Fw: Devotional: Contentment

 

 

Contentment

by Marsha Iddings

Phipippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 

You often see this verse on posters with athletes on them. Or you might hear someone who has a sales goal use this verse. This verse is often quoted flippantly by people who use it as a "positive affirmation" to bolster their sense of being able to accomplish great things that will benefit them in life.

 

But that's not what this verse is all about. This verse is not about getting out of life what you want. Look at the context. Verse 11-12 says, "Not that I speak in regard to need, for 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."

 

This verse is about the roller coaster of life. It's about being on the mountain top today and tomorrow in the valley of trouble. It's about having all you "need" one day and the next losing it all. It can be applied to having your health one day and having it taken away the next.

 

Far from being part of the health and wealth gospel that many try to make this verse out to be, it has everything to do with being content no matter what my circumstances, be they good or be they bad, and being able to do that through the strength that is in Christ.

 

This is being brought home to me in a very real sense. I struggle with it, but God is faithful to keep giving me circumstances to learn this in. I've just come through 8 days of almost non-stop headaches and fatigue. I've had three days in a row with no headaches and was glad to feel better because I have so much to do. But I discovered a large red lump on my leg and have been told it may be an internal staph infection that has traveled up my leg from a scratch I recieved from a stick three weeks ago.

 

This is a big setback. It has slowed down what I had planned to do as I have to now spend as much time as possible with my leg elevated, heat packs 10 to 15 minutes out of every hour and high powered antibiotics.

 

So tempting to get down in the dumps over this. But, I'm trying to look at this as another one of those lessons in contentment. How about you?  Are you dealing with some issues in your life that are trying your patience?  Perhaps God is trying to teach you contentment.

" I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. "

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Sufficient Grace for Suffering Saints
http://middings.blogspot.com

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