The Secret of Living in Contentment

 

Jesus encouraged us to have joy in tribulation, because He already experienced every issue we will ever face. He lives within us, so He inspires us to change our focus about life (John 16:33; Hebrews 2:18, 4:15).

Paul and James experienced more trials in their lifetime than we ever will, and they gave us the same advice to rejoice in our tribulation (Romans 5:3, 12:12; James 1:2). In fact, Paul also told us to rejoice always (Philippians 4:4).

The secret of learning to be content is to realize that this earth is not our home (Philippians 4:12). With an eternal perspective, we realize who we are in Christ and we stop worrying about earthly pursuits and dreams.

An eternal perspective allows us to have joy in adverse circumstances (2 Corinthians 4:16-17), because issues on this earth have less significance to us than those pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

We trust in the Lord with our whole heart, holding nothing back, not trusting in our self or any fleshly advantage, submitting everything to God and embracing His will as our own (Proverbs 3:5-6).

If we wait patiently for the Lord, we shall not be moved, even in times of great stress or persecution. Christ is our solid rock on which we stand, our strong tower from the enemies, which come against us (Psalm 40:1-2, 61:3).

When someone offends or harasses one of God's children, He takes it personally just as if the person was afflicting Him with our pain (Acts 9:5-6). He is our refuge and strength in any sign of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

We quietly rest in His care, knowing that He always delivers us through all of our afflictions (Psalm 23:4, 34:19). Even when He disciplines us for our sinful behavior, we can rejoice that He loves us as His children (Hebrews 12:3-6).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for teaching us to have an eternal perspective on life. We want to learn to be content as Paul did and to walk in Your nurture and admonition (Ephesians 6:4). Keep us ever faithful to Your Kingdom's work and remind us that if we fail to witness to the ones You put in our path, their blood is on our hands (Ezekiel 3:19-20).

Help us to see that all we actually need to be content is food and shelter (1 Timothy 6:8). Teach us that the pursuit of this world's goods never satisfies; yet, when Godliness is accompanied by contentment, we reap many rewards (Ecclesiastes 5:10; 1 Timothy 6:6).

Thought for the Day:

When we are joyful and content, our attitude shows on our face; but when we focus on our tribulation, the weight of it will break our spirit. - Proverbs 15:13

The Majesty of God

Authentic children of God have a clear understanding of the satisfaction, significance, security and true success that comes to those who wait on God. A life in Christ brings deep fulfillment, peace, joy and unity with our triune God. Only as we follow God’s will for our life, can we actually, effectively reach His goals for us, because God works in us for His infinite pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13). The ways of God are beyond human comprehension, so we rely on His Spirit who is our guide.

God invisibly works in our life, leading us by His Spirit as we seek Him first, and acknowledge His will in everything we think, feel, say and do (Proverbs 3:5-6). God’s Spirit turns the ordinary events of life into extraordinary feats, which no human being could ever orchestrate. God uses the homemaker, the car mechanic and the door-to-door salesman as much as the world famous evangelist. The kitchen table, the soccer game and the boardroom are God’s pulpit.

God brings His grace and peace into every moment of our life as we keep our focus on Him (Isaiah 26:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2). He gives us His cavernous compassion and caring comfort for every aspect of our life; and He teaches us, by first hand experience, how to comfort others whom He brings into our life. As the family of God, we share in each other’s suffering, and we also share in one another’s joys (2 Corinthians 1:3-7), and we all set our hope on Christ in us (Colossians 1:27).

God calls His children to spread the sweet aroma of the wondrous blessings, which God has in store for us, to anyone who will give us time from their day. These people are perishing in their sin and shame, filled with conceit and satisfied in their rebellion and pride. They will certainly spend an eternity in the flames of hell, if we fail to offer them God’s gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). The time is short. Let us be about our Father’s business (Luke 2:49).

Prayer:

Father God, we trust in Your wisdom when we see the growing depravity, unrest and insecurity in the world around us. We devote every fiber of our being for Your use in every aspect of the life You have given us (Ephesians 2:10). You are the God who spoke creation into existence, and You are the God who healed the woman with a life-long illness (Genesis 1; Luke 8:43-48). You give Your children cause to rejoice at the prayers You answer as the result of us calling on You every moment of our life.

Thought for the Day:

God cares about every aspect of our life and brings His majesty into every moment of our day.

 

 

The Choice is Yours

 

We make dozens of choices every day: when to wake up, where to work, what to eat, what clothes to wear. Any choice we make in life takes our full trust. We trust in our parents, teachers, employers, finances and our roof not to leak. Yet, we find it too hard to trust in God. We fear that He will require too much from us, ruin all of our fun or let us down one too many times. The truth is that following God is the only choice that offers a 100% guarantee.

