants the world to know. Check out the verse over in the Message. “Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am” (v13 The Message).

So instead of being some sort of being the Christian equivalent of rubbing the bottle of the Bible so Jesus the genie will pop out, Philippians 4:13 describes how we can stand strong against the storms of life in Christ. Jesus Himself talks about how our obedience to what He commands make us like a house built for a hurricane (Mt 7:24-27). We find our satisfaction in our Savior because HE IS THE BLESSING! It doesn’t get any better than getting God. That idea is all throughout the Bible (Ps 16:5; 73:26; Lam 3:24; Lk 10:42). With Him, I have everything. Without Him, I’ve got nothing. So take it from Paul. He can’t get no satisfaction…without Jesus. 

License to Chill

“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (Philippians 4:12).

James Bond is always trying to get his hands on highly classified files. Jason Bourne is on a one-man mission to find out the mystery of his own identity. Ethan Hunt has accepted the impossible mission of stealing confidential intel from America’s enemies. A secret formula. Launch codes. Blueprints to a covert superweapon. The clock is ticking as these secret agents seek to save the world.

But these covert operatives have nothing on Paul. Forget the Man from U.N.C.L.E. Meet the man from Tarsus. From his prison cell in Caesar’s Supermax, the apostle tells his friends back in Philippi that he’s has the secret they’ve all been looking for. “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (v12). Forget the microfiche. It’s not on a hard drive. The file isn’t stamped “for your eyes only.” But he’s discovered top secret information that can save every person on the planet.

Like so many spies, Paul finds himself behind bars. You see, once he started spreading the previously classified data about Jesus of Nazareth to everyone who would listen, folks in power tried to shut him up and shut him down. Who he knows and what he knows makes Julian Assange and WikiLeaks look like passing notes in study hall. He’s spent about five years in the slammer waiting to have his appeal heard by Caesar himself. The funny thing is that God has used the apostle’s hard time to share the Good News of the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter with every corrections officer working in the prison (Phil 1:12-13). As long as he has access to people, Paul is stoked to tell them all about Christ and His amazing grace. 

You may be thinking to yourself that this comparison to covert ops and a first century missionary blown WAY out of proportion. Well, you’re going to have to take that up with Paul. Here in this letter to the Philippian church, he writes about how he’s “learned the secret” (v12). This is actually one itty bitty Greek word (Gr. mueo). It means to learn hidden information through personal experience. The verb actually comes from the same root as musterion that means something hidden or secret. The apostle wants his fellow believers back in Macedonia to know he’s unwrapped the mystery. He now has this critical top secret in his possession. 

This intel is huge. What Paul has isn’t simply a combination to a specific lock to a specific safe. It can be used anytime and anywhere to unlock any situation. “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (v12). Look at the scope of what the apostle’s found out. It works when he’s in poverty. It works when he’s got more than he can ever use. No matter where you are. No matter what you face. No matter when it is. Whether you have unlimited resources. Whether all you have less than MacGyver’s patented paper clip and chewing gum. Now THAT’S a powerful secret!!

So just what is this highly classified information? Is it some computer code or algorithm that allows you to hack past the firewalls at the NSA? Believe it or not, it’s better than that. The apostle has uncovered the mystery of contentment in Christ. In the previous verse, he made it clear, “For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Phil 4:11). When we find our total satisfaction in our Savior, we can face anything this jacked up and broken world throws our way. And when I say anything, I’m taking Paul at his word. “In any and every circumstance” (v12). That includes downsizing at work. Bankruptcy. Car accident. Loss of a spouse. Even the death of a child. I’m not saying any one of these is not gut-wrenching and heartbreaking. But we don’t have to walk through Death Valley by ourselves because Christ is right there with us (Ps 23:4).

That all sounds nice for Paul but what does he really know about hard times? Oh, I’m SO very glad you asked. First of all, remember that he’s currently writing this letter in lock up. In another correspondence with the church over in Corinth, he gives a long list of what he’s faced (2Cor 11:23-28). Prison. Beatings. Near death experiences. Five floggings. Three canings. Nearly stoned to death. Three shipwrecks. Lost at sea. Do I need to go on? I didn’t think so. And no matter what the situation or circumstance, the apostle had the key to facing it all. Jesus. Nobody could take Him away. Nothing could pry him out of His Savior’s hands. Because of Christ, he could handle anything. Agent 007 may have a license to kill. Paul has a license to chill.

Do you see why this is such critical information to get out to the world? By placing our trust in who Jesus is, what He’s done, and what He’s going to do, we can stand strong and satisfied when the world tosses everything including kitchen sink our way. Let’s face it. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31). There’s absolutely nothing that can keep God’s love from us (Rom 8:37-39). If you’re scoring along at home, that includes death, life, angels, rulers, present circumstances, or future situations. Without Him, we don’t stand a snow ball’s chance. With Him, victory is assured. 

Again, this doesn’t mean life is going to be an endless series of rainbows, unicorns, and butterflies. We live in a broken world. And we’re the ones who broke it. There’s pain all around. There’s suffering around every corner. Disease and death will continue to be all too familiar. But we have the very same secret Paul discovered. We now have access to highly classified information. And now it’s time to share it with the entire world. 

The Ultimate ATV of Contentment

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

Certain vehicles are made for specific situations. A formula one racer rips through the streets of Monaco. Tanks are beasts on the battlefield. The minivan is king of the carpool lane. But there are some vehicles like SUVs and ATVs that are at home no matter where they are. They’re designed to tackle any terrain. 

