Autarkēs

Auta... what?
Autarkēs. This word is Greek.  It means

1. sufficient for one's self, strong enough or possessing enough to need no aid or support
2. independent of external circumstances
3. contented with one's lot, with one's means, though the slenderest

This particular word is only found one time in the Bible.

Philippians 4:11
I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

Whenever I read this verse, the song It Is Well with My Soul begins to play in my head.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

I am still reading the wonderful book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Lies Women Believe.  I just finished reading the chapter on Lies About Circumstances.  Ooohhh... Ouch.

The first "lie" was "If my circumstances were different, I would be different."

The Enemy convinces us that the only way we can ever be different is if our circumstances change.  So we play the "if only" game:

If only we didn't have to move...
If only we lived closer to my parents...
If only we had a bigger house (more closets, more storage)...
If only we had more money...
If only my husband didn't have to work so many hours...
If only I were married...
If I only I weren't married...
If only I were married to someone different...
If only I had children...
If only I didn't have so many children...
If only I hadn't lost that child...
If only my husband would communicate...
If only my husband were a spiritual leader...

We have been deceived into believing we would be happier if we had a different set of circumstances.  The Truth is, if we are not content within our present circumstances, we are not likely to be happy in any set of circumstances.

 The Christy Miller Book Series, by Robin Jones Gunn, are some of my all time favorite Christian fiction books.  In one of the books, A Whisper and a Wish, Christy has a conversation with another girl.

"You can drive yourself crazy living in the 'Land of If Only.'"

"The what?" Christy asked, blinking and sniffing quietly.

"I heard this lady talk once about how you could spend your whole life in the 'Land of If Only' by always, looking back and saying, 'If only I'd done this' or 'If only I hadn't done that.'  It can really mess you up if you're always wishing things were different than they are.  She said that when things happen that you don't understand, you have to believe God is still in control and nothing happens by mistake."

Christy looked out at the ocean and shook her head.  "You make it sound so easy to trust God for everything, Leslie.  I'm not sure it's going to be that easy for me."

"It'll get easier the more you do it."

How often do we just sit in the "Land of  If Only"?  How often do we just look to the future and forget about the present?  How often do we fall for the lie "If only my circumstances were different..."  How often do we forget about the abundant blessings God has given us in the here and now and only think about the things that could be?

I know I have fallen for that lie.  I know I have let that lie sabotage many blessings in my life because all I could think about was "If only..."

My Marvelous  Mother emailed me her Bible Study this week.  She was reading in 2 Corinthians about Paul's sufferings.  I have never realized quite what he went through as a slave of Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:23-28
Are they servants of Christ?..I'm a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, near death many times.  Five times I received 39 lashes from Jews.  Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans.  Once I was stoned by my enemies.  Three times I was shipwrecked.  I have spent a night and a day in the open sea.  On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the open country, dangers on the sea, and dangers among false brothers; labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing. Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care for all the churches.

Paul went through all of that - plus more - and yet he still said, "I have learned to be content."  He didn't sit around and think about "If only..."  He said, "Whatever my circumstances, I am content.  Whatever my lot, it is well with my soul."  

I love the advice at the end of the Christy Miller quote - Although it may be hard to trust God for everything, the more you do it, the easier it will become. 

So today, be autarkēs in whatever comes your way.