“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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.”
(Philippians 4:11-12 NIV)
The better cell phone. The bigger TV. The newest laptop. The most beautiful/handsome girlfriend/boyfriend. The easier classes. The “in-group” of friends. The best brands. We live in a society that breeds discontent. We’re told that if we get the newest, the biggest, the best, that we will be satisfied. Sadly, as we seek after those things, we’re always left wanting more. In the book of Psalms, God tells us why:
“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” (Psalm 90:14 NRSV)
We’re left wanting more because we’re seeking satisfaction in all the wrong places. Renee Swope, in her book A Confident Heart says, “Until God’s love is enough, nothing else will be.” The “secret” to being content that Paul talked about in the Philippians passage is being 100% secure in God’s love. When we are satisfied completely in God’s steadfast, never-ending, always-enough love, we will be content. Pray that college students would find contentment and satisfaction in Christ.
