Learn To Be Content...

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:12-13

There will be times in your life where you will experience ups and downs… It will appear at times that you have an equal amount of bad days to your good days; however, today in our focus verses Paul reminds us that we need to learn how to handle every situation that we face in this life… Whether we go through little ordeals or big storms; whether we experience a little success or a great amount of happiness, your spiritual makeup and identity must remain intact… The same Christian that becomes uncontrollable when they receive a blessing is the same Christian that goes crazy when hardship comes… What Paul teaches today is the importance for us to obtain that constant in our lives (which is Christ) as oppose to seeking the things of this world which are here today and gone tomorrow… The bible declares that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever… No matter what happens on this earth, no matter the season or the even; Jesus Christ is always the same… Today, learn to take on that mindset and approach to your life… Whatever happens, whether it is good or bad, stayed prayed up with your eternal eye fastened on the Lord… Be thankful in all things and pray without ceasing…  Remember the thorn in the flesh that Paul dealt with and how he prayed for it to be removed; however not only did God answer Him by letting him know that His grace was sufficient, he also gave Paul the insight to know that the thorn was serving the purpose of keeping Paul humble and motivated… Today, stop throwing your hands up in despair when thing don’t go as you planned, start reading between the lines and come to understand that there is purpose behind every ordeal and circumstance… On this roller coaster of life we are sure to experience highs and lows, we will have days of joy and days of sadness, laughter and pain go hand and hand along with great abundance and fearing that you don’t have enough… Thou the season of life change and we experience them all; Paul reminds us today that we must be content not in our earthly possessions but in our standing with Christ… Paul says I know how to live when I am low (abased) and how to live when I abound (have plenty)… No matter where you are in your life today, whether you have plenty or don’t think you have enough you must make sure that your faith in Christ reminds and that you continue to seek His will… When we have little it is a time where we can be tempted to question God and give up; likewise, when we have plenty we can find ourselves taking the credit that God deserves by becoming confident in what we can do… In both scenarios we begin to ease God out and this is why we must go through seasons… Although the seasons that we face change at any given time; we are reminded today that we can stand throughout what life sends our way and continue to grow and mature… I am reminded of Russian Hawthorne tree which shows the different seasons by the appearance it takes on; however, it grows in and through everything it endures…It blooms in the summer and fall and it’s bark grabs the eye of its viewer as it changes in winter to absorb and secure the nutrients needed…  This tree is content in whatever the season and continues to thrive… Learn to be content with what you have or the hand that has been dealt to you because you know that through it all Christ is with you and will always be your guide and sustainer…

The more you focus on God and turn away from the cares of this world reflects your growth and showcases your contentment in Him… Paul is not content because he doesn’t desire more; he is content because he knows that in doing the will of God all his needs will be taken care of… This is why he says in the 19^th verse of this chapter, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” When we have faith in Christ we will endure the suffering and face the adversity knowing that the reward will be that much sweeter and the place of rest will be more enjoyable… Again, if we understand that we all have experienced ups and downs, joy and sorrow, or even happiness and sadness than we can attest to what Paul writes today... Not only are we to be content in knowing that Christ is with us, but we also must be content in knowing that the pains of life are for our benefit and maturity… These verses in Philippians remind us to be content knowing that we are being molded into a masterpiece. Paul needed to be humbled after serving as a high-ranking official who sought to persecute Christians… We too must be humbled at times to keep us in line with the will of God and allow us to grow into the children God has called us to be… The book of James tells us in chapter 1, verses 2-4 to, “² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Every trial you face serves a purpose, every obstacle is there for a reason and part of your contentment in Christ is knowing that He doesn’t make mistakes and that He will not only be exalted but that you will grow from your experiences… Paul concludes by saying that “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me…” Don’t forget who your source of strength is, don’t forget who has brought you this far and don’t forget who will lead you on… The bible says every good and perfect gift comes from above… When the sunshine comes remember who brings it, when the rains fall remember who gives you shelter… We all have known the feeling of hitting rock bottom, we have known the feeling of seeming invincible, but what we need to know and remember is that everything is possible through Christ. Think about all the things that you have been through, and then ask your self how you made it. When the sun was shining so bright but in the blink of an eye darkness covered your sky… When things at your job were so peaceful and all of a sudden you were unemployed who kept you, who opened another do for you…? Be content because Christ has already done it before, be content because you are growing and be content because you know that Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever… The same results that we see in the bible when people remained content are the same results we will see in our lives when and if we remain content in the will of God…

BE BLESSED!!!