In my last testimony, I shared how the Word guides my walk with Jesus. My opening verse, Psalm 68:19, in that article is one of my favorites. Let me share it with you again:“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” I love how the Psalmist describes how much God loves us. He not only reminds us of our salvation, which would be gift enough, but he also lets us know that God is with us every day, providing what we need. I have learned that God is not only generous with His gifts, but they are also “good and perfect” (James 1:17), for example, mercy, wisdom, discernment, teaching, evangelism, etc. In my walk with Jesus, I have come to realize that one of His greatest gifts is the power of the Holy Spirit He sends to work inside you. Through the Holy Spirit, we have access to God’s many spiritual gifts. Over the following few testimonies, I will explain how God shared some of those gifts with me and their impact on my journey.
“…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. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4: 11-13 (NIV)
In this testimony, we will focus on one of God’s truly good and perfect gifts – contentment – that the Apostle Paul called a secret that he learned in his carrying out God’s purpose for his life. As we know, Paul encountered immense physical hardship (beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonment, etc.), persecution, and emotional anguish for his faith and ministry. Yet, he possessed a calm and inner peace that gave him an unshakeable confidence in God’s love, as he pursued the work Jesus had assigned him on the road to Damascus, namely “to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles.” Years later, chained in a Roman dungeon awaiting execution, he didn’t focus on his suffering. Still, he was concerned for the churches he had planted and for his ‘faithful brothers and sisters’ by writing four of his epistles (Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon). How could one who was suffering so much, including hunger, do that? As he told the Church at Philippi, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances,” and it was that secret that allowed him to focus on his ministry.
I will explore what I have learned about contentment by sharing how I have observed contentment in action through the lives of people I have known and those I have read about. I hope you will see that each of these persons was a spiritually mature Christian. Each is very different, as we all are, but each learned the secret of contentment and allowed the power of the Holy Spirit to work in their life. They and others have been role models for me as I have come to understand the importance of being content in my journey.
Understanding Contentment
Her name was Phoebie. She was my mother-in-law’s best friend. Phoebie was a widow who lived on a limited, fixed income in a small town. Yet, she was one of the richest people you would ever want to meet. A few years back, my wife and I stopped in to see her one day when we were in town, which wasn’t that often. Liva’s mom had passed away a few years prior, and there was little reason to go home anymore. For most of Phoebie’s adult life, she lived in the same two-story house, which needed repair. She lived comfortably on the first floor, amidst her worn and dated furniture. She didn’t possess the modern conveniences, such as air conditioning, like average Americans. Still, she was content enough with what she had. On this visit, she would be in her eighties, long widowed, with no children, and her best friend gone. However, she didn’t seem lonely as she was always full of stories of her church friends and her neighbor, who kindly watched out for her.
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)
The first thing I often noticed in the summertime when stepping onto her rickety porch, which needed a fresh coat of paint, was several pots of flowers blooming away. She once loved gardening, but now she could only tend to a few porch plants. Liva would always gently knock on her screen door and say, “Hi Phoebie, it’s Alan and Liva.” “Come on in,” would often be followed with something like “What are you kids doing over here?” She always called us kids. I like that. At about that time, the heat would hit you, as it was always stifling in her house, no matter what the season. She would often be resting in her comfortable chair, wearing a warm smile. On one visit, she remarked, “I was just sitting here thinking how happy I am. I have everything I need.” She possessed a countenance that defied her living conditions. Liva and I always marveled at how she could be so content and possess such an underlying joy about her life. It would take getting saved for me to begin to understand how someone who lacked everything that today’s world says we need could be so thankful and at peace with their life. Phoebie had definitely learned the secret of being content. We miss this beautiful soul; it was always a joy to visit her. I can hear her sweet laugh now, as I think about her.
“Live out your God-created identity, live generously and graciously toward others. The way God lives toward you.” Matthew 5:48 (MSG)
As I began to contemplate this testimony about being content in all circumstances, I was immediately reminded of my good friend Russ Bush. I only knew Russ after he was saved. I understand from those who knew him in his worldly days, that few would have ever said he was the model of contentment. The Russ I was fortunate to know was completely the opposite of his earlier reputation. Yes, he was enthusiastic, but there was something special about the Russ I knew. He had such an inner peace about him that couldn’t be shaken, a faith that could not be broken, and a passion for Christ and others that couldn’t be extinguished. The old Russ that people once saw was transformed into an enthusiastic, yet humble servant who lived to proclaim the Gospel. He was a relentless warrior for Jesus, leading Bible studies, starting Sunday worship services, embarking on missionary trips, and going far beyond most people in helping friends and strangers with whatever spiritual or material need they had. He was the most generous man I knew, not only with his money, but also his time. Russ brought so many people to the Lord, and he was always encouraging Christians to find their calling for their God-given gifts and talents. When he was successful, we would say “you’ve been Russ’d!” My favorite “Russ’d” story is when he finally convinced a mutual friend, who played in a rock band in his youth, to join a worship team on Sunday morning. Finally, Russ wore him down. Our friend said he’d do it once, and that’s it. Fifteen years later, he’s still drumming away for Jesus, bringing the worship alive thanks to Russ’ encouragement. Russ lived out his God-created identity every day, and he encouraged others to do the same.
