True contentment is realizing that God has already given you everything you need for your present happiness. What a powerful lesson!
Hi, I’m Joni and let me share a great verse on this Thanksgiving week.
When the Apostle Paul picked up his pen to write his good friends in Philippi, he told them, “I have learned in whatever situation I am in to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. 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.” No, Paul wrote this from a lonely prison cell, far from home, and kept apart from his family and friends. There were no amenities in this prison – it was harsh, cold, and damp. Paul most likely relied on the charity of others for every meal. And yet he was content. Even thankful.
So, what was the secret he learned about being content while confined in prison? Simply this: He knew that contentment is realizing that God has already given us everything we need for our present happiness. And, oh, what a powerful lesson this was for me, especially those years I felt confined by my paralysis and my wheelchair. Or even now when chronic pain eats away at my resolve. God gave Paul, and God has given me and you everything we need for our present happiness. The wise do not grieve for the things they do not have … but rejoice over what they do have. And what do we have? We have grace to sustain us through every trial, we have the peace of Christ to calm our troubled thoughts; we have a good God who is sovereign over our most difficult circumstances. He designs purpose in our loss and need; we have got his Word at our fingertips, his promises guaranteeing he’ll be with us, never leave us, do only that which is good for us. We have salvation and a home in heaven; we have got a rich inheritance, favor with God, and a friend in Jesus Christ. These are just a few things that make me content in my quadriplegia.
So, why compare our lot in life with that of our neighbors or of what “once was.” Isaiah 43 says, “Do not cling to things in the past or dwell on what happened long ago.” God has given us everything we need right now for our present contentment. So, we say with the Apostle Paul, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. I can be content. Through Jesus, I can be satisfied. I can rejoice and be grateful. Whether facing plenty or hunger, abundance or need; paralysis, pain, or perfect health, whatever our condition, God calls us to give thanks for it because it comes directly from his hand. And if we cannot muster gratitude? It shows we need to grow up in Christ. We need a little bit of sanctification.
Now, these are all great things to think about on Thanksgiving week. So, as we get our hearts ready to give God all the gratitude he deserves, I’d like you to pray with me. Really, as you listen, make this prayer yours: “Oh Jesus, Lord Jesus, I thank you for every little gift you’ve given me. And please forgive me for the times I’ve lingered in self-pity, or envied others, or the times I even longed for what once was. Whether I experience feasting or hunger, strengthen me, sanctify me so that I will be content in every circumstance you place me in. Wow! That’s a great prayer! Amen Lord Jesus. And these also are good words today from God’s Word. So, have a great week leading up to Thanksgiving.
© Joni and Friends