Ep. 029 - Embracing God as Our Provider: Finding Contentment in All Seasons

Episode Transcript

Spencer
A couple of years ago when we went to Zion National Park as a family. It started with this drive to Nashville. A flight to Las Vegas, then a drive over to Zion National Park, getting in at dark and the beds were squeaky, The cabin was small, the food wasn't great, but none of it mattered. It wasn't our focus for the trip.
Our focus was this immaculate national park that we could see nowhere else that just inspired us with beauty and awe. And I think that's a little bit what Paul's perspective was as he kind of looked at where he was in the world. And so we'll get into that today.
We can't think about our time, our money, our relationships without really that anchoring our soul in some profound ways. And it's really even hard to have our head and our heart connected if we don't have that ballast, you know, in our in our spiritual ship of God as provider as. As you think about where we're at culturally in this moment, where does our culture take us that is different from what we're talking about today?

Austin
Yeah. You know, as I think about where we're at culturally and you take it from any of the political perspectives, gender perspectives, racial perspectives, any socio political, socioeconomic, we can take it from one end the poll, “My body, my choice!” to the other end of the poll “Don't tread on me!” or that murky middle that just says “You do you!”
We're surrounded by these messages that I am the center of my world and that I get to determine what is good. I get to determine what can make me happy, and then I get to pursue those things. And so if I'm the center of my story, then I'm going to be constantly aware and constantly seeking my own satisfaction.
And this plays itself out in a lot of different ways. We're continually thirsting for more. We think about that. I had a movie, “Crazy Rich Asians” on my mind recently that just is this extravagance, like you're looking for this lavish lifestyle. “The Great Gatsby” is looking for these lavish experiences, but it often leaves people feeling hollow and it leads to anxiety or a high level of suicide.
Sadly, and I think in America, we're really addicted to social media, binge watching TV sports teams, whether it's youth, sports or professional. We want to get wrapped into something else, but it's for my pleasure and my enjoyment. So I think as we think about culture, we're really a culture that demands that my enjoyment be met. Right now there's no reality or there's no embracing of there are seasons to life.
It's the fast food I need everything on demand. It's that Amazon needs to ship me my package in two days or I'm starting to be curious, did I actually make that order? There's no room for this reality that there's seasonality to life. It's it's an on demand enjoyment. And I think that really starts to distract us from the real truth that God is our provider and if I'm constantly looking for my needs to be met, then I'm the center of the story. And if I'm the center of the story, then I've got the story all wrong.

Spencer
And I think really, in all that you're talking about there, we have such a focus on ourselves that anything that rocks the boat for us, we're taking so seriously instead of having this kind of godly forgetfulness of ourselves. This humility is another way, I think, to put it. Because you know what Paul's going to get into here is he's in different seasons like you're talking about.
It doesn't change his worldview, doesn't change his approach, really doesn't change his experience so much. And I think, you know, as we were at Zion, as we went to the Grand Canyon thereafter, it's just like these other things. They're not that important compared to, wow, you know, here I am. So you want to get into the passage and unpack that a little bit for us today?

Austin
Yes. I'm going to be looking at Philippians 4:10-13, which ends with the crescendo “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength”, But we want to look back and see where does Paul get to? And he says this because there's often a misquoted verse. The reality is Paul is writing from this place He helped plant the church in Philippi.
He pastored for a while. He is deeply connected with this church, but now he's in prison. It's about ten years after he's helped planted, about 30 years after he's come to Faith in Jesus to walking with the Lord for a long time. And in that he's known seasons of enjoyment, he's known seasons of sorrow. He's been kind of all across the board, and he's calling the Philippians to this joy in Christ.
And he begins Chapter four, encouraging the church to stand firm in the Lord. He goes on to remind them that the Lord is near. And then just before the section will read it, Paul commends them to set their minds on what is true, honorable, lovely, just pure commendable, to practice those things. And then that's what brings the peace of Christ into our lives.
So I'm going to go ahead and read Philippians 4:10-13 and then I'll let you unpack it a little bit. So it says,
“10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Spencer
Such a beautiful passage. And we go back to the context which is really our friend, especially in this passage, because we've got to frame it in light of what you were sharing. Paul has talked and lived with Jesus for 30 years. He's coming to the end of his life. This may have been the last letter that he wrote.
We don't know. But he's at a point where he's seen the ups and the downs. He's been in conditions where he's been starved and shipwrecked and all kinds of different low points. He's also had beautiful victories and wonderful times with people. So he's lived this in experiencing that poverty and grief and also the higher side of life in each of these.
And he's in prison now. So as we hear this from him, it's it's lived out of experience. It's he is not just saying I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me like I'm praying, Lord, and I've got this big goal. You know, I want to double my business next year or I want to double the size of this group that I'm in or whatever it might be.
This goal that is. So oftentimes it's like a motivational speaker that will come in and use this. But that's not at all the context that we find here. It's more born out of contentment. And, you know, he's he talks about this in so many other passages as well. But we we come back to what his situation has been, and it means that he has contentment in each one of these different circumstances.
And we particularly need to hear that for the low points because we fear that in the United States, in particular in the Western world, where we you know, from an economic standpoint, we've not had that many low points here over the last few decades. For most of us.

