In my previous post (A NEW DEFINITION OF NORMAL –March 5), I raised the possibility that the concept of what is “normal” may be in the process of being redefined in this time of “discontinuous change.” Another possibility is that God is stirring things up so dramatically in your world you are in the process of discovering a “new normal.”
On four occasions in the New Testament the word, CONTENT, is used (NIV: Philippians 4:11,12; 1 Timothy 6:8; and Hebrews 13:5), as in the context of CONTENTMENT. The Greek word, autarkes (ow-tar’-kace) means, “contented with one’s lot, with one’s means, though the slenderest.” While the author of Hebrews is uncertain, and could possibly have been Paul, the other uses of this word specifically come from him. We know from Paul’s story, his was a life on the move. As a missionary / church planter, he was constantly taking the good news of Jesus to new places and people. His efforts to advance the Gospel often put him in dangerous situations and difficult circumstances (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-28). And yet, he was able to learn how to be content.
Consider a comparison between a thermometer and a thermostat. A thermometer measures the temperature, while a thermostat controls the temperature. One of the reasons why many people struggle with contentment is because their spirit and emotions reflect, like a thermometer, the circumstances in their life. Paul had fully given control of his life to Christ (“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20), and he allowed his deep relationship with the Lord to determine the “temperature” of his life. By doing this, he learned how to be content, even when locked in a prison or sailing rough seas.
This leads me to a question: What if normal has nothing to do with our circumstances? What if contentment has nothing to do with what’s going on in our lives?
As I meditate on Galatians 2:20, I find myself wondering what Paul learned, which led him to contentment, which the rest of us struggle to discover. At the risk of being too basic or simple, I really believe Paul drew his contentment and defined his “normal” based on the four words, “Christ lives in me.” The deepest need in Paul’s life, which is the deepest need in all of our lives, is to be loved. And Paul was convinced to the core of his soul, that he was loved by the Living Lord. All of the blessings which came into his life were a bonus, like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae. Paul didn’t require life to be “all good” or even mostly good, to be contented. Paul also lived with an awareness that all of the tribulations and struggles he endured were temporary and subject to change (2 Corinthians 4:13-18), which is important to maintaining a consistent contentment.
So, if someone asks you today how you’re doing, what are you going to say? I’ve had some people respond, “I am blessed!” On the surfaced it sounds good, but what does that same person say when they’re having a bad day? I think Paul would have answered, “I am loved!” As the Chris Tomlin song says, “I am loved by a King, and it makes my heart want to sing.”
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