Contented to be Back Home Where I Belong

This morning I wake up in my sweet apartment home in Austin. No crashing waves on the shore or a sunset that no mere mortal man could have ever dreamed up or created. No sandy beaches or majestic palm trees, cacti OR room service. But, thanks be to God – I’m in my sweet spot here just as much as I have been over the last eight days. The boys and I made it home at 12:30 a.m. this morning, March 21st. We’ll be heading out to church where we belong too in a couple of hours.

Before I moved to Austin, I purposefully sold my living room and dining area furniture which were dated with dark colors and bulky. I loved it all the many years I had it. It was welcoming and cozy. But I’m home sweet home now in my new apartment home which is ultra-contemporary and that furniture just wouldn’t work. I was on a mission to sell it all, and I did. That was in January. Left in that living area and dining room, was a fold up table I had kept in my garage along with two folding chairs. I kept the recliner just in case there might be room in my bedroom. There isn’t, but I still have the chair – thankfully.

Here I am in March and thanks be to God I kept that chair, fold up table and chairs. Those are my current pieces of furniture (except for the furniture in my bedrooms) and I’m so thankful for it. Who knew that furniture stores had back orders extending for months because of the effects of coronavirus? Three weeks into my move to Austin, I heard repeating in my mind, St. Paul’s words: “I have learned that in whatever STATE I am in, I will be content.” (Philippians 4:11)

By “being content in whatever state we are”, I don’t mean “don’t grumble because we can’t be in Florida in the dead of winter or in Colorado in the sweet breezes of summer.” (Though that may be part of it.) What I have come to terms with is emulating the attitude of the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “I have learned to be content – wherever, whenever and however.”

Contentment is an almost-identical twin to the attitude expressed in another famous quote by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:16:: “Always be joyful”. Both joy and contentment involve being happy just for the privilege of being alive and loved by God. But where joy energizes us for action, contentment relaxes us for rest. It’s probably no coincidence that Paul wrote “Always be joyful” when his missionary work was thriving, and the “contentment” part was from Rome when he was living under house arrest. I think that’s the “whatever” state we’re in part!

Another thing joy and contentment have in common is that they come naturally enough in “perfect” circumstances, but it takes some practice to keep them going when the good times cease to roll. If we can only be content when everything goes our way, we’ll have many more bad days than good ones. Worse, we’ll develop the habit of seeing even good days as bad days.

I’d rather join Paul’s “content whatever the circumstances” club. The secrets of obtaining membership are abandoning complaining, trusting in God’s timing, and believing what He says is true and allowing His promises to sustain us in good times and bad. The truth is, God never promised to keep our lives free of inconvenience or pain or even inexplicable tragedy. He promises to stay close to us, to give us everything we need, and work everything out for ultimate good.

Paul could have found plenty of excuses to be bored or to complain that everything always went wrong for him. Instead, he thanked God for all he still had: wonderful friends, the privilege of seeing the gospel spread, the promise of Heaven. Whatever the challenges of his outward circumstances, he could face them with both contentment and joy because he had eternal treasures no one could take away. I purpose to follow in Paul’s footsteps and keep my eyes on God and resting contented in Him. How about you?