The most amazing thing to me about Russ was that he accomplished all of this while facing the most daunting health issues, not only his own, but also those of his wife. He fought a rare form of cancer the entire time I knew him. Travelling to Boston for treatment, which would wreak havoc on his body and at times his energy getting worn down to nothing, but he still kept pushing forward, never complaining. If he was serving Jesus, it was well with his soul. On a trip to South Africa to do missionary work, his wife, Debbie, suffered a severe stroke on the plane. Getting her stabilized in Johannesburg and then returning her home was a long ordeal. Once home, he became a full-time caregiver. Did that slow his ministry? Hardly! Somehow, he lovingly cared for Debbie, all the while making the rest of us look like part-time servants. Miraculously, Russ and Debbie would be able to continue their ministry together. However, as time went by, they eventually had to relocate to be closer to children who could help care for each of them. Did that stop Russ from proclaiming the Gospel? No, he started new Bible groups there, all the while still encouraging his friends back in Buckhannon and elsewhere. He never stopped serving!
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But, if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” Timothy 6: 6-7 (NIV)
It was evident to all who knew and loved Russ that he had ‘learned’ the secret of contentment and that it was not determined by his challenging circumstances. His total reliance on Jesus allowed him to unleash the power of the Holy Spirit that resided within him. Throughout the storms he endured in those last fifteen years of his life, he, like the Apostle Paul, who endured so much more, was able to focus on serving Jesus and the needs of others, rather than himself. A few weeks before his passing, he would send me an email encouraging me to keep writing on behalf of Jesus. You see, I had been “Russ’d” too. I always smile when I hear other “Russee’s” say how often he reached out to them. That ‘something’ I mentioned about Russ turned out to be an underlying joy and contentment of putting his total faith in Jesus. He was content with that and lived it out daily by answering the call of his favorite verse: “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24 ESV).
Whenever I think of the words content or contentment, the great hymn, “It is Well with My Soul,” comes to mind. For many of us who have been in the church for a long time, it is one of our favorite hymns. It has a way of making us feel good, even contented, if only for a few moments. The phrase “whatever my lot” means “whatever happens” and is so significant in relation to our lives. We like to think we can control things, and we may be able to in some respect for certain periods of time. However, from experience, we all understand that life just happens, usually unexpectedly, and sometimes it’s good, while at other times it’s not so good. Sadly, it can even be tragic at times. Terrible events seem to be all too frequent anymore, with the most recent being the horrific Texas flash flooding that claimed so many lives. Then, not too long ago, there were the horrendous fires in Southern California, which were preceded by the devastation of Hurricane Helene in the Southeast. But tragic events, large and small, have occurred and will continue to do so. Such was the case in November 1873, which led to the creation of a beautiful hymn based on a poem penned by Horatio Spafford.
Spafford was a wealthy Chicago lawyer, businessman, and real estate mogul of the mid-1800s who would encounter more than his share of tragedy in his life. But, as we will see, those heart-rending events would not define his legacy. Rather, he and his wife, Anna, would become much more well-known for their lifelong Christian testimony. Heartbreak would first strike in 1870, when they would lose their four-year-old son, Horatio Jr., to scarlet fever. However, they were still blessed with four beautiful daughters. A year later, they lost much of their wealth and real estate in the Great Chicago Fire, in which 300 people perished and 100,000 were made homeless. It was in the aftermath of that tragic event they first felt called to help others. Shocked by the huge number of grief-stricken residents, they responded by providing humanitarian assistance, setting up homeless shelters, temporary medical clinics, and food distribution centers across Chicago. Two years later, needing to get away and rest, they decided to sail to England to be with their friend D. L. Moody, the renowned evangelist, who would be on a preaching tour across the country. As Horatio had unexpected business to attend to at home, he sent Anna and the four girls (Annie, 11; Margaret, 9; Elizabeth, 5; and Tanetta, 2) ahead. He expected to join them soon. On November 22, 1873, tragedy struck again as their ship collided with a cargo vessel. The passenger ship sank within 12 minutes, taking 226 passengers, including their precious four girls, to a watery grave.
Miraculously floating unconsciously on a piece of wood, Anna would be rescued, one of 28. On the rescue ship, she would say she heard a soft voice saying, “You were saved for a purpose.” Arriving in Wales, she sent off a short 29-word telegram to Horatio that began with “Saved alone.” He would set sail immediately for the capital city Cardiff; that is, in those days, it was about three weeks. Boarding the ship, he told the captain to let him know when they passed the point where the girl’s boat went down. It is said that when told, Spafford went to his cabin and wrote his poem “It is Well with My Soul.” I would think that being at the spot where your four children drowned would be more painful than anyone could bear. Yet, contentment seems to permeate the entire poem, and he even praises God in verse 3: “Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!” What an unwavering trust in God’s grace he must have had to praise Him at such a difficult time, and to claim that “Whatever my lot, thou hast me to ‘know’, it is well, it is well with soul.” You will notice I put “know,” and not “say” as it is sung in the hymn. Spafford wrote the word ‘know’ in the original poem, and it was only changed to ‘say’ when Phillip Bliss wrote the music. I love that he was not just saying it, but he actually knew it, like the Apostle Paul knew, that all was well with his soul.