Human beings are similar. Some folks do very well in specific situations. You may know folks who love living in the lap of luxury (and who wouldn’t?!?). There are others who are right at home with only the most basic of necessities. But there are those special people that thrive no matter what’s in their checking account or 401k.  No matter if they’re living in the ‘burbs or the projects. Whether they’re dining at fine restaurant or hitting the drive-thru. 

Our man Paul is one of those who can not only handle any circumstance life throws his way. “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (v11). You might think that’s easy for some super spiritual preacher man to say. Hey dude, take a spin in my life for a day and see how you like it! Before we throw the apostle under the bus, let’s pump our brakes and take a peak in the rearview mirror for a look at just exactly the life he lived for the Lord. Paul writes this little ditty from prison in Rome. His passion for telling people the awesome news of Jesus got him thrown behind bars about five years before we pick up the action here in this letter. 

He’s not exactly writing to his friends back in Philippi while enjoying a relaxing weekend at the Cove. He’s in the slammer. But because of Jesus, he’s got a supernatural joy in the joint. His relationship with the resurrected Messiah from Nazareth has given him the strength to handle whatever our jacked up world throws his way. Whatever the conditions, whatever the situation, whatever the environment, finds his total satisfaction in Christ. Paul is the ultimate ATV of contentment. He’s satisfied wherever he rolls.

Interestingly, the man from Tarsus is in the middle of writing a thank you note to the Philippian church. They’ve never stopped putting the apostle at the top of their prayer list and waiting to pounce on the opportunity to do something practical for their founding pastor (Phil 1:19; 4:10). They’ve been his teammates in spreading the Good News since the day he met them (Phil 1:5). They’ve been swimming in the deep end of God’s grace pool with him despite being locked up in Caesar’s Supermax (Phil 1:6). A while back, the folks in Philippi sent some cat named Epaphroditus with a care package for their friend in the big house (Phil 2:25). The dude got sick and nearly died (Phil 2:26-30)! Yeah, I think a quick note of thanks is probably in order.

While Paul is incredibly grateful for the practical outpouring of love and support, he wants his readers to know Jesus gives him everything thing he really needs to handle any situation. “Not that I am speaking of being in need” (v11). When the translators of the ESV give us the phrase “being in need,” the original Greek has just one word:  husterisis. It means poverty or lacking in basic essentials. The term literally describes falling short of the leader in a race, being left way behind, or late to the finish line. 

This word only appears one other time in the entire New Testament. Back when Jesus pointed out to His posse a particular woman at the temple who had come to worship. All the rich and famous walked the red carpet for the photo opp of dropping off their offering. Kinda like how you see those goofy ceremonies where someone gets handed the giant check for winning a golf tournament or donating to a telethon. Do they actually sign the back of that massive piece cardboard and cash it at the bank? If so, how do they get it through the drive-thru window? But I digress. In the background of all that look-at-me craziness of the temple offering, Jesus wants His disciples to see a nondescript widow giving God a handful of change. “For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty (Gr. husterisis) has put in everything she had, all she had to live on” (Mk 12:44). She may have fallen behind in the rat race of society, but this woman’s sacrifice has blown away anything brought by the filthy rich (Mk 12:43).   

The apostle wants his readers to know he might be in the pen but he’s not in poverty. “For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (v11). When he says he’s “learned,” Paul drops a word here (Gr. manthano) that means to be taught through practice, discover by experience, or apply what you’ve come to understand. So just what has God brought him through to give him the ability to navigate any terrain like human humvee of contentment? Over in one of his letters to the Corinthian church, he goes into some detail of all potholes he’s faced as he’s told the world about Jesus (2Cor 11:23-29). Prison. Beatings. Near death experiences. Scourged with a cat-o-nine tails five times…if you’re counting (and I WOULD be counting!). Whacked by rods three times. Stoned (with rocks not weed). Shipwrecked not once, not twice, but THREE times. Lost at sea. Constantly in danger. Often without sleep, food, or water. Cold. Homeless. Paul learned to be content in Christ in the school of hard knocks. Because of all that Jesus has done for him, he’s an SUV of satisfaction. He just keeps rolling no matter the road conditions. As a matter of fact, he keeps rolling even when there is NO road!

The author goes out of his way to tell the Philippian church that he’s “content” (v11). When he does, he uses a Greek term (Gr. autarkes) which only shows up once in the Bible. He’s talking about a happy state of mind with what you have. Being satisfied in your circumstances. Having enough. It literally means being self-sufficient. Ancient writers outside the Bible used this word to describe a nation that supplied itself and was independent of importing goods and services. It’s not that Paul didn’t want help. He had a deep appreciation for everything his friends had sacrificed to show them their love and concern. He wants them to know that because of who Jesus is, what He’s done, and what He’s going to do, he’s good to go. 

Life may be a highway, but road conditions are too often smooth and straight. Work zones. Ruts. Rain. Snow. Ice. Debris. If that’s not bad enough, we get t-boned by stuff like death, divorce, diagnosis, and downsizing. There’s only one thing that can handle that kind of terrain. Or I should say one PERSON. That’s the Son of God. Faith in Him allows us to travel the rocky road ahead. He doesn’t magically transport me to some super spiritual superhighway. The way is still impossible and impassible. I can’t do it alone. But with Him I can. As Paul tells his boy Tim, “Godliness with contentment (Gr. autarkeia) is great gain” (1Tim 6:6). The road conditions may be awful but we actually make GREAT time because of our relationship with God.

Here in Philippians 4:11, the apostle gives us the 411 of satisfaction in Jesus. Paul is the ultimate ATV of contentment. He’s satisfied wherever he rolls.