Investigating the Bible: Contentment in all circumstances

By David Carlson Pastor

Chip and Joanna Gaines, of Waco, Texas, are founders of the home décor business, Magnolia Market. Joanna likes perfection. She explained in her book, “The Magnolia Story,” that when their four children were young, she plopped down to rest on their old sofa with the new white slipcover: “I made the mistake of looking down. My beautiful, brand-new, snowy-white slipcover was covered in little black fingerprints.”

However, she realized that someday she might miss those little fingerprints. So, she accepted her situation. Her house could get messy; she’d clean in the evening. She made storage places for toys and taught her children to put things back. She even designed places in their home where her children were expected to get messy. In the New Testament, two missionaries accepted their circumstances, even when mistreated.

In the Roman city of Philippi, a wealthy businesswoman, named Lydia, heard the gospel from Paul and Silas. After “… she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged (Paul) saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’” (Acts 16:14-15, English Standard Version used throughout). Back then a good Jew would never even enter a Gentile home, but the missionaries stayed with Lydia and her family.

As Paul and Silas preached, a demon-possessed slave girl stalked them, “…crying out, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.’ And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’” (Acts 16:17-18). The demon-possessed slave girl was a fortunetelling moneymaker for her owners. With the demon gone, so was their income. The owners “… seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers…and they said, ‘These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city.” (Acts 16:19-20). The mob ripped the clothes from Paul and Silas, beat them with rods, and threw them into a dungeon with their feet secured in stocks. Surprisingly, at midnight, with bloody wounds untreated, no food, and sitting on cold stones, Paul and Silas entertained other prisoners with their songs and prayers. The Philippians knew Paul’s actions supported his words, when he wrote them years later: “…I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content…In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13).

Rainbow Acres in Arizona is a Christian residential community for adults with disabilities. Gordon MacDonald, in his book, “The Life God Blesses,” told how Rainbow Acres began. In the 1970s, Ralph Sowers worked in construction. While on a ranch job, he accidentally touched power lines; both his arms were burned so badly, they had to be amputated. Four New York insurance lawyers came to Arizona and offered Ralph’s attorney a check for $325,000 to settle, if he relinquished all other claims. His attorney told him to reject it; they could get much more, maybe one million dollars. Ralph said, “I’m not that kind of man. Besides the $325,000 is all I need to get Rainbow Acres up and started. I’ll take the check.” A couple of years later, Ralph got a phone call from one of New York insurance attorneys. He told Ralph, “When you accepted our offer of $325,000, the four of us who’d come to Arizona laughed. And we laughed all the way to the airport. But as time went on, I became bothered by what we’d done. We’d taken advantage of your good nature. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone like you. I want you to know that today I’m a Christian and a member of a church because of the kind of man you showed yourself to be.”

David Carlson Pastor (yes, that is his last name, not his profession) is a Polk County resident and graduate of Bethel Theological Seminary in Minnesota (M.Div., M.Th.).