Session 7: The Secret of Contentment

7.1 A Renewed Partnership and a Learned Secret

In his final section, Paul finally gets around to saying “thank you” for the financial gift the Philippians had sent him. But he’s very careful about how he says it. He’s overjoyed, not primarily because of the money, but because their gift showed that their “thought for me” had “revived”. It was proof of their active partnership and care. This brings the theme of koinonia from chapter 1 full circle, beautifully bookending the letter.

This thank-you note becomes the setup for Paul to share one of the most profound lessons of his life. He wants to make it clear that his joy isn’t dependent on their gift. “Not that I speak in respect to lack,” he clarifies, “for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it”.

I love that he says he “learned” to be content. It wasn’t a personality trait he was born with. It was a spiritual discipline he acquired in the school of God’s providence, with a curriculum that included both feasts and famines. The song’s opening verse captures this perfectly: “I’ve known the feast when wine is poured... I’ve known the ache of wanting more.” Paul has been through it all, and he says, “I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need”. His inner stability wasn’t tied to his outer circumstances.

7.2 The Source of Contentment: Christ’s Strength

And now, he reveals the secret. This brings us to one of the most beloved, and most frequently butchered, verses in the entire Bible: “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me”.

To get this verse right, we have to read it in context. This isn’t a blank check from God to help you win the Super Bowl or slam-dunk a basketball. The “all things” Paul can do are the “all things” he just listed in verse 12: being humbled and abounding, being hungry and being full. The verse isn’t a promise of unlimited personal achievement; it’s a promise of unlimited endurance. The real meaning is something like, “I have the Christ-given strength to remain joyful and faithful whether I have everything or nothing at all.” This transforms the verse from a slogan for self-empowerment into a profound declaration of Christ-sufficiency. The secret to contentment isn’t what you have in the bank; it’s Who you have in your heart. As the song’s chorus puts it, “The secret isn’t what I have, but trusting what He said.”

7.3 The Beauty of Giving and Receiving

Even though he doesn’t need their gift to be content, Paul doesn’t dismiss it. He celebrates it. “However you did well,” he says, “that you shared in my affliction”. He reminds them that they were the only church that supported him financially when he first started out.

Then he re-frames their gift in a beautiful way. He’s not primarily excited about what the gift does for him; he’s excited about what it does for them. He seeks “the fruit that increases to your account”. Their generosity is a spiritual investment that is storing up eternal dividends for them in heaven. He even describes their gift as an act of worship, a “sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God”.

And because they have sacrificially met his need, Paul makes a staggering promise: “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. Their generosity toward Paul unlocks God’s generous provision for them, drawn from the inexhaustible bank account of heaven.

7.4 Final Greetings and Benediction

The letter closes with a final burst of praise and some personal greetings. And then there’s one last little detail that I just love. He passes on greetings from “all the saints... especially those who are of Caesar’s household”. It’s a quiet confirmation of his report back in chapter 1. The good news of King Jesus really had invaded the very heart of the Roman empire. From a prison cell, Paul had launched an invasion of love that was changing the world from the inside out.

His final words are a blessing that sums up the whole letter: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all”. It’s this grace that makes partnership possible, fuels joy in suffering, models humility, empowers us to shine as lights, gives us a righteousness that isn’t our own, and teaches us the secret of unshakable contentment. It all flows from the amazing grace of Jesus.

Reflection & Discussion

• Paul says he learned to be content in both abundance and in need. Which is a bigger test for your contentment right now: having too much or having too little?
• We often treat Philippians 4:13 as a promise for worldly success. How does its true meaning—Christ’s strength to endure any circumstance—change how you view a specific challenge you are facing?
• Paul calls the Philippians’ gift “fruit that increases to your account”. Think of one opportunity to be generous this week. How can you intentionally view that act not as a loss, but as an act of worship and a spiritual investment?

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