“…Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13 (NKJV)
The rest of Horatio and Anna’s life demonstrated their faith in a loving God. They would have three more children: two girls and a boy, whom they also named Horatio. The storms of life would revisit them as they also lost this second son at age two. However, dealing with their grief, they would soldier on serving their Lord “with blest assurance” that God was in control. In 1881, they, along with their two daughters, would move to Jerusalem, where for the rest of their days they devoted themselves to helping the needy, caring for the sick, and taking in homeless children, even adopting some. Horatio died in 1888, and Anna in 1923. Anna and the girls carried on with the humanitarian work in their home. Daughter Bertha, who became a nurse, officially renamed their home the Spafford Children’s Center, which still operates today and focuses on caring for disadvantaged children in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Both daughters, when talking about their parents, always mentioned that their mother said she was saved for a purpose. What an amazing purpose that was!
This time, I wanted to share what I have learned about Paul’s secret, true contentment. I believe you only find contentment by putting God at the center of your life, just as Paul did. I hope you saw that it was also evident in the people I chose to illustrate. I could have shared similar journeys of contented Christians, like many friends I have been blessed to know, and the countless great saints, such as Corrie Ten Boom, Helen Keller, and Mother Teresa, that we have read about. Each somehow learned Paul’s secret, a secret that Billy Graham describes as a “spirit of joy that allows Christians to rise up above their circumstances to serve and glorify Christ.” I believe that is that special gift that I saw in Russ and in others.
I have come to realize that contentment is one of those excellent benefits, gifts, or blessings that God provides every day to those who develop a deep relationship with Jesus. It truly is “great gain” as Paul told Timothy. For seventy years, I was caught up in an unsatisfying life of focusing on material possessions, wealth, and having a good time. When you are full of envy, selfishness, and pride, peace and calm are rarely experienced and are fleeting at best. When you add to that the unpredictability of life that is thrown at you, your dreams and plans fade. For me, it led to frustration, sadness, and even bitterness. I know from experience that hopelessness is a slippery slope, one that I rode until I crashed into the cross, found Jesus, and began a journey that led to contentment. For me, I didn’t have a major tragic event. We all lose parents, siblings, and friends, which is a part of life. Sometimes that is overwhelmingly heart-wrenching, which my wife and I have experienced. Fortunately, we haven’t had to deal with anything like what Horatio and Anna Spafford faced, nor those who deal with tremendous loss that comes from other sorts of tragedies. However, despair and hopelessness can come from many less visible sources. And once you hit rock bottom, calm and peace seem unreachable, unless hope comes alive! For me, that was Jesus. Hallelujah!
“Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” Psalm 7:3-4 (NLT)
Many of us have seen or heard uplifting stories where someone’s world fell apart, where all hope seemed lost, and God stepped in to rescue them by giving them a purpose in their life. How does that happen? First, you have to want it; you have to seek it. That’s not me speaking. I learned it from Jesus: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (even contentment) shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:22 NKJV). Paul is the only one who didn’t directly seek Him. In his case, God sought Paul to be his point person to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles. God now uses us, saved Gentiles, as His servants to plant seeds in others, bringing more people to the cross. While Russ planted seeds, it was another Christian friend who actually steered me to seeking God’s Kingdom. I always pray that God plants seeds through my testimonies of how He is working in my life to bring other lost souls to Him.
Once you truly commit to God, then do as Jesus tells you: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30 NIV). Trust me, if you really do put Jesus in the center of your life, you will get to experience Paul’s secret every day for the rest of your life, no matter what the circumstances. With it, you will experience a more fulfilling life, living out your God purpose like those I have discussed. It doesn’t mean you won’t ever have frustration, difficulty, ill health, etc. I have experienced my share of poor health over the last five years, but I am blessed to believe, “Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to know, it is well, it is well with my soul.”
If you would like to have God’s true spirit of contentment and be able “to know” it is well with your soul, pray the following: “God, you know my discontent; come and replace it with your contentment. I am a sinner, which you know all too well. I believe your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins, and He was raised on the third day to give me everlasting life. Thank you, Jesus, and please send your Holy Spirit to guide my journey with you. Amen.”
Do that with haste and then find a Christian friend or a pastor to ask for their help so you can begin your personal walk with Him. If you do that with a willing heart, you will embark on the most amazing journey you can ever imagine. Jesus always means what He says and always keeps His promises. Rest assured, He will send His Holy Spirit to help you to become a Child of God, just as He did for me. I pray that blessing for you.
Until next time, Godspeed. Al
Feature Images: © Al Tucker; Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.; The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.; Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
