When Christ Is Enough: Learning the Secret of Contentment

Worship at 3C South Coast on Sunday was something special.

As we sang together, I found myself thinking about Jericho. Scripture tells us that around 40,000 armed men crossed over before the Lord towards the plains of Jericho. Later, Israel marched around those seemingly impossible walls until, at God’s command, the people shouted and the walls fell.

Standing in church, surrounded by voices praising Jesus, I suddenly understood that picture in a fresh way.

There is power when God’s people worship together.

Sometimes the wall in front of you has been there for so long that you have started accepting it as permanent. Yet worship reminds your heart that the wall is not greater than God. So perhaps there are seasons when we simply need to keep singing, keep trusting and keep declaring His goodness until something gives way.

That atmosphere prepared us beautifully for Ps Larry Elliott’s message in our Standing Strong series: The Satisfied Life.

We have already looked at the forgiven life and the overcoming life. This week, Ps Larry took us into Philippians 4:11–13 and showed us another part of standing strong: learning to be content because Christ is enough.

The Satisfied Life Has to Be Learned

Paul wrote:

“I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.”
— Philippians 4:11

That word learned is what matters.

Paul did not wake up one morning spiritually mature enough to handle every circumstance without being shaken. His contentment developed through experience. He knew what it meant to have plenty, and he knew what it meant to go without. He experienced open doors and closed ones. Yet through those different seasons, he discovered something that did not change when his circumstances changed.

Jesus.

That is the heart of the satisfied life.

Ps Larry explained that spiritual maturity begins to show when my peace depends more on who God is than on what is happening around me. That challenged me.

It is easy to say God is faithful when the prayer gets answered. It takes deeper trust to say He is still faithful while I am waiting.

Can I Celebrate While I Am Still Waiting?

Ps Larry shared a personal story about Ps Mandy and her sisters.

They had been fasting and trusting God for specific breakthroughs. Her sisters received their answers quickly, while Mandy’s breakthrough took longer. That raised a very real question: can I rejoice when somebody else receives what I am still praying for?

Most of us know that feeling. Someone else gets the opportunity. Their prayer gets answered, business grows, or a relationship is restored. Their door opens.

Meanwhile, I am still waiting.

Ps Larry reminded us that the delay does not mean God has forgotten us. The miracle may already be in motion, even though we cannot see the answer yet.

So while I wait, I can still worship.

I can thank God for what He is doing in someone else’s life without believing that their blessing somehow reduces what He has available for me.

Philippians 4:13 Means More Than Achievement

We all know Philippians 4:13:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

We often use it when we want to achieve something difficult. There is nothing wrong with trusting Christ for strength, but Ps Larry brought us back to Paul’s original context.

Paul was talking about contentment. He had learned how to live with abundance and how to live with need. So “I can do all things” also means I can enjoy success without losing my humility. I can walk through disappointment without losing my faith, survive a closed door, and face lack without allowing fear to rule me.

Christ strengthens me for every season, not only the ones I would have chosen. That is a very different way of reading this familiar verse.

When the Blessing Starts Competing With the Blesser

One of Ps Larry’s strongest warnings came when he spoke about success. We often think suffering provides the greatest test of our faith. Yet success can expose our hearts just as quickly.

He told us about a man he once pastored in Johannesburg who had been trapped in heroin addiction. After coming to Christ, his life changed. His business began doing well and his financial position improved dramatically.

Eventually, however, the very success he had prayed for began drawing him away from God.

Ps Larry put it simply:

God is not against success. He is not against having a good home, a thriving business, influence or financial provision. The question is whether I have those things, or whether those things slowly begin to have me.

This connects beautifully with Ps Larry’s earlier message on The Blessed Life. God’s blessing should always draw my heart closer to Him, never replace Him.

What Am I Really Depending On?

Ps Larry also shared the story of Ps Bert Pretorius and a long legal battle surrounding his property.

The pressure became intense. Eventually, Ps Bert reached the point where he surrendered the outcome to God. He became willing to lose what he had rather than allow it to control his peace. That surrender changed something inside him before anything changed around him.

Later, the situation was resolved in a remarkable way.

It reminded me that sometimes standing strong does not mean forcing an outcome. Sometimes it means releasing my grip and trusting God with whatever happens next.

Here is a simple heart-check worth returning to:

We Can Have Things Without Things Having Us

Philippians 3 tells us that Paul once placed great value on status, education, reputation and religious achievement.

Then he met Jesus.

Suddenly, everything else found its proper place. Possessions are not the problem. Success is not the problem. Influence is not the problem. The heart is where the battle happens. Ps Larry reminded us that we can enjoy God’s blessings without worshipping them. We can succeed without making success our identity.

That is part of being faithful under pressure and part of becoming the kind of people God can trust with influence.

It also connects with the outward heart of 3C South Coast. When I am no longer consumed by chasing more for myself, I become freer to serve, give and care for others.

That same spirit of serving communities can be seen through organisations such as SACOFF, where faith moves beyond words and into practical action.

Take The Satisfied Life Into This Week

Ps Larry brought the message back to one simple truth:

Jesus is not only the One who gives us what we need. Jesus is what we need.

That is what I want to take into this week. When:

• Something frustrates me, I want to ask, Is Christ still enough here?
• Somebody else receives the breakthrough I wanted, I want to celebrate with them.
• Something goes well, I want to enjoy the blessing without forgetting the One who gave it.
• A door closes, I want to remember that my future was never held together by that door in the first place.

Perhaps that can be our challenge this week. Every morning, before checking what has changed around us, let us settle one thing in our hearts:

Whatever today brings, Christ is enough.

A Prayer for the Week

Father, thank You for every blessing You have given me.

Teach me to trust You when I have much and when I have little. Guard my heart from allowing anything You give me to become more important than You. When I wait, help me worship. When doors close, help me trust. When You bless me, keep me humble and generous.

Jesus, let my peace, identity and security rest in You.

As I step into this week, help me stand strong and remember that, whatever comes, You are enough.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.