Satisfied With What I Have

“And I am not saying this because I feel neglected, for I have learned to be satisfied with what I have.” Philippians 4:11

I wish I could throw four or five rose bushes in the ground, nicely rowed in front of my house, and they would produce a rainbow of delight to the senses: the petals, soft to the touch, awakening to the morning sun, the aroma wafting through the first breeze of the day into my open windows, and the blooms ranging from the first buds barely revealing the colorful treasure within to the mature blossom heavy from overnight dew.

I wish a lot of things, but in this case, it takes much more than wishes to produce a bed of roses like this. The truth is that left unattended, unwanted weeds and prickly thistles with quickly take over the ground. Left on its own my vision of roses collapses into a mess of wild debris.

The human heart is much the same, if not more so. Left to its own devices, the thorns and weeds of discontentment wrap themselves around our hearts and minds. Jealousy at someone else’s good fortune occupies our thoughts. Discouragement at how slowly our own path to success is taking allows cynicism to crowd out the better qualities of trust and faith. Just like the ground left untended, our souls do not yield beauty or good intentions on their own.

That is why Paul can say the he has “learned” to be satisfied. This is so important for the development of anyone who wants to follow Christ. We must learn that we only grow into His beautiful image to the extent that we tend to our own heart. And, this is vastly different than “self-help” or “self-well”. As believers, we have the presence and power of Christ within to help us accomplish exactly what He has planned for us all along.

But we have the option of ignoring His plan, letting our heart’s garden become overgrown, and becoming no different than those who do not know Christ. Paul had the option of feeling “neglected”. Imagine that you see other believers seeming to receive one benefit after another. They seem to be blessed at every turn. Everything they do seems to prosper, even when it appears they have paid little attention to their spiritual lives.

It is then we have an opportunity. We may not know it, but God has just offered us a prized gift. Paul made a decision. Through his constant struggles, including beatings, imprisonment, false believers, brothers and sisters who forsook him, and a physical “thorn in the flesh” that constantly plagued him, he decided to “learn to be satisfied.” It is not an easy lesson.

We've seen those who have trouble learning it. They often are hard workers, maybe leaders in the church. They give of their time and finances, they are at every meeting, they even may be extremely supportive of everything happening in the fellowship they attend. But, if they are not careful, something in their heart starts whispering, “Look how much you are doing, and how little people seem to care. Is it worth it? Look, all those others who don’t do as much as I do seem to be doing just fine!”

If we allow those sprouts to grow uninhibited they can take over a heart that started with beautiful and pure motivation. Perhaps Paul dealt with the same inner issue. There is no doubt at all about the level of his commitment. And, when he writes these very words, he is in prison for preaching the gospel. But, instead of letting the “normal” sprouts of human thinking grow within, he learns something entirely to the contrary. He learns to be satisfied with what he has.

In all things, dear one, it is important to be content. This satisfaction doesn’t imply a lack of drive, it actually encourages further participation in God’s plan, but with a heart that now is satisfied with the rewards that come from Father God Himself. I need to learn this lesson as well as any others. I am tempted to easily think, “no one sees how much I do, or how deeply I care about…” You can fill in the blank, can’t you?

My prayer is that Father God will help me to learn satisfaction, even when I feel neglected. The best way is to remember that He knows all, and He will never forget the work or the commitment of those who love Him. I should also pray I can see my own heart clearly. The truth is, my sense of my own commitment may be off a bit. It’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking we’re the most committed of those around us.

And, as a sub note, most of those around me…they have a sneaking suspicion that perhaps I should be committed. Ah…they love me, and I love my Christian brothers and sisters. Learn with me, the peace that true satisfaction can bring.