Austin
Too, I think about it, he says to the Philippines, he's like, you were concerned for me in prison, but I had everything I needed. I'm content in prison. You didn't need to be concerned. You can still send aid. I think he later in chapter four, he says, you can still come and visit and send aid, but you don't need to be concerned for me.
And I think that's the dual tension that we need to face, is in those circumstances where we are prone to be nervous. Because if I see myself as the center of my story, then I would be nervous about anything that could jar me or set me off track. But if Christ in the peace of Christ is the center of my delight, of my enjoyment, of where I find satisfaction, if He is my provider, then I don't need to be anxious.
We come back to the words of Jesus over and over of You don't need to be anxious about tomorrow. And God provides for the lilies of the field and the sparrows. And if he cares about those little things, then how much more will he care about us. And so it's really this. I can know that, but I really need to be affected by it.
I really need to be moved to the point where that actually changes how I live. I don't just look at my circumstances or my friend's circumstances and say, Oh, I wish I had that or I wish I was doing this, or I wish I had more money to be able to do that. You know, studies constantly show that people think they need 15% more no matter what income bracket you're in, and you could be $1,000,000 a year and you're thinking, I need about 15% more.
And that just plagues us because we're so inwardly focused. And I think part of the beauty here of this Philippian church too, is Paul's collectively saying, I'm thankful for you all and your influence on me and not just my influence on you. Paul's taking himself even out of the center of the letter, and he's saying, You are bringing me joy in Christ because of your love and your joy.
And I think that's really a balance, too, is we've so lost the greater story and the fact that we're part of a story bigger than ourselves because we've made it so much about ourselves.

Spencer
Well, and really in the hard times ends. He's inviting us to know him in a different way. And we don't necessarily want to seek out those hard times. But when they come, we also need not flee from them because we're going to know God in a deeper way. We're going to be sustained by Him in his provision. And even if he calls us home, we need to be able to embrace that.
It's not necessarily going to be something that's easy. But if he is our provider and he does have plans for our life in preserving us to the end, if God is for us, who can be against us? You who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all. If he's going to put everything in order so that we can know him more deeply, we can embrace that idea that he is provider. And in those tough seasons, we can look at it with a different perspective.

Austin
Yeah, and I think especially as well, the passage in James that talks about come now, you say today or tomorrow will go into such and such a town and trade and make a profit. James finishes that he curtails it with What is your life you're a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes instead you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we will live and do this. But the focus there is we don't need to be so caught up in my finances, my trade, my this, that or the other.
We don't know what the Lord has for our plans. And so we need to leave those open ended. And you know, we've talked about this a lot, but this idea of how much is enough is really a critical question for us to be asking here and now. Because if God is my provider, then I need to know how much is enough so that I'm not trying to build a bigger barn.
We come back to this over and over and over. But if I'm the center of my story, or even if just my my nuclear family, my kids, my wife, if we are the center of our story, then everything, all of my work, all of my time, my energy is going to go into ensuring that those things are protected.
But I can't protect them. I'm not the provider. I can do what I can in trusting the Lord, that doesn't mean either going to one end of the spectrum being totally aesthetic or going to the other and going to extreme extravagance. I think God wants us to enjoy the beauties and the pleasures of this life, but it's not about doing that for my sake. It's doing that so I can enjoy them with the Lord and participate with Him in his kingdom.

Spencer
And we see that in Jesus's teaching as well, you know. Luke 1231 Instead, seek his kingdom and these things will be added to you. It's that same approach that Paul is taking of, you know, this isn't the big picture over here. Me getting enough income or having a lot versus having a little. That's not what I'm focused on.
I'm focused on the Lord's kingdom and then those other things will be added to us in time. One of the fun parts I think about watching The Chosen is you do see the disciples move through different seasons. They have a time where they're feasting, you know, at a wedding celebration or at a Sabbath meal. You also see them saying, you know, Jesus saying, We've had a little bit of a hungry spell, you know, here.
And that must have been what it was like. I mean, they're traveling through countryside. They're not always, you know, with full stomachs in there. But Jesus’ approach through each one of these teachings is that it's not about that. It's about me. You know, I'd say it's about me as a Jesus, you know, obviously not me as in me.
So it's it's that forgetful ness of a lot of the different elements of of our experiences of what's happening here and now, because we've got a broader perspective and there's more important things than some of these that we've mentioned.

