Philippians 4: 10-13

  For Koreans living in the United States, Los Angeles is similar to Seoul, Korea.  Although I had layovers in Los Angeles during my ten years living in the US, I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Los Angeles.  Therefore, I had great expectations for the Korean-American Wesley Society Conference held in Los Angeles this past week, from May 21 to May 23.  Part of my excitement, of course, had to do with the fact that I was supposed to lecture on the topic

“The Place of Wesley in Church History.”  But I harbored great expectations over getting a chance to visit Los Angeles.  However, contrary to my expectations, the conference schedule proved to be packed tight; from 8 o’clock in the morning to 9 o’clock in the evening, I scarcely had any time to rest.  Thinking that I had to visit Los Angeles at all costs, I decided to skip Tuesday afternoon’s activities in order to visit the Korean Town in Los Angeles with one of my pastor friends. 

We visited Los Angeles’s Korean Town; and as expected, we saw many Koreans, Korean-lettered billboards and Korean business signs everywhere.  My pastor friend explained that I could find anything from Korea in Los Angeles.  I was able to confirm the saying that Los Angeles is a capital of Koreans living in the US.  However, due to air pollution and heavily congested trafficwhich I had not experienced living in places like Nebraska and KilleenI found myself feeling dizzy and sick. 

 I had a similar experience in New York City, and Los Angeles was no exception in being overly crowded, having congested traffic and air pollution like any other metropolissuch as Seoul.  From talking to many of the other pastors present at the conference, I was able to learn that many of the pastors envied congregations that owned their own building.  Since land and buildings are very expensive in Los Angeles, many Korean churches, regardless of size, often have to lease from established American church buildings.  Upon hearing that many of the largest Korean United Methodist Churches in Los Angeles area had to rent from American church buildings, I was able to look back on our own St. Luke’s church and congregation.

 Although it is not good to find solace while comparing ourselves with others, I gained a great appreciationand a sense of deep gratitudein having our own place of worship, this great building and infrastructure.  Therefore, I would like to talk about ‘life of contentment’ today.  When was the last time you were truly content with your life?  Perhaps it was a long time ago.  Although we may become prosperous economically, perhaps it is our destined fate to be unable to enjoy true satisfaction and happiness.  

 We raise a dog in our household.  His name is Bailey, and he always looks happy and content.  Through the eyes and perspectives of a human, a dog shouldn’t have anything to be content about; however, Bailey looks happy every day.  Although we lead a quality of life that is much better than those of the dogs we keep at home, we fail to become content.  In the US, about 30% of the world’s trash are processed each day.  What does the abundance of trash mean?  We, in the US, enjoy a great surfeit of the life’s basic necessitiessuch as clothing and foodyet we find ourselves always complaining.  “My house is too small,” “my car is too old,” “I’m too fat,” “I’m too skinny,” and “Why is my married life so boring?” are some of our thoughts, as we forget to be thankful for what we have and rue the fact that we do not have more.

 In looking at today’s scripture, Paul stated that we could find the secret to everlasting contentment at any time, anywhere.  The place from which Paul was writing his letters, addressed to people of Phillipi, was perhaps the more dissatisfactory place of them all: Prison.  Although it is true that Paul was under a house arrest, able to greet and meet visitors to his house, the important thing is that he was under a constant threat of martyrdom; he could have been executed at any moment.  Despite his own dire situation, Paul writes to the people of Phillipi to give them strength and hope.

 A pilot, in solo flight, had to make an emergency landing in the desert due to engine problems.  Although he tried hard to survive, in a desert without a drop of water, the pilot gradually began losing hope.  After he gave up his effort to survive, and was preparing himself to face a certain death valiantly, the faces of people he loved passed through his head like a panoramic picture.  The face of his saddened wife and the face of his anxious co-workers waiting to hear his news over the radio passed through his head.  At that time, the pilot experiences a sudden change in view and is able to rise above his depression. 

Up until this point, he was the missing person in the desert; however, after recollecting the images of his loved ones who anxiously waited for his return, the pilot realized that his family and his friends would be the true victims should he never return.  And he vowed to himself that he would save themwho anxiously waited for his returnat all costs.  Previously, the pilot’s thought had centered on saving himself, and when all hope seemed to be lost, he had no choice but to await the certain death that faced him.  However, thinking of othershis loved onesand his renewed determination to save them by saving himself injected a new sense of hope and life into him.  And ultimately, the pilot was able to survive the desert. 

Personal values and attitudes regarding life are important.  Paul was able to comfort and encourage others; despite being imprisoned himself, through this reasoning.  Just as a man who became lost and stranded in the desert vowed to survive to return to the loved ones who anxiously waited for himto save them from insufferable despairPaul, who gained true life and salvation through Christ, had the belief that he had to save others while he himself was imprisoned.

Ernest Hemingway, a famous writer and Nobel laureate for literature, had a habit of giving one of his prized possessions to someone near him every New Year’s day.  Upon being asked the reason behind his habit, Hemingway replied, “I need a reminder that though I own things, I am not owned by them.”  Not being owned by our possessionsthe cars we drive, the houses we live in, the jewelry we wearand discovering the fact that we own these items and not the other way around is a crucial discovery for all of us.  The problem rests in the fact that too many people are enslaved by their possessionsand this enslavement keeps these people from enjoying true satisfaction and contentment.

 Then what is the secret to true contentment?  Paul states this secret clearly in chapter 4 of Phillipians, verses 11 through 13:  “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.  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.”  The secret to Paul’s ability to aboundand enjoy self-contentmentin all situations rested within Christ.  We cannot attain this ability to become self-content through secular resources and materials.  We cannot live on money alone.  Wantand hence greedis like a bottomless pit, where there is no end called satiation. 

 Physical water quenches our thirst only temporarily, and the sense of refreshment from such water is ephemeral; yet, our everlasting water, Jesus, grants us the satisfaction, which keeps us content in all situations and environments.  Therefore, those who live within Christ can always find contentment and gratitude regardless of amount of wealth or their surroundingsrich or poor, abundant or lacking.  Only our Lordwho resides with those who believecan grant us true contentment.  When Jesusthe King of kings, the Master of allcomes to be with us, let’s become like His Disciple Paul: Able to comfort and praise others, who are free from restraints of incarceration, despite being imprisoned himself.

An atheist lawyer named Clearance Darrow visited southern Chicago during a bad recession to talk to his fellow African Americans.  Although they were in the midst of a great financial hardshipwhere they lived day to day, uncertain as to where the next meal would come fromthey all sang in God’s glory and praise, with bright and happy faces.  Darrow was greatly impressed.  So he asked, “and yet you all sing.  In fact, no one can sing as happy and joyous as you do.  What do you have to sing so happy about?”  To this question, a woman from the congregation answered, “We got Jesus to sing about.”  That response was followed by an almost endless stream of “amen,” “That’s right,” and “yes” from the crowd.  Darrow was dumbfounded.  He did not know how to respond.  He had no frame of reference from which to process the apparent contentment that was at the heart of these folks’ lives even in the worst of circumstances that they lived in.  “We got Jesus to sing about!”

 Paul was happy and content in the Roman prison because he experienced Jesus’ love and encouragement, which gave him great strength and courage.  I hope that each one of you can live within Christ and discover the secret to true happiness and contentment.  If we are within Christ, through His strength, we can achieve everythingeven those tasks and undertakings that previously proved to be impossible under our own accord.  Amen.