“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)

Paul says he learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. Now that’s a secret we probably all want to know—and, deep down, we probably know the answer, as it is one of the most popular verses in all of Scripture.

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

This verse is often isolated and used to encourage us. Many times in my life I’ve thought of this verse when times were hard and what was in front of me seemed impossible. I used it as a reminder that no matter what, I can do anything, not by my strength, but through God’s. It’s the type of encouragement that gives us strength and builds us up. You might say it before having to speak before a crowd or before you go into a difficult conversation with someone. You might recite this verse before you take a test or have a meeting or at the base of a mountain (figurative or literal) before you begin the climb. Unfortunately, I cannot think of a time when I recited this verse when I was feeling discontent.

Discontentment is a recurring problem for a lot of us, including me. When bills come due and the bank account is small, or when I see friends and family on vacations that really aren’t all that expensive but are still far out of my family’s price range, when the Internet company raises the price (again), or when Black Friday sales tempt me to spend the money I don’t have for the things I don’t need, I can feel discontent quite a bit—and Philippians 4:13 never enters my mind. And yet this is the exact context in which Paul writes these words—and Paul faced much tougher situations than most of us have or will.

As the Christmas season starts and our culture says to buy, buy, buy, let us remember that the secret to being content is knowing that we can do all things through Christ because Christ gives us strength. After all, He is what Christmas is all about, not the presents or the Black Friday sales. If we rely only on our strength, we will fail, we will experience frustration, and we will feel discontent. But if we rely on God’s strength, if we know that we can do anything through Him, then we have truly learned the secret to being content!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

—Redeemed