Austin
Yeah, absolutely. And so I think, you know, as we focus in and we start thinking, okay, what does this actually mean to live this out? How do we tangibly say with our head, heart and all of that, our entire being that God is provider and I come back just again, we don't want to live in poles and we don't want to come back to the question of how much is enough and be like, well, I really need to pinch every single penny and just live on minimal because again, if I'm thinking that way, I'm thinking I'm the center right.
What is that minimal amount that I can live on? Or if I think about extravagance, it's like, well, how much can I enjoy? You know, again comes back to you. I am the center rather than God as my provider. How do I live in response to his provision? And so I think we found some of these questions can be really helpful, maybe a little bit jarring.
Yeah, but it can be really helpful. So think about this, Spencer. If your income dropped by 10% tomorrow, how would that affect you? What would you cut in your spending? Would would you die?

Spencer
I don't think so. I don't think so. Yeah. You'd have spending cuts. You wouldn't be able to do certain things. But when you when you're posed with that question, it does start to clarify. Oh yeah, I needed to I could eat rice and beans and still be plenty full every day. There's billions of people that that's closer to their meal plan for for a given day.
You know, another one that we come back to sometimes, you know, if a doctor told you that you'd have no more than five years to live, how does that change life? That's a lot more sobering, obviously, than just a pay cut. But does that mean that that we can't engage in the moment, that we can't live with God as our provider?
I think for each of us, we'd say, okay, well, there's some things I'd want to accelerate. I want to have some more conversations with kids. I want to maybe invest in some people in a more intentional way. But it doesn't change, you know, the ultimate trajectory of the way life should be.

Austin
When we've talked about it before, when you put all things into perspective, then you put your life back into the story of I am part of something bigger than myself. That is this kingdom of God, that is the church that is seeking flourishing for people and humanity, right? Then I look at my spending decisions very differently. Yeah, what I want versus what I need is very different.
And coming back to either that 10% spending cut or if I had five years to live, well, if those things are true and I'm going to make a lot of different decisions, again, it may mean that I might spend more. It may mean that I might spend more on giving or experiences with my children, or it might mean that I get really excited and start accelerating giving to the poor and the needy.
But there's this ancient practice of “Memento Mori” and it's putting death before you daily. And I think unless we do that, then we can get wrapped up with this. Life is all I've got. But for Christians, this life isn't all we got right. We get to move on into eternity. And I would rather move on, in joy with the Lord that I have and seasons of plenty and then seasons of want trusted in Him as my provider whether I have tons of money or no money, I want my joy to be in the Lord.

Spencer
Yeah, and I think, you know, you talked about one practice there of putting death before us each day and kind of confronting our mortality. I think Jesus calls us to do that very specifically. He says, if anyone would follow me, let him take up his cross daily and follow it and come after me. So he's saying, if you're going to practice as a disciple, get ready to pick up the implement of suffering and implement of death and expect that we don't do that very well.
I don't do that very well for sure. But as I come back to these truths of my life as an exchange life, God owns it all. I need to expect suffering as I try to put death before me. Each morning and reflect on that. I think those practices help to bring me back to a place that I really embracing God as a provider and not so much just looking at it and saying, okay, how do I get mine today?
It's certainly a process for all of us, but I've got to find those things. And, you know, another another I think way that we do that is we look at the lives of folks that are really having a tough time. You know, we look at folks that are in abject poverty and and try to connect with institutions and people that are actually serving in that area, because it reminds us, again, it reframes our perspective.
You know, IJM-International Justice Mission-understanding that there are plenty of people that are in slavery, that are in bondage right now and that we can participate with God and with organizations of people like that that are working in the world, because that, again, helps to reframe, you know, all those pieces of taking our perspective and saying, am I content in the things that I have right now? No, I need to be focused on God as provider. He's given me what I need.

Austin
You know, Spencer, I think about next steps for our audience. Those two questions that we posed I think are really important to really think on and take before the Lord. If my income drops by 10%, would I die? Yeah. Or would it just mean that I need to cut some things out? I think if we really process through that, then say, God, in my trusting you as provider, even with 110%, or can I trust you with 90 and I trust you with 80 and start really grappling with do I have enough for my living an extravagant lifestyle so that I can just have enjoyment in that second one?
If a doctor told you you have no more than five years left to live, what would that change? I think just coming before the Lord and really asking those hard questions and then trying to take steps of faith and saying, okay, I want to live like God as my provider. Not that I have to bear the burden of being the provider or that I have to bear the burden of enjoyment in this life. It's come back to peace with God, contentment with God. So we hope you enjoy this episode. Always feel free to reach out.