Ep 705 – Philippians 4:10-23

As Paul wraps up his letter to the believers in Philippi, he thanks them for a gift he had recently received from them, but he also lets them know he didn't really need it. Philippians 4:10-23 presents an interesting and somewhat confusing reaction from Paul. He is grateful for the generosity of his friends in Philippi, but he reveals that their gift was unnecessary. It's not that he didn't have any physical needs. It's that he was totally content with his circumstances because he was completely content with Christ. He lacked nothing. And as difficult as it is for us to comprehend that, it is exactly what Paul would have us believe and live out in our own lives. For the Christian, there is nothing in this life that we need, beyond Jesus. And, while we may nod in assent to that statement, our lives rarely reflect that we truly believe it. Yet for Paul, writing from house arrest in Rome, he was more than content with nothing more than Jesus.