Our parents may pass away, our teachers change every year, our employers lay us off, our commodities fail, and it’s inevitable that our roof will leak at some time or another. Yet, God gives us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). His plans give us ultimate success rather than failure. We may lose a battle, but He already won the war over sin and death. He offers us eternal life, which starts the moment we submit our life to Him. Our surrender is gradual, but consistent.

As Catholics, my parents baptized me at birth. Then at age 12, I went through confirmation. The purpose of this exercise was to allow me to choose Christ for myself. However, I had no idea what I was doing. The nuns made me memorize an entire booklet of catechism questions, and then stand before the Bishop who slapped my cheek to remind me to stay true to Christ regardless of persecution. Neither baptism nor confirmation taught me to trust in Christ.

I did religious rituals out of obedience to my parents, but they had no spiritual significance for me at all. It was in my first year of college when I read, The Cross and the Switchblade, by David Wilkerson, that I saw the stark distinction between saved and unsaved people. The unsaved struggled endlessly to carve out a living in this life. The saved trusted in Christ for everything. He provides their secure and abundant life on earth and for eternity (Proverbs 16:9). I quickly surrendered my life to Christ.

A life in Christ has nothing to do with self-effort (Ephesians 2:8-9), and everything to do with ceasing from our labor and entering into Christ’s rest (Hebrews 4:10). Life no longer includes our choices. As we take our delight in Him, God puts His desires in our heart (Psalm 37:4). We submit to God’s Spirit who leads us to function in the work, which God prepared for us to do before we were born (Ephesians 2:10). The best choice is to the do the will of Him who sent us (John 4:34).

Prayer:

Father God, You predestined us according to Your foreknowledge to live in such a way that we advance Your Kingdom in the earth as we fulfill Your will for us (Ephesians 1:11; Romans 8:29). This takes all the guesswork out of our life. We simply follow the leading of Your Spirit each and every moment of the day. We are persuaded that You will keep us until the day we come to dwell with you (2 Timothy 1:12).

Thought for the Day:

We intimately know the God who gave His life for us, and lives in and through us. – Philippians 2:12-13

Hidden with Christ in God

 

Living a life hidden with Christ in God is a lonely life, because there are few people in this world who aspire to be that united with God. It takes a commitment to shed the cares of this world and to grasp a life devoted to furthering God’s Kingdom in this world. We are indivisibly one with the only true God. We do not walk according to the flesh, but after the Spirit (Galatians 5:16,25). We traverse a deeply spiritual walk, because Christ is our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4).

We are all individual members of the worldwide family of God throughout the ages, as well as the current Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). Jesus displays His attributes in and through us. He manifests Himself to the world through His Body. He is all and in all (Colossians 1:17). We live in this world, but we are not a part of it (John 15:19). The world rejected Christ and rejects us, as well; however, this holds no significance to us.

We seek the lost; and we lead those who are willing, those whom the Spirit is drawing, to a union with and a deeper walk in Christ. His Spirit rains on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45), because He wants to draw everyone to Himself. He is a mighty God who holds the universe together, and He is a gentle God who cares about the lilies of the field, the birds of the air and the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 6:25-34).

The earth is His footstool (Acts 7:49); yet, He came to earth as one of us, to redeem us from the penalty of our sins (John 3:16). He provides for all of our needs, by His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19). He is our total sufficiency (2 Corinthians 9:8). As we seek first His Kingdom, He provides us with everything we need (Matthew 6:33). He gives us abundance, and He see us lack; but He teaches us contentment in both (Philippians 4:12).

Our food is to do the will of our Father (John 4:34). He watches over us and listens to our prayers (1 Peter 3:12). Even when we are afraid, we can put our trust in Him (Psalm 56:3-4). There is nothing life can bring against us that Christ in us cannot handle (Philippians 4:13). He keeps His promises and through them He gives us His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). As we take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23), His life shines through us to the world around us.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You vanquished sin and death by your victory on Calvary’s cross. You are now our Victory and we walk in You. Eternal life is to know You in an intimate relationship provided for us through Your Spirit. We are united with you as one being (John 17:21-23). As You are, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). You express Yourself through Your Body as we live, move and have our being in You (Acts 17:28). You are our pearl of great price and we treasure our relationship with You (Matthew 13:44-46).

Thought for the Day:

Knowing God does not involve religious activity or pious attitudes; it is simply abiding in Him.

Intimacy Through Union

 

Once we come to Christ in Salvation, we never need to search for significance again. He dwells within us. We are one with Him and with the Father (John 17:21). It is an indestructible union that neither principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, nor anything else in all creation can demolish (Romans 8:39; Ephesians 6:12). We have more intimacy and oneness with God than is possible with any human relationship, because Jesus dwells within us by His Spirit (Romans 8:9).

Christ’s presence transcends feelings and human reasoning. He is there whether we “feel” Him or not. Jesus lives in us and through us. Our relationship is a union in which the more we decrease, the greater He increases in us to the glory of God the Father (John 3:30; Philippians 2:11). We are the manifestation of His Body in the world today. His supernatural abilities reside within us by His Spirit. We are able to do whatever He calls us to do, no matter how impossible the task appears (John 14:13-14).

We do not strive to become like Christ; we simply surrender to Him. Then He uses His power and authority through our life. We will do greater works than He did, because He lives within us (John 14:12). Keeping Biblical mandates and the Law does not keep us from sinning. The opposite is actually true. Our failure to keep the law makes us more aware of our sinfulness and failings. The power of sin is in the Law (1 Corinthians 15:56; Romans 3:19-20). God gave us the Law in order to point us to Christ (Galatians 3:23-25). When we slip into sin, we have an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1).

We are so united in our intimate relationship with God, through Christ by the Spirit, that sin is the only thing that can bring a division between us. Yet, once we repent of our transgression, God is quick to restore our union with Him again (1 John 1:9). This union brings us liberation from sin and the world. Sin has no power over authentic Believers, because Jesus, who has the power over sin and death, lives within us (Romans 8:2-4). Now we live under grace (Romans 6:14). God made Jesus, who never sinned, to be sin for us. Now we are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 1:9).

God is not a personality that lives way up on a throne in Heaven. Christ dwells within us (Colossian 3:3). Once we realize the overpowering truth of this statement, our whole attitude about life changes. Nothing in life happens to us alone. It also affects the triune God living within us. God use these circumstances for His purposes: to perfect our life and to further His Kingdom in the earth. Once we get fed up with trying to keep the law and completely surrender our life to Christ, God rejoices. He wants us to live our life with our focus on Christ, not on our self.

We simply need to ask God to reveal His will and purpose to us in the situation we are in right now. We ask Him what He wants us to do and say. Then we listen and follow the leading of His Spirit within us. We find more purpose and meaning in life with this mindset. Nothing happens by chance, but by God’s design and for His reasons. Christ is all and is in all (Colossians 3:11). God created everything through Christ and nothing was created except through Him (John 1:3). We are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). Our burdens are lighter, because we have taken His yoke upon us (Matthew 11:28-30). When we are weak, then we are strong in Him (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, if we think of our self as separate from You, then we feel the need to carry our burdens alone. The only reason we would have to be upset about our circumstances is if we forget that we are not helpless in them. They are also happening to You within us. You are a permanent resident within our spirit. We are one with You. Once we realize that You want to reveal Yourself in us and through us, then we will never walk alone again (Galatians 1:15-16).

Thought for the Day:

There is no spiritual life in us apart from Christ in us, our hope of glory.
– Colossians 1:27

Clay Jars

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." - 2 Corinthians 4:7

When Paul wrote this verse about jars of clay, he referred to the common jars of his day. They were everyday vessels, usually chipped, sometimes cracked or possibly broken around the rim. Many were even flawed from the beginning due to an error in their construction. Paul refers to Christians as common clay jars, but then he reminds us that we are filled with a priceless treasure, which is the all-surpassing power of God.

The significance of Paul referring to us as jars of clay is that it illustrates the fact that we are ordinary and defective and have no power or strength of our own (2 Corinthians 4:8). In spite of our shortcomings, however, God chooses us as His vessels of honor anyway. He fills us with His power to accomplish the ministry He calls us to perform. This power also enables us to influence a change in other people, as we share His gospel with the lost and dying world around us.

When we surrender to God, He makes all things new. We are not perfect, but we are forgiven (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul’s life is a good example. He was less than perfect. He started out opposing the Kingdom of God. He even had an infirmity, which He begged God to remove. He had the faith for a healing, but God chose to use Paul’s life as an example of His grace. Through God’s refusal to cure him, Paul learned the lesson that God’s power is made strong in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9). God uses our weaknesses more than our strengths, because when we are weak in our own abilities, then we are strong in Him and His abilities (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

When we are frail, we are more likely to depend upon God rather than our own gifts and talents. This forces us to center our focus on God instead of our capabilities. This also takes our focus off the flaws in the people around us. When we see our own glaring imperfections, we have more patience with the defects in others. We have more grace with their shortcomings, because God has grace with ours. Then we are more apt to allow the fruit of God’s Spirit to flow through us to the world around us.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need; and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. - Matthew 6:9-13 (NLT)

Thought for the Day:

Through a lifetime of loss and tragedy, our search for peace with God only comes by faith in our reconciliation with God through Jesus on the cross.

 

Positive and Grateful

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” - Colossians 3:17

Living in the present moment brings many positive results. You will begin to notice all of the little blessings God provides for us throughout the day, which you normally overlook. This allows us to live a life of praise as we thank Him for His gifts as they occur. When we start to praise God for the things that most people take for granted, life holds more joy. Gratitude molds you into a positive person.   With a positive attitude, we do everything, even the most mundane things, for HIS glory!!!

1 Corinthians 10:31 states, “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.”

Look at this last verse again. Notice that Paul did NOT say, “Whether you witness or serve in a ministry.” He did NOT say, “Whether you preach the gospel or cast out devils.” He DID say...“Whether you eat or you drink!” How much more mundane can you get than eating or drinking?  

How can eating and drinking have any spiritual significance in our life? God is interested in every teensy thing about our lives, even our eating and drinking. Fulfillment in this life has as much to do with our body as it does with our soul and our spirit.

I like to pay attention to what I eat and drink. How is what you are eating and drinking affecting your body, your emotions, your attitude, and your energy level? Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. He lives within us. Our body does not belong to us, because God bought us with the great price of His son’s suffering and death.

Therefore, let us use every part of our body to give glory back to God. Consider everything you do. Even your eating, drinking and exercising affects your testimony for the Lord. It will also affect how you look, which will affect how you feel about yourself, and ultimately how you obey the Lord and how fulfilled you feel with your life. Our attitude about life and in life makes all the difference in the world!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help us to live a positive life of gratitude. When we complain, we put negative vibes into the air all around us and it affects everyone we meet. Help us instead to live in the present moment and to be grateful for all of the blessings You bestow on us all day long.

Thought for the Day:

Keep a journal of all of the blessings God gives you each day.

The Surrendered Soul

Read: Matthew 23: 26-28

“Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother's milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” - Psalm 131:2

People the world over search for significance from sources that do not satisfy the longing in their soul. Some read volumes of tomes in dusty libraries, seeking for truth. Others travel the world, looking for their soul mate. Fame, fortune and success sidetrack some. Secular philosophies and worldly religions attract many others. But, those who truly desire to find the ultimate Truth realize that their only salvation is found in Jesus Christ. At this moment of revelation, we enter into a union with Christ that is spiritual, intimate and divine.

Through a simple prayer of repentance and dependence, we reach out to the Trinity. God moves in at that very moment and breathes new life into our spirit. We are born again by the Spirit of God. Jesus justifies us through salvation and the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our spirit. Also at that moment, the Holy Spirit brings resurrection life to our soul – our mind, will and emotions; and He walks with us through the life-long journey of sanctifying our soul.

In the process of making us holy, Christ also heals the soul, which is wounded by past experiences. He pours out His unconditional love on the soul starving for affection. He nurtures the soul, which lacks self-worth. He changes the attitude of the soul, which is angry, bitter and unforgiving. Slowly, our doubts, fears, insecurities, self-centeredness, hurt feelings, bitterness and rage diminish as He replaces them with the His fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith. He also protects the soul from the deceptions and illusions of counterfeit alternatives, which Satan uses to allure us away from God and back toward worldly values driven by satanic influences. 

As a man, Jesus also suffered great turmoil in His soul. This is exemplified on the day prior to His crucifixion. When Jesus faced the cross, He took His closest friends to the garden to pray. He revealed to them His need, “My soul is so deeply grieved that I feel like it is strangling the very life from me. Wait here and pray with me” (Matthew 26: 38, paraphrased).

As the passion of his soul-wrenching prayer intensified, his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44). He prayed for several hours, until He could surrender His desires to His Father’s will (Luke 22:42). Then as He focused on the joy set before him in heaven, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and eventually sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).

In laying down His life, Jesus raised our spirit, soul and body from the mire of sin. His ultimate desire is to possess us as a Bridegroom embracing His bride. Daily, He increases our spiritual awareness and our life blossoms from the inside out. The life and spirit of the Word become engrained in our soul (Jeremiah 15:16 and I Peter 2:2) and we walk in holiness as we follow His Spirit moment by moment throughout the day.

God is a peaceful Lord over our soul. He woos us as the Lover in the Song of Solomon. He calls us into a deeper personal relationship with Himself until we change our focus from worldly pursuits to His eternal quest. He transforms our natural mind with the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5). Eventually, carnality sickens us as much as it does the Lord. We no longer desire to do anything except what pleases Him. We yield our desires more and more to His will. We relinquish to Him all the power over our life. We do this, not in painful submission, but in the joy-filled surrender of our soul.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, bring joy to Your servant, for to You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul (Psalm 86:4). Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way in which I should go, for to You I lift up my soul (Psalm 143:8). I shall love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with my entire mind, and with all my strength (Mark 12:30).

Thought for the Day:

The first man, Adam, became a living soul. The last Adam, Jesus, became a life-giving spirit. - 1 Corinthians